The Barhi Devkaali temple in Ayodhya, dedicated to 'kul devi' of Lord Ram, has become a centre of attraction in the temple town after the consecration of Ram Lalla's idol at the newly-constructed grand temple on January 22.

It is believed that after the birth of Lord Ram, his mother Kaushalya had visited the temple with her entire family. While the several decades old temple witnesses rush of locals on Kartik Purnima, Ram Navami and Navrtaras, it was not very popular among devotees like the Hanuman Garhi temple.

"After the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony, there has been a surge in the number of devotees, who are visiting the temple. Before November 9, 2019, the average number of devotees who used to visit the 'Barhi Devkaali' temple stood at 50-60 per day. The number went up to 500 per day post-November, 2019 when the Supreme Court decision paved way for construction of the Ram temple," chief priest of the 'Barhi Devkaali' temple Sunil Pathak told PTI.

"The rush of devotees has increased after the consecration ceremony. Arrangements are being made to handle the increasing rush," he added.

Throwing more light on significance of the temple, Pathak said, "Barhi Devkaali is a combination of three goddesses - Mahakaali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. The Goddess appeared in the dream of Raja Raghu, an ancestor of Lord Ram, and instructed him to conduct a 'yajna' to be victorious in a battle. Raja Raghu conducted the 'yajna' and emerged victorious in the battle. He then got the statue of 'Barhi Devkaali' installed here." It is believed that after the birth of Lord Ram, his mother Kaushalya visited the temple with her entire family.

Mahant Raju Das of Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya told PTI, "The importance of 'Barhi Devkaali' temple is that it was established before Lord Ram. She is the 'kul devi' of Lord Ram. No work is possible without offering prayers to Mother Goddess." Mitthu Lal, a resident of Gonda district, said, "Whenever I come to Ayodhya, I try my best to visit this temple. It gives me immense satisfaction and inner peace. It also helps me to gear up and face various challenges of life." Lal also said he would be going to Ayodhya in November and will again visit the temple.

Himanshu Varma, a resident of Nirmochan Chauraha, said, "I feel overwhelmed by the multiple increase in the number of devotees coming to this place. But I also feel that the authorities of Barhi Devkaali temple should also make proper arrangements to handle the crowd, especially during the Navaratras." Lucknow-based Ashish Dixit, who runs a travel agency, said, "People going to Ayodhya have started enquiring about this temple. This I feel is a recent phenomenon. It suggests that the people are inquisitive to know about various places associated with Lord Ram." Settling a fractious issue that goes back more than a century, the Supreme Court in a historic verdict on November 9, 2019, allowed the construction of a Ram temple by a trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya. It ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque in the holy town.

A new idol of Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also gave a clarion call to go beyond the grand mandir's construction to build the foundation of a "strong, capable and divine" India of the next 1,000 years.

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