Ayodhya Trust Ends Special-Pass Requirement for Ram Darbar Darshan

Overview

• The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust abolished the separate-pass system on Wednesday, allowing visitors to go to the first-floor Ram Darbar immediately after completing the regular Ram Lalla darshan without applying for another permit.
• The earlier system had issued a limited number of timed special passes to manage crowds when the first-floor shrine opened, and the Trust says the new rule removes that extra step to make darshan more accessible.
• A criminal investigation into alleged embezzlement of temple donations remains active, with a Special Investigation Team in place, an FIR registered and eight people arrested following the probe's preliminary findings.
• The Supreme Court asked authorities to appoint a chartered accountant to assist the investigation and to file a status report within the court-ordered timeframe, and the Trust's former general secretary resigned citing moral grounds and alleged bank security lapses.
• The change will ease access for most pilgrims and reduce formal barriers, but authorities must still manage crowd flow and complete the forensic accounting and legal review that could reshape how donations and chest-room security are handled going forward.