Ayodhya 2.0: A laser show at Surya Kund, Ayodhya | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey Ayodhya 2.0: A laser show at Surya Kund, Ayodhya | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey

There was a timecarinhopg, not very long ago, when Ayodhya belonged to all. There was a sense of localness in the festivities. Farmers from nearby districts would come to the temple town to celebrate festivals like Chaitra Ramnavami, Ramvivah, Chaudahkosi and Panchkosi Parikrama. Pilgrims from all over the country arrived as well. They stayed at the modest dharamshalas and the few small hotels that were there. 

Ayodhya was a typical temple town then. Several temples belonging to different castes made it a unique destination. Pilgrims not only visited these temples but also stayed at the humble accommodation on the premises. The local markets sold simple things, very basic stuff, keeping in mind the buying capacities of the majority of incoming tourists and pilgrims. There was a sense of belonging, a sense of oneness, a sense of simplicity. Not anymore.

Things were only slightly better on day one, as a combination of heavy rain and poor light allowed just 35 overs.

Nepal suffered a 14-run defeat on Saturday when the country back home witnessed a natural calamity which shook the nation. Now, Rohit Paudel and his men plan to give something to cheer their fans back home.

The Ram temple has changed the dynamic of the temple town. The dazzling lights on Rampath—one of the four new pathways that have been created inspired by the four Vedas—the neon lights of fancy showrooms that have come up across the town and flashy signboards are disorienting the humble pilgrims who arrive with their minimal belongings. The farmers who come during festivals with a bundle of clothes on their heads are feeling lost as well. In Ayodhya 2.0, they have nowhere to go. Even though more hotels and homestays have come up recently to cater to the increased inflow of tourists and pilgrims, the tariffs have shot up as well and many can’t afford to check-in. The brand new town has a cosmopolitan vibe now. Not all, especially those with limited spending capacity, feel welcomed.

From Ayodhya To Mathura: The Rising Push To Reclaim Religious Sites

BY Outlook Web Desk

The fact that these changes have happened in the short span of two years says a lot about the changing face of Ayodhya as an upcoming religious tourism destination.

The temple town has been a centre of devotion for a long time but it’s only gradually that it is developing into a popular religious tourism destination. The reason behind this was the lack of development. For decades, state governments were indifferent to Ayodhya because of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid conflict. Only after the 2019 Supreme Court verdict, which paved the way for the construction of Ram temple, the process of infrastructural development gained momentum. Basic issues that plagued Ayodhya for several decades were suddenly resolved ahead of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in January 2024.

Roads have been developed and widened. Waste management measures are in place. New sewer lines have been built. Overbridges have come up in Ayodhya and its twin city Faizabad, and more have been commissioned. But the pace at which this development work was taken up has affected the quality of the new infrastructure being built. Some of the newly constructed roads along the ambitious Rampath caved in, in the last monsoon. The new sewer lines are still not functional. When it rained heavily, the municipal corporation had to drain out water by inserting pipes in the sewers. There is no accountability for the shoddy work done. The whereabouts of contractors authorised by the implementing agencies are unknown. There are allegations that most of the contracts had been assigned to companies from Gujarat.

Displacement has emerged as a big issue. People displaced due to the large-scale road-broadening projects have not been rehabilitated till now. Local traders complain of being harassed by the police on the pretext of sensitivity of security arrangements.

Evening aarti on the bank of Saryu River in the temple town | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey Evening aarti on the bank of Saryu River in the temple town | Photo: Suresh K. Pandey

People whose houses were destroyed during the construction of Rampath say that adequate compensation has not been given to them. Rules and norms are being tampered with at the policy-making level and the administration is now terming their land as Nazul land. There is a brief history to it. Nazul is a term used for the piece of land owned by the government that can’t be sold. The government leases out this land for development activities. A 1992 court order allowed the lessee to convert land from leasehold to freehold by paying a fee, thereby transferring ownership from the government to private entities. Many residents are irked as the government is now saying that their homes—where they have been staying for decades and the sale deed and mutation has happened in government offices—fall under the Nazul category. They are of the opinion that the district administration is doing this to avoid compensating them fairly.

Not just the people, temple authorities are upset as well. The presence of the Ram temple has affected the earnings of other smaller temples. The incoming tourists visit the Ram temple and some go to the Kanak Bhawan and Hanumangadhi. These temples are getting the majority of the earnings while the other smaller temples—that are now getting overshadowed—are getting very little or no offerings.

