With the town turning into a virtual fortress ahead of the verdict in the Ayodhya title suit case, the makeshift temple at the disputed site, which is otherwise abuzz with activity, wears a deserted look with the number of devotees trickling down.

"The number of devotees has definitely gone down by almost 60 per cent in the last few days," head priest of Ram Janambhoomi temple Mahant Acharya Satyendra Das said.