Records tumble as devotees throng Ayodhya for Chaudah Kosi Parikrama

Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh: Hundreds of thousands of devotees took part in the first Chaudah Kosi Parikrama since the consecration of the Ram temple amid tight security, officials here said on Sunday.

Ayodhya District Magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh said the "parikrama (circumambulation)" was completed according to the auspicious time and broke all previous records with an estimated 30 to 35 lakh devotees taking part.

Tight security ensured a smooth event, he said. The "muhurat" to start the "parikrama" was 6:32 pm on Saturday.

Devotees chanting "Jai Shri Ram" took a dip in the Saryu River before embarking on the "parikrama" that covered 42 km.

Various organisations had arranged for refreshments along the route while the civic body set up rest houses and mobile toilets.

A large number of devotees had travelled to Ayodhya -- believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram -- from Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich, Sitapur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Gonda and Prayagraj districts as well as Nepal for the "parikrama".

The Chaudah Kosi Parikrama takes place on Kartik Akshaya Navami.

It will be followed by the Panch Kosi Parikrama on Monday during which devotees will walk around a 15-kilometre perimeter of the holy city.