Ayodhya’s transformation in spotlight as development projects pick up pace

The sound of conch shells, bells and bhajans, emanating from hundreds of temples dotting Ayodhya’s serpentine lanes is today lost in the loud noise of machinery and earthmovers, symbolising the ongoing transformation of an ancient city to a sprawling modern pilgrimage centre.

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Along with the construction of a grand Ram temple, which is to be opened in January 2024, Ayodhya is also bracing for a major transformation, with the new Ayodhya bearing little or no resemblance with the old city that found mention in the Vedas. The district administration is scrambling to meet tight deadlines to create a modern city which will attract tourists from all over the world. The under-construction international airport is expected to be ready by September 23 ; the Lucknow-Gorakhpur via Ayodhya Vande Bharat fast train was launched on July 7, covering approximately 135-km distance between Lucknow and Ayodhya in a little over four hours.

The enormity of the ongoing development in the erstwhile temple town which wants to become a pre-eminent city on the Hindu pilgrimage circuit — one estimated to cost ₹32,000 crore approx — is evident as one enters Ayodhya from the Naya Ghat crossing, which is now called the Lata Mangeshkar crossing, where around 900 labourers are working around-the-clock to complete a ₹1,000-crore project for widening three roads.

Moving towards Hanuman Garhi, which lies to the east of the temple, one can see demolished old houses and shops on both sides of the road ; the 13-km stretch from Naya Ghat to Sahadatganj is part of the road widening project in the temple town. This arterial road connecting Ayodhya Dham with Faizabad (now Ayodhya) is considered the lifeline of the city, and currently, it is all dug up.

Around 800 shops and houses have been demolished on the 13-km stretch of what is now called Ram Path. Mrigendra Kumar, who runs a sweetmeat shop at the Naya Ghat crossing, has given up more than half of his shop for the project. “I have lost half of my shop to the Ram Path project. It was almost double in size as compared to its present status,” he said. The heritage bungalow of Ayodhya mayor Mahant Girish Pati Tripathi also lies on this stretch of the Ram Path -- but it was fortunately outside the purview of the road-widening project.

The change is clearly evident as one reaches the Shringar Hat barrier, the last stop for vehicles a few metres ahead of the Hanuman Garhi temple. The narrow road leading to Hanuman Garhi, dotted by shops on both sides, is now around 14 metres wide. Shops have been half demolished to pave way for the 800-metre Bhakti Path.

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While Mrigendra is worried about loss of business others are more sanguine about the future. Mannu Lal, a second-generation flower vendor who sits by the stairs of the Hanuman Garhi temple said: “After construction of Ram Mandir began, footfall of devotees at Hanuman Garhi has increased manifold. My business will improve once the Ram temple is opened for devotees.

The shortest of the three road projects is the 570-metre-long Ram Janmabhoomi Path. Starting from Birla Mandir, it leads to the Ram Janmabhoomi via Sugreev Qila. Sweetmeat shops on both sides of the road are doing brisk business.

The Hanuman Garhi Trust owns most of the shops in the temple’s vicinity.

Raju Das, priest of Hanuman Garhi says all shop owners displaced by the development have “ been allotted shops near the temple”. “ The shopkeepers were paying rent for the past 50 to 60 years or more. They were paying ₹60 to ₹75. Some had even sublet the shops on a monthly rent of ₹10,000 to ₹15000,” he added.

These three roads surround the temple.

The UP government has also approved widening of the Panch Kosi, which passes through Ayodhya city and 14-Kosi Parikrama Marg which covers outskirts of the city. Around 2,600 houses and commercial establishments will be demolished for the project.

Another signature change in Ayodhya will be transformation of the Ayodhya railway station. The station, designed to give it a look of a temple is among several projects of the Centre under execution in the temple town. The ₹150-crore project is almost ready for inauguration.

Then there is the Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport in Ayodhya that will become operational before the Ram temple is opened for devotees. Dignitaries from New Delhi and other parts of the country will land directly in Ayodhya for the temple opening, with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) working towards make it operational before January 2024.

The airport is coming up on 821-acre land and the project will cost ₹320 crore. The UP civil aviation department signed a lease agreement for transfer of 317.855-acre land to AAI for the Ayodhya airport on April 7, 2022.

Construction work of the first phase of the three-phase airport is near completion. According to Ayodhya district officials, construction work of the airport’s terminal building is around 75% complete. A 2200-metre runway is near completion and two more runways would come up in the second and third phases. The airport will have a parking facility for 24 aircraft and a night landing facility.

Initially, small aircraft having seating capacity for 60 passengers will land at the airport, but by 2025, when the final phase of the airport is completed, it will be ready for Boeing airplanes.

According to AAI officials, the airport’s entrance and the main building will give passengers a feel for Ayodhya. The elevation of the airport building will resemble the Ram temple, they add.

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“We have envisioned Ayodhya as a 21st century world-class city which has all the facilities of modernity but draws from the traditional principles of what Ayodhya has always been known for,” said architect Dikshu Kukreja.

Kukreja, a Delhi-based architect, has submitted his development plan for Ayodhya to the Ayodhya Development Authority. Whether it is the old city or the Sarayu riverfront or the market places, all of these aspects will come together to form a new ensemble, he added.