In a bit of a head-scratcher, the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has suggested that devotees from nearby areas might want to <a href="https://www.benefitnews.in/india/ayodhya-crowd-surge--locals-urged-to-postpone-visit/5370">postpone&nbsp;their pilgrimage </a>to Ayodhya by 15 to 20 days. Why? Well, it seems there&rsquo;s been a slight problem with the crowds. Just a tiny&nbsp;one.
Who could have guessed that millions of devotees would descend upon one of India&rsquo;s most visited pilgrimage sites during an auspicious period? It&rsquo;s only the combined force of the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and Mauni Amavasya&mdash;two events known for, well, attracting a bit&nbsp;of attention. Surely, this had to be just another peaceful, crowd-free day in the holy city of Ayodhya?
In case you missed it, Ayodhya on Tuesday experienced a traffic jam so divine, it could probably be classified as a pilgrimage miracle in itself. Reports suggested&nbsp;that 40 lakh devotees descended on the city, post-Mahakumbh, overwhelming local facilities. Two elderly devotees died, possibly from cardiac arrest.&nbsp;Traffic jams reportedly stretched&nbsp;15&ndash;20 km.
And what brilliant solution&nbsp;did the authorities come up with in response?
Rather than preparing for this small&nbsp;surge in visitors, the authorities have decided the best course of action is to ask local devotees to&hellip; wait a bit. It&rsquo;ll make the experience more pleasant for out-of-towners. That&rsquo;s right, a few weeks&rsquo; delay in your pilgrimage is nothing to fuss about, really. After all, who wouldn&rsquo;t want to enjoy a quieter visit when the rush dies down?
Sure, rescheduling your visit might not be ideal, but let&rsquo;s be honest: what&rsquo;s more important&mdash;the rush of your spiritual journey or the calm of a more &ldquo;pleasant&rdquo;&nbsp;experience when the weather is more agreeable after Basant Panchami? I mean, who needs the sweltering heat when you can take in the holy sights at a much more leisurely pace?&nbsp;The weather, after all, is far more important than, you know, spiritual urgency.
One can&rsquo;t help but chuckle at the timing. Ayodhya, a city of immense religious importance, during one of the busiest spiritual seasons in recent memory? Who would&rsquo;ve thought there might be a little congestion? Surely, a more thorough plan could&rsquo;ve been devised. But alas, the authorities seem to have placed their faith in an optimistic assumption that everything would simply sort itself out.
Meanwhile, over in Prayagraj, the Maha Kumbh Mela is seeing a crowd of 45 crore (450 million) devotees. Yes, you read that correctly. In response, authorities there have embraced cutting-edge technology&mdash;facial recognition, AI, the whole shebang&mdash;to keep the peace. Back in Ayodhya, though, the solution seems to be a more relaxed&nbsp;approach: &ldquo;Maybe just reschedule your trip. No big deal.&rdquo;
The bottom line here is simple: There&rsquo;s a lot of dharm happening in Uttar Pradesh right now, and it turns out a little bit of planning might&rsquo;ve gone a long way. But hey, there&rsquo;s always next time. Perhaps with a little less traffic and a bit more forethought.

Who would’ve thought there might be a little congestion in Ayodhya?

Devotees in Ayodhya asked to reschedule pilgrimage—because, apparently, crowds were a surprise

Ayodhya: Too Much Dharm, Not Enough Planning?

Devotees in Ayodhya asked to reschedule pilgrimage—because, apparently, crowds were a surprise

January 28, 2025 | 19:27 IST