The locals, on the other hand, feel that the Ram temple does not belong to them. While they saw their town being beautified over the past two years to accommodate the grand temple, they have not forgotten how they were snubbed during the consecration ceremony.

The Kumbh has ended. Pilgrims have gone back home. The inflow of tourists in Ayodhya has reduced. But this is only temporary.

One-two months prior to the ceremony,7jogos a large number of people, mostly pilgrims, arrived in Ayodhya—the first time since the Ram temple movement of the 1990s. There were not as many hotels and homestays then. Tents and cottages were erected to accommodate the incoming crowd. The BJP and RSS volunteers took up the responsibility of administrative management and organising food. In addition to this, many locals organised langar (community kitchens) for over a month. There was excitement in the air. For residents of the temple town, the upcoming consecration ceremony felt like a festival. 

Then came the snub. The locals and people from nearby districts were told to refrain from attending the ceremony for security reasons. A ‘pass system’ was introduced which ensured they were not crowding the venue on the consecration day. The temple area was sealed for them.

The snub angered the locals who had sacrificed a lot. They made their displeasure clear by not attending the events organised for 40 days after the consecration. Though lakhs of rupees were spent on building huge pavilions, hardly 10-20 people were seen at those venues to see the performances of renowned artists, dancers and folk artists. The BJP paid a heavy price for their high-headedness and lost the Faizabad seat in the 2024 General Elections. While it may have come across as a shock for the people of the country, for locals, this felt like poetic justice. Politicians and government officials refrained from attending public events days after the election results were declared as they sensed that people were genuinely angry.

However, there was one positive impact of the consecration ceremony. The presence of a large number of people—mostly BJP and Sangh workers—in Ayodhya ahead of the consecration helped in transforming the temple town into a potential religious tourism destination.

The next few months saw the number of tourists and pilgrims visiting the temple town going up. The tourists visiting from all over India as well as NRIs resulted in an increase in earnings for the locals. The state government’s business-friendly policies have helped many homestays, hotels and restaurants to open their chains in Ayodhya.

In Bageshwar Baba's Land, A City Built On Religious Tourism

BY Avantika Mehta

But there is a huge negative as well. Ayodhya and Faizabad—with a population of two lakh and twelve lakh, respectively—will crumble under the burden of increased tourism activity if steps are not taken to improve infrastructure. The urban civic amenities at present are not adequate.

The recently concluded Kumbh at Prayagraj is an example. The central and the state governments encouraged people to participate in huge numbers in this ‘amritpan’ by investing in promoting Kumbh as an event of the century. Due to their push, pilgrims started thronging Prayagraj. People from across the country arrived on flights and in trains. High ticket prices weren’t a deterrent. Those who did not get public transport, arrived by road. Just like the theory of motion, lakhs walked towards the holy sangam every day. But they did not stop at Kumbh. Since they had come all the way, they ended up visiting three cities on their religious tourism circuit—Prayagraj, Ayodhya and Varanasi.

hotchili

As per reports, over 1.25 crore devotees visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya during the 45 days of Kumbh. The count was tracked using Artificial Intelligence and door metal detectors. Civic amenities in Ayodhya crumbled under their weight. Normal lives were completely disrupted. Schools were shut for a month. University exams had to be postponed twice. Many residents had to pay a heavy price. B.D. Dwivedi, the former president of the BJP in Ayodhya and ex-professor at Saket University, lost his life after suffering a heart attack. It took the family 1.5 hours to cover a distance of 500 metres and reach the hospital in time because the roads were crowded. Many pilgrims lost their lives as well in various stampedes not just in Prayagraj but also during the commotion at the New Delhi railway station.

The Kumbh has ended. Pilgrims have gone back home. The inflow of tourists in Ayodhya has reduced. The town is almost deserted. After a month of commotion, this peace seems like a welcome change. The temple town is recovering. It resembles the town that it used to be. But this is only temporary. After all, Ayodhya is now one of the most sought-after religious tourism destinations. Religion has been a part of culture for a long time. Ayodhya has witnessed politicisation of religion. This wave of faith and devotion is not new. It, however, remains to be seen how sustainable this model of religious tourism