Ayodhya/Varanasi, Feb. 3 -- On the occasion of Basant Panchami, devotees thronged Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi Temple and Varanasi's Kashi Vishwanath, seeking divine blessings.

A long queue of devotees has been standing at Varanasi's Kashi Vishwanath temple since dawn, waiting for the darshan of Baba Vishwanath after taking a holy dip in the Ganga. This year, for the first time, pilgrims visiting the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj are also heading to Varanasi and Ayodhya, leading to a surge in religious tourism.

The queue for darshan at Kashi Vishwanath stretched nearly 2 km, with devotees waiting for hours. Despite the crowd, many praised the arrangements.

KL Krishna, a devotee, said, "Basant Panchami holds great significance. We enjoyed coming...