Updates from Ayodhya and the Ram Mandir

Per the Trust’s notification, booking receipts issued from 18 April 2026 reflect the following schedule.

Free darshan slots: 7-9 AM, 9-11 AM, 11 AM-12 PM, 1-3 PM, 3-5 PM, 5-7 PM and 7-9 PM.

Free aarti darshan (pass required): Mangal Aarti 4:00 AM, Shringar Aarti 6:00 AM, Shayan Aarti 10:00 PM.

The Trust states clearly that it does not charge any fee for aarti or darshan passes. Follow the instructions printed on your pass, and treat any paid “VIP pass” offer as unofficial.

Ayodhya’s tenth Deepotsav runs from 6 to 11 November 2026, with Diwali (Kartik Amavasya) on Sunday 8 November. The Uttar Pradesh government has set a target of 28 lakh earthen diyas across 51 ghats along the Sarayu, aiming to better the 26,17,215 lamps that earned the Guinness World Record in 2025.

Expect the usual programme: the symbolic arrival of Shri Ram, Sita and Lakshman by helicopter, Sarayu Aarti, laser and drone shows, and Ram Lila performances across the city. Hotels fill by early October; see the festival guide for viewing points and booking advice.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra held the Shravan Jhula Mahotsav inside the mandir from Saturday 15 August to Friday 28 August 2026 (Shravan Shukla Tritiya to Shravan Purnima).

On the opening day the jhula was set up on Navratna Kut (Kuber Tila) from 4 PM. From Shukla Chaturthi to Purnima, devotees could see Ram Lalla on the swing every day from Shringar Aarti until Shayan Aarti, and traditional padavali-sangeet of the jhulan tradition was presented before Ram Lalla each evening from 6 to 9 PM. Sant-mahatmas of the jhulan tradition were invited to take part. The Trust’s contact number for the event was 8090165987.

In a press note issued in July 2026, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra said the committee constituted to select its Chief Executive Officer had met and decided to invite applications by email from eligible and interested candidates. A secretary has been appointed to assist the process.

The eligibility criteria and application details are in the notification on the Trust’s website under Careers. This site is not involved in the selection; please apply only through the official channel.

On 19 March 2026 a Shri Ram Yantra, a 150 kg gold-plated copper plate measuring three feet by three feet, was installed on the second floor of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu.

The yantra completes the ritual geometry of the sanctum above the Ram Darbar (first floor). With the parkota shrines, the seven rishi mandapas and the Dhwajarohan of November 2025 already done, this was the last major consecration element of the temple project.

Since early 2026 the Trust’s booking portal, online.srjbtkshetra.org, issues a free Sugam Darshan e-pass that gives a fixed time slot for general darshan and cuts queue time considerably.

How it works: log in with your mobile number and OTP, choose Sugam Darshan (not the aarti pass), pick a date and slot, enter each devotee’s name and government photo ID number, and download the QR pass. Slots open about 15 days in advance; a mobile number can hold up to eight passes. Every devotee aged 10 and above must carry the same ID at the gate.

Walk-in darshan without a pass continues. The Trust runs no paid VIP darshan, and the portal is the only official booking site.