With street lights on flyovers adorned with artworks depicting Lord Ram, his bow and arrows and decorative lamp posts with traditional ‘Ramanandi Tilak’ themed designs, Ayodhya has been completely decorated ahead of the consecration ceremony at the temple.

‘Pran Pratistha’ will be held at the Ram temple here on January 22 which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other dignitaries.

With the huge celebrations being four days away, the roads leading to the holy city are also steeped in religious sentiment. While traveling on the highway from Lucknow to Ayodhya, one can see huge posters bearing the image of the Ram Temple, the date of construction Is. Abhishek ceremony and slogans like ‘Shubh Ghadi Aayi, Viraje Raghurai’ are echoing on the streets.

Many hotels and dhabas located along the highway have saffron flags along with the picture of Lord Ram and the picture of Lord Ram along with the pictures of the god and the new temple.

While entering Ayodhya city from Faizabad city side, one can feel the spirit of the temple town in the air.

The street lights on the flyovers are lit up, and decorated with colorful ‘Ayodhya’ signage, and alternately a new temple of Lord Rama with a bow and arrow, or Lord Rama holding his bow and arrow Or designs depicting ‘Ramanandi Tilak’ are displayed. ,

‘Ramanandi Tilak’ is composed of two vertical white lines and a red stroke in the centre, and is largely used by devotees of Lord Rama. Many local residents and devotees coming to Ayodhya from other places can be seen wearing this tilak.

In the city of Ayodhya, the two main streets, Ram Path and Dharma Path, have become the main attractions at this time, especially for their spectacular decoration before the ceremony.

Ram Path is a distance of 13 kilometers from Sahadatganj of Faizabad city to Naya Ghat intersection of Ayodhya city.

The old main road through the center of the city has been widened and converted into a four-lane road as part of redevelopment work in 2022.

A large number of shops and other buildings were partially demolished under the project and the state government and local administration also faced protests from many traders.

The Ram Path redevelopment project is nearing completion, and the facades of all shops and other structures have been given a uniform coat of beige paint, while the shutters have been decorated with graphic images of Hindu symbols like saffron flags, conch shells, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ Is. Bow and arrow and face of Lord Hanuman or his mace.

Cut-outs containing images of Lord Ram have been installed in the middle of the Ram Path, while continuous chants of ‘Siya Ram’ and ‘Jai Siya Ram’ can be heard from loudspeakers installed in nearby temples on the streets.

“Ram Path and Dharma Path are the two showpieces of road infrastructure development. And, they have been decorated before the consecration ceremony. A senior official said, the designs of the decorative lamp posts installed on these two roads reflect the development of Ayodhya while respecting the faith of the people.

The two main roads meet at Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, an iconic intersection named after the late queen, and huge banners and digital displays welcome the upcoming ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony, while some posters bear slogans like ‘Ram Aayenge’ Are.

Along the Dharma Path, groups of ‘Surya Stambhs’ installed at both ends of this road add to its grandeur, while at the top there are decorative lamp posts with designs of ‘Ramanandi Tilak’ and symbols of other religions. Provide an atmosphere of spirituality to the area.

The customized lamp posts installed on both sides of the road and the middle side of the Dharma Path, and the huge sun-themed pillars, when turned on, present a dazzling picture.

Some trees on Dharma Path near Lata Mangeshkar Chowk have been decorated with special pieces made of inverted baskets and lights, adding to the aesthetic appeal of the revamped holy city.

There is a palpable excitement in the air and in the evening people can be seen gathering on this street to take pictures or take selfies.

Decorative lamp posts with designs of ‘Ramanandi Tilak’ and other religious symbols on top have been installed in the middle of the Ram Path as part of the redevelopment project.

Many posters with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his message of ‘development and heritage’ have been put up along this main road.

The bus shelters along the Ram Path have been decorated with artefacts based on Ramayana, which are attracting the attention of the passersby.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)