Ram temple: Festivity, fervour and chaos in Ayodhya ahead of mega Monday

Take large scoops of devotion, add a generous dose of celebration, some frenzy, tonnes of development, lots of decoration, layers of security and finally a mega dose of chaos -- the resultant concoction will give you an idea of Ayodhya ahead of the mega Ram Lalla ‘Pran Pratishtha’ on Monday.

Hundreds of impromptu processions on “Ram Path” -- the main road that connects Janmabhoomi temple to the Sarayu river ghat -- have become a routine sight with pilgrims from all over the country celebrating the grand shrine with unprecedented enthusiasm. Nobody knows when they will get to enter the Ram Janmabhoomi temple when the gates are thrown open on Tuesday, but they are ready to wait even if they don’t have a place to stay!

Hotels are overbooked and tariffs unheard of in the ‘City of Ram’ are not for the faint-hearted. Rooms that may cost just a thousand bucks are being sold for at least ten times more and half-a-dozen people crammed in a tiny place is a common sight. Thousands are staying in ashrams and other charitable facilities, just waiting for a glimpse of Ram Lalla. Even biting cold and icy winds have not deterred the crowds thronging Ayodhya -- all the way from River Sarayu to every temple and ashram around the Ram temple.

Hospitality boom

New hotels are coming up all over Ayodhya. Some are burning the midnight oil to give the finishing touches to their new facilities so that they can cash in on the January boom. There is a strong belief that the flow of tourists will continue, even after the current massive rush is over. After entry into Ayodhya was restricted, hundreds of buses and cars were seen parked at makeshift parking lots near River Sarayu.

The reason for the confidence of would-be hoteliers is simple. Where can I find a room? – is a common query encountered on the streets of Ayodhya and most people don’t have any answer. It will be impossible to find a room is the common reference, and only a resourceful smart-alec may get you to a place to stay at an exorbitant price. This has led many to construct rooms around their homes and enter the hospitality business.

Retailers regulated

When hospitality grows, can retail be far behind? The shops and eateries on “Ram Path” are not complaining about the extra hours they are spending at work to meet the demands of a zooming number of customers. Samosas and ‘kulhad chai’ disappear in minutes as crowds keep asking for more to beat the winter chill. Also busy are those selling saffron-coloured “Ram flags” that can be seen all over Ayodhya, models of the Ram temple, and many temple souvenirs like pictures of Lord Rama.

The Uttar Pradesh government, steeled by Yogi Adityanath's bold strategies, has widened the “Ram Path” avenue and made it into a wide road with a divider -- a sea change from the messy lane scenario of the past. Parts of shops and other buildings on both sides of “Ram Path” have been demolished to widen the road and huge doors of uniformity have been introduced. All the signboards of shops are of the same colours and size -- not only on “Ram Path” but also on the streets leading to Hanuman Gadi temple, Dashrath Bhavan and the Janmabhoomi shrine. It must have taken iron fists to make this possible in Uttar Pradesh.

Another bright spot is the continuous cleaning of the streets throughout the day. Despite the huge number of tourists present in the town ahead of the “Pran Pratishtha” event, roads in the “Ayodhya Dham” remain clean and refuse is cleared multiple times every day. Shopkeepers have also been given refuse bins by the local administration, courtesy ITC’s CSR initiative, and all shops have identical bins.

Pink toilets and napkin vending machines to help women have been lined up at various places including the now iconic Lata Mangeshkar Chowk near River Sarayu. Water vending machines and medical camps have also sprung up, indicating detailed planning.

Unprecedented investment

After the landmark Supreme Court judgment of 2019, Ayodhya has acquired an airport, a huge Ram Temple complex, wide roads and booming infrastructure. The hype over ‘Pran Pratishtha’ is sure to draw the faithful in lakhs over the following years. Ultimately this should lead to the creation of income-earning opportunities for the local people in terms of employment, and more importantly, business opportunities that may not require big investments. If all this brings prosperity and growth, that will be true Ram Rajya.

Like all other strategies planned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ayodhya event had been nothing short of a blockbuster. Nobody knows how the new details are decided but the height and publicity generated is unmatched. Airport, helipad, wide road, massive infrastructure push – all the trademark boosters are in place. Ayodhya even boasts of electric buses and electric three-wheelers -- something that was not even imagined when the Ayodhya judgement was delivered. From Uttar Pradesh known for its lack of law and order years ago, Ayodhya has made a remarkable transition.

Rs 1 lakh crore business

According to traders, the initial business estimate of Rs 50,000 crore during the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ period, has now been revised upwards to Rs 1 lakh crore during December and January alone. Moreover, the Ram Janmabhoomi trust has received donations to the tune of Rs 3,500 crore.

Ultimately this money would also be invested in the Ayodhya Dham complex and spent on creating peripheral infrastructure for the benefit of pilgrims. This could sustain the current economic boom over the next years and how it is taken forward will be an interesting aspect to watch. If pilgrims from all over India continue their processions around Ayodhya, with saffron flags in their hands, in the year to come, the ‘City of Lord Rama’ has the potential to develop into another Kashi or Mathura.