The spectacular Goshani Jatra of Puri
During the Navaratri festivities, I witnessed the stunning Goshani Jatra in Puri. It is a unique ancient tradition that is little known in the rest of India.
During April, electioneering for the Lok Sabha polls will also peak, but not as prominently in Ayodhya as the polling in the city is scheduled for the fifth phase on May 20.
After the opening of the Ram temple on January 22, the temple city of Ayodhya is poised to witness the biggest congregation of devotees during Navratri and Ram Navami next month.
During April, electioneering for the Lok Sabha polls will also peak, but not as prominently in Ayodhya as the polling in the city is scheduled for the fifth phase on May 20.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has already started making arrangements for the occasion.
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The Dharmik Nyas Samiti, a wing of the Trust, will be responsible for making the arrangements along with the beautification of the temples on the occasion.
The Chaitra Navratri will start on April 9 and end on April 17 with the birth of Ram Lalla.
A Trust official said here on Saturday that the Ram Mandir Trust and the Ayodhya administration are expecting an unprecedented crowd in the temple town during the nine-day festivities, hence proper arrangements would be made for the occasion.
Govind Dev Giri, the treasurer of the Trust and chairman of the Dharmik Nyas Samiti, said they are preparing a blueprint for the nine-day special rituals on the Ram Janmabhoomi campus that will start on April 9.
However, the unprecedented crowd that has turned up in Ayodhya since the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22 has left the Trust with limited options in organising events during the Navratri.
However, the Trust will have to confine itself to Vedic rituals in Ram Mandir and Ram Janmabhoomi due to unprecedented crowds turning up in the city to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla.
The district administration will also focus on controlling the crowd and making elaborate security arrangements to ensure no untoward incident occurs during this festive period.
Govind Dev Giri said a huge turnout is expected during the Navratri but the Trust and the local authority are prepared to meet the challenge.
Apart from the Ram Janmabhoomi campus, the Dashrath Mahal, Kanak Bhawan, and other historic places in Ayodhya will also be decked up for the nine-day-long festival.
Sharad Sharma, the regional spokesperson of the VHP, said that Ayodhya is expected to welcome devotees from all over the country during the first Navratri after the Pran Pratistha of Ram Lalla.
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