Ayodhya, Augusts 4: Around 1,000 workers from different departments including sanitation workers, home guards and staff of the animal husbandry department have been roped in to shoo away monkeys at the Ram Janmabhoomi premises where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Bhumi Pujan ceremony on Wednesday.

According to an estimate by the local administration, there are about 10,000 monkeys in Ayodhya and on a given day the Ram Janmabhoomi site is full of monkeys as the devotees have to go through caged gangways to protect themselves from monkey attacks. Ram Temple Bhoomi Pujan in Ayodhya: Here is PM Narendra Modi's Full Itinerary For The Ram Mandir Event on August 5.

To ensure monkeys do not create any disturbance during the Bhumi Pujan ceremony, the administration has roped in a heavy contingent of government employees to shoo away monkeys from the site.

Talking to IANS, Deputy Director, Information, Murli Dhar Singh said, "the Nagar Nigam of Ayodhya and the department of animal husbandry have been given the duties to keep the premises safe from monkeys."

"Catapults and wooden batons will be used to shoo away monkeys while the most effective weapon will be gram and fruits which will be offered to the monkeys some distance away from the premises so that they remain busy eating." Ram Mandir Bhumi Pujan Guest List: From Mohan Bhagwat to Iqbal Ansari, Here's The List of Invitees For The Event in Ayodhya.

"Five hundred to 1,000 men from government departments including sanitation workers, home guards and animal husbandry staff have been roped in for the purpose," he added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 04, 2020 09:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).