Faithful Flood Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura To Ring In New Year

In Varanasi, people have been queuing up for the darshan of Kashi Vishwanath since midnight on Monday. A similar scene was witnessed in Mathura.

Ayodhya/Varanasi/Mathura:As the clock ticks towards midnight, people in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura are preparing to ring in the New Year by visiting temples of their favourite gods. Since Tuesday, three cities have been witnessing a flood of devotees with lakhs getting ready to throng temples.

The crowd is expected to swell with time. Hotels and lodges are already full. Devotees who arrived from every corner of the country visited Hanumangarhi, Kanak Bhawan and Ram Temple after taking a bath in the Saryu River. In Varanasi, people have been queuing up for the darshan of Kashi Vishwanath since midnight on Monday. A similar scene was witnessed in Mathura. There is a crowd of devotees in Banke Bihari Temple, Radha Raman, Damodar and Barsana Shri Ladli Ji Radha Rani Temple. Some devotees were seen expressing their happiness by dancing and singing in front of Ram Lalla.

The devotees reaching Ayodhya appear excited. “We want to start the New Year with the blessings of Ram Lalla. It feels blissful to reach Ramnagari. The cleanliness of the place is remarkable,” a devotee said.

Advisory on entry of vehicles

In view of the increasing crowd in Ayodhya, the administration issued a traffic advisory. There will be no entry of vehicles in many roads. Entry of commercial vehicles / autos, and e-rickshaws coming to Ayodhya Dham from Rampath is prohibited from Udaya intersection.

The traffic advisory mandates vehicles to be parked near the gas warehouse. There will be no entry of all types of vehicles going from Teedi Bazar towards Shriram Hospital. Entry of all types of vehicles from Chudamani Square towards Teedi Bazar is prohibited. Commercial vehicles/autos, and e-rickshaws will not be able to come towards Kaniganj from Vidyakund Tiraha.

Entry of all types of vehicles from Deenbandhu Eye Hospital towards Chhoti Cantonment is banned. Vehicles will also not be able to go towards Latamangeshkar Chowk from Hanuman Gufa Barrier. Entry of commercial vehicles/autos, and e-rickshaws will be banned from Saket Petrol Pump Barrier. All types of vehicles will not be able to go towards Ayodhya Dham from the Durgaganj Majha Barrier.

All types of vehicles coming from Gonda have been diverted from Lakadmandi Square towards Lolpur NH-27. All types of vehicles coming from Parikrama Marg will be parked at the parking lot built near the gas warehouse.

Hotels crowded

In Varanasi too, lakhs of devotees are flooding to celebrate the New Year. From the main road to the Ganga Ghat, every place is crammed with people. About five to seven lakh people have come to Kashi to celebrate the New Year.

Hotels in Banaras are full. Hotel rooms which was earlier charged Rs 1,000 a day, are being priced at 4,000 to Rs 5,000.

Special Ganga Aarti

According to Abhishek Singh, the convener of Ganga Seva Samiti at Assi Ghat, a large number of youth along with the elderly are coming to the ghats of Varanasi. Seeing the enthusiasm of the youth, a grand Ganga Aarti is being organised this New Year.

Approximately eight to 10 lakh devotees are expected to visit Baba Vishwanath. Temple official Vishwa Bhushan Mishra said a diversion system has also been implemented for the convenience of the devotees. Along with this, more than 45 security points have been made. Separate gates have been made for entry and exit.