In a bid to enhance religious tourism, the Yogi Adityanath government has introduced a unique initiative in Ayodhya, allowing visitors to experience the story of Lord Rams 14-year exile through an immersive 3D video. The 9-minute video, which depicts the struggles of Lord Rams life, has been touching the hearts of visitors, evoking deep emotions as they witness his struggles and triumphs. To facilitate this, a special Darshan Kendra has been established at Raj Dwar Park near Hanuman Garhi. This centre aims to offer a unique and spiritual experience, bringing the story of Lord Ramas exile to life in a way that resonates deeply with the devotees. After Lord Ram was seated in the grand temple in Ayodhya, the number of devotees coming for his Darshan has increased tremendously. In view of this, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is continuously investing in promoting religious tourism in Ayodhya. As part of this effort, the Ayodhya Development Authority has launched a virtual reality demonstration that brings to life the story of Lord Ramas exile. This initiative is similar to the arrangements made at Kashi Vishwanath and Maa Vaishno Devi Bhawan, enhancing the spiritual experience for visitors. In just nine minutes, visitors experience the animated highlights of Ayodhya, Tamsa river, Bharat Milap, Laxman Hill, Anusuiya Mata Darshan, Dandakaranya, Panchvati, Dhanushkodi, Shri Rams Surya Tilak in Lanka. A large number of devotees are flocking to the Darshan Kendra, which has been equipped with advanced technology to enhance their spiritual experience. Under an agreement with Tech XR Innovations Company, the centre now features 10 cameras, providing high-quality visuals. Devotees are also provided with headphones that offer excellent sound quality for an immersive experience. Given the growing number of visitors from across the country and abroad, there are plans to establish more Darshan Kendras in the city. According to Chief Minister Yogis vision, now the emphasis is also being laid on the process of providing darshan through virtual reality platforms in all the major areas, including Ayodhya. The process to connect 18 major pilgrimage sites through virtual reality has already begun, with the shooting for this project now completed. Key sites included in this initiative are Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple, Hanuman Garhi temple, Nageshwar Nath temple, Ram Ki Paidi, Chhoti Devkali temple, Rang Mahal, Surya Kund, Bharat Kund, Guptar Ghat, Badi Devkali temple, Kanak Bhawan temple and Dashrath Mahal temple. Vikas Tiwari, a visitor from Bikaner, described the experience as rare and amazing, recommending that every devotee visiting Ayodhya should see it after Darshan of Lord Ram. According to Ashwani Pandey, Vice-Chairman of Ayodhya Development Authority, the Darshan Kendra is part of an initiative to boost tourism. Currently, it is available as a demo, and over a thousand people have already experienced it. Plans are in place to open more centres and expand offerings to include virtual viewings of religious events and sites, such as the Bhasma Aarti of Ujjain and locations like Maihar, Vaishno Devi, Omkareshwar and Bhimashankar. The initiative also includes a plan to show this 3D documentary to devotees sitting in the country and abroad. Agreements have been signed with three companies to develop an app that will provide subscribers with a VR device for a fully immersive experience. Additional Darshan Kendras are expected to open soon in Ayodhya. Currently, the centre, which opened during Deepotsav, is free of charge, but a ticket price of Rs 100-150 will be introduced later, contributing to government revenue.

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