Laddoos, love and progress, Ayodhya’s triumph unfurls

It’s a cold, foggy day but Vaibhav Srivastava, 20, a BA final year student in Ayodhya’s Saket college, is in a hurry as he furiously cycles down the Ram Path to deliver the last couple of newspapers, a morning part-time job that he engages in before college time. The task gets him about ₹8000 per month, enough to feed a family of three.

“In a year’s time, as I get my graduation degree, I will have to decide if I am staying here or moving out. This part-time work can’t last a lifetime but then I must think about my mother and sister, too, who, after father’s demise, are dependent on me,” he says rubbing his bare palms to keep them warm.

“Dekhiye kya hota hai ... log toh kah rahe hain ab dono haathon mein laddoo hain (let’s see what happens. People are saying that it’s a win-win situation for us),” he says with a smile before pedalling away.

It would be a while before Vaibhav gets to know by when he would have “dono haath mein laddoo”, meant to indicate the growing global focus on the temple town that is expected to translate into better opportunities for educated youth like him.

Already eight new hotels have come up in the temple town and proposals for another 25 have been received, government officials say. A new international airport and a revamped railway station have been inaugurated. A new township is expected to come up along with an Ayurveda city, wax museum, entertainment hubs, wedding complex and heritage walk. There are as many as 178 projects worth ₹30,508.11 crore – all running against different deadlines. All these add to the feel of better prospects currently fuelling the “dono haath main laddoo” dream of city youth like Vaibhav or those like Vishram Verma, a Class 8 pass-out and now a self-styled guide ready to offer a temple tour around the Hanuman Garhi area for ₹100. Some girl students from local schools have drawn ‘rangolis’ on the road while Ramayana verses are written on the walls near Lata Mangeshkar Chowk that has emerged as a selfie point and is quite popular among locals.

“There are so many unemployed people here who do odd jobs for a living, and all are hoping that the present hype surrounding the town would really change their lives for the better,” said a prasad seller in Hanuman Garhi.

MAHA PRASAD FOR THE DEITY

On the second floor of a building in Mani Parvat, hundreds and thousands of laddoos to be offered to Ram Lalla on temple inauguration day are being prepared daily. The Mani Parvat area is managed by Maniram Das Chawni, a famous temple which, along with Karsevakpuram, was the nerve-centre of the agitation for the Ram Janmabhoomi.

Several workers are engaged in different processes – from cooking, filling up the laddoos in special steel boxes with labels for the consecration ceremony, packing them in bags and then creating space for a fresh lot. The process is on round the clock and is expected to continue till February and will be used to distribute them among those visiting the grand new temple.

“We plan to make over 13 lakh (1.3 million) special laddoos that are being packed in special steel boxes to be distributed to VIPs after the consecration ceremony and subsequently among the masses, along the borders, among the soldiers across the country,” says Virender Kumar, a retired government employee of the Bihar assembly who is among the hundreds of workers of Deoraha Baba voluntarily contributing to the preparation of what, he said, was the “maha prasad (mega offering).” “These are special laddoos as not a drop of water has been used to make them. They will last for six months or more. Even the boxes that they are being packed in are special and quite resilient,” said Narayan Das, the Vindhyachal-based disciple of Deoraha Baba, who is supervising the whole arrangement.

Inside the Mani Ram Das Chawni is its head Mahant Nritya Gopal, the chief of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Das’s disciples divert all queries for him to his deputy, Kamal Nayan Das, also referred to as ‘chotey Maharaj’ who talks about how the Chawni has contributed in myriad ways to lead the temple agitation and is still at the forefront of “seva (service).”

“We are contributing in our own way by setting up residential places for sadhus and community feasts for masses. We also run a hospital,” he says.

ALL FOR RAM

It’s almost past noon and the sun is still not quite up yet. A group of onlookers gather around a PAC band playing the tune of “saja do ghar ko gulshan sa Awadh main Ram aayein hain (decorate it like a garden as Ram is coming to Awadh)” near the Ram Janmabhoomi Path – one of the four new corridors that have come up in Ayodhya.

Small shops lined up along these corridors are selling saffron flags with those carrying images of Hanuman being the most prominent. Most of the shops display miniature models of Ram Mandir, which the shopkeepers say are in great demand.

A little distance away, VHP workers have set up a stall offering free tea and biscuits to all. About a kilometre away, an attractively decorated huge tent pandal beckons where Ram Katha is underway. Professor Suryakant, the head of the department of respiratory medicine of King George’s Medical University (KGMU), was spotted here telling a group of VHP-RSS cadres that he would soon put up a medical camp.

“After the 1990 firing, I remember visiting the place with a court order to treat the karsevaks injured during the firing. I was part of a team of 40 doctors and that was my second visit to Ayodhya. Ever since, I have been here umpteen times but the kind of celebratory feeling that has engulfed this ancient city now is amazing,” he says, stating that he will light 101 earthen lamps at his residence on January 22, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the temple.

GIFTS OF DEVOTION

Just adjacent to the Ram Katha area is the Karsevakpuram, purchased by the VHP in 1991 and named after ‘karsevaks (temple volunteers)’ killed in the police firing in 1990. The sound of temple stones being carved used to resonate here incessantly.

The area has changed, quite drastically. As you cross a grand new entrance with photos of VHP veteran the late Ashok Singhal, who is credited with spearheading the temple cause, one runs against multitude of workers of VHP-RSS, all working against different deadlines – from managing logistics, decoration, priests, saints, requirements for rituals ahead of the consecration ceremony that have already begun. Many of them are receiving phone calls from across the country from acquaintances wanting an invitation for the consecration ceremony.

The Bharat Kuti inside is the most sought-after place of all visitors – guests, saints, celebrities and media – as it is home to the man of the moment -- Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai.

Every now and then, a commotion at the entrance indicates the arrival of yet another truckload of gifts that people are coming with from across the country for the consecration ceremony - Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand, different parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The cadres from these places draw a connection with “Maa Sita” or “Bhagwan Ram”.

“Every moment someone or the other is coming in with some offering. The society is overwhelmed,” said VHP’s Ayodhya-based spokesman Sharad Sharma. Many of those arriving at Karsevakpuram draw attention due to the novelty of their arrival. For instance, a group that described itself as the Hanuman Sena from Bidar, Karnataka, undertook a ‘cycle yatra’ with a truck following them all the way through.

“To indicate our devotion to the lord,” the group led by Ajay Singh explained. Some undertook a yatra, arriving here with their security details in tow, like Ashwini Kumar Choubey, the Union minister of state for consumer affairs and founder of Sri Ram Karmabhoomi Nyas leading the ‘Avirbhav Yatra’ that started from Bhagalpur with gifts and holy water from diverse places and concluded at Karsevakpuram. Still another group from Deesa, Gujarat, has reached here, walking all the way. Another batch has come from Vadnagar, Gujarat, the birthplace of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a “Ram Jyot Padyatra” that concluded here after covering 1240 kilometres in 41 days. Some have come with holy water from Manasarovar, Amarnath, Gangotri, Haridwar, Sangam banks from Prayagraj, Narmada, Godavari, Nashik and Gokarna (Karnataka). A sadhu (saint) came with ‘ghee’ from Jodhpur on a bullock cart. There is another one from Mithila, with ‘sanes bhar’ (gifts with affection) - the birthplace of Goddess Sita, wife of the Lord Ram.

“It’s a common practice that post marriage, the bride’s side presents gifts to the groom’s side. Now, he (Ram Lalla) is just five-year old. But what can you do, a tradition is a tradition. That is why people from Janakpur and Birgunj in southern Nepal and the adjoining areas – have come with gifts in 1000 ‘tokres (baskets)’. These include cereals, fruits, clothes, dry fruits and even gold and silver,” he explained.

At another place, VHP’s central secretary Rajendra Pankaj is coordinating the massive food arrangements. “More than 2000 chefs from across the country are preparing langars or community feasts to ensure that all who enter Ayodhya for darshan of the lord don’t go back hungry,” he says.

“For us, it is like a dream come true. Generations passed and agitated for the temple cause. Now, we are fortunate that it is becoming a reality and hence we all are doing our bit for the occasion,” he says.

HOARDINGS AND MESSAGING

Hoardings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, Union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister Yogi Adityanath dot the city. Many of these feature veteran leaders who agitated for the temple cause but are not alive today like VHP veteran Ashok Singhal, RSS veteran Moropant Pingle who was instrumental in construction of Karsevakpuram, Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia, Vishnu Hari Dalmia, former DGP Shirish Chandra Dixit with the slogan, ‘Hum sub yahin hai (all of us are here)’ - perhaps to indicate that the temple warriors too were watching the latest developments from Ayodhya from above.

MODERN AYODHYA

Construction workers are busy covering all the drains with square stones. “Orders are to ensure end-to-end closure of all the drains. All overhead wires are now underground,” a construction worker near Karsevakpuram said. A massive cleanliness drive is underway.

“The idea is that not just on January 22 but after as well, Ayodhya emerges as a model of cleanliness,” said Ayodhya mayor and a temple priest Girish Pati Tripathi. Electric buses have already been introduced on the Ram Path, e-carts too are being introduced.

HOUSEFUL

Most hotels, if not all, are pre-booked. The administration has already ordered that barring officials, guests and media, no other bookings should be made. Even with this rider, the hotels are choc-a-bloc.

“Many have engaged in hoarding to make a quick buck but the administration has also capped costs to defeat such planners,” a hotel owner said. This hotel owner, however, said after January 22 when Ram temple would be open for commoners, everyone would benefit.

“The city’s economy typically relied on fairs. Now, every day is a fair,” said Akhil Rao, a young graduate priest of a temple near the Ram Janmabhoomi complex.

CO-EXISTENCE WITH MONKEYS

If there is any one place in the country where humans have learned to coexist with monkeys, it’s here. Though the simians are here, there and everywhere, yet the commoner goes about performing daily chores undeterred. They also offer helpful tips to outsiders on how to deal with primates who also appear to be as intrigued by the sudden influx of ‘outsiders’ in their town.

“Just don’t show that you are afraid. If you do so, they attack perhaps because they get to know that you aren’t a local,” says one.

At many places, people offer them edibles of their own. “They come and wait, and we give them things to eat at a particular time,” says a vendor near Lata Chowk. “What’s Ayodhya without its monkeys?” says Sharad Sharma, the VHP spokesman with a smile.

AUTO-RICKSHAW WITH A MESSAGE

Nearer Lucknow, an auto-rickshaw strapped with plastic carrying a message read: “Prabhu Sri Ram Chandra ji kisi ek majhab ke nahin, wah toh Bhartiya sanskriti ke pratik hain .. Bharat jeeta Ramji ke naam par (Lord Ram denotes Indian culture. Indian wins in Ramji’s name).”