In a bid to facilitate the increasing number of devotees and tourists heading to Ayodhya for the grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir on January 22, the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation has initiated a new bus service from Dehradun. The decision came following the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who emphasized the need to accommodate the rising demand for transportation.
The bus service, set to commence from Dehradun, will depart at 11:30 am and reach Ayodhya at 5 am the next day. The return journey from Ayodhya will start at 3 pm, arriving in Dehradun at 8 am the following day. The official release from the Chief Minister’s office mentioned that the total fare for this service has been fixed at Rs 1095.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, in a recent meeting with the Uttarakhand transport department, advocated for extending the bus service not only from Dehradun but also from Haldwani and Haridwar to Ayodhya. This initiative aims to cater to the growing number of devotees and tourists expected to participate in the consecration ceremony.
In addition to the bus service, Chief Minister Dhami has urged Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to extend the proposed Vande Bharat Rail service from Dehradun-Lucknow to Ayodhya. This move, if implemented, would significantly ease travel for residents of Uttarakhand and devotees visiting the sacred city.
The Bharat Railways, anticipating a surge in travelers, has announced plans to operate over 1000 trains from different parts of the country to Ayodhya during the first 100 days of the Ram Mandir. These trains are scheduled to start running from January 19, enabling pilgrims to reach Ayodhya well in advance of the consecration ceremony.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station in December. The modern three-storey railway station boasts features such as elevators, escalators, food plazas, shops for puja needs, cloakrooms, child care rooms, and waiting halls. Costing more than Rs 240 crore, Phase I of the redevelopment has transformed the station into the Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station, certified as a ‘green station building’ by the IGBC.
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