The Uttar Pradesh tourism and culture minister, Jaiveer Singh, announced plans for helicopter services for the vast number of guests expected to attend the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. However, the minister did not provide a precise date. "The services will start before January 22," he said. “It will be ensured that all facilities are being provided to devotees who will be thronging the city to witness the inauguration,” Singh added.
Preparations are underway for the inauguration which will see many devotees throng Ayodhya. The Pran Pratishtha event, slated on January 22, is the main point of the inauguration. The ceremony will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi perform the Pran Pratishtha of the new Ram Lalla idol at the sanctum sanctorum. Reports say that the consecration ceremony at the Ram Janmobhoomi Mandir will last seven days, from January 16 to January 22, 2024.
Situated on the east bank of the River Sarayu, and the birthplace of Lord Ram and the backdrop of the epic Ramayana, Ayodhya has tremendous mythological and spiritual significance.
According to the Ramayana, the ancient city was the capital of the Surya dynasty, in which Lord Ram was born. It is also believed to have been the early capital of the kingdom of Kosala, which finds references in ancient Indian literature.
Among the places to visit here is Treta Ke Thakur, where the Ashwamedha Yagna is thought to have been conducted by Ram. In Kaleram Ka Mandir, the idols of Ram, Sita, and Lakshman are said to have been carved out of a single block of black sandstone. Hanuman Garhi is a temple resembling a four-sided fort with circular bastions at each corner.
Kanak Bhawan, located near Hanuman Garhi, has depictions of Ram and Sita wearing gold crowns, due to which the place is also known as Sone ka Ghar. Lakshman Ghat, on the banks of the Sarayu river, is where Lakshman is said to have voluntarily given up his life. Visit Ram ki Paidi early morning or at sunset. It is a series of ghats on the bank of the River Sarayu.
In the next few years, the government plans to improve the tourism infrastructure in Ayodhya, focusing on theme-based, sustainable and religious tourism. The proposed projects include a sound-and-light show a city centre observatory a digital museum and a ropeway scheme. Also on the anvil is a 251-metre statue of Ram on the banks of the Sarayu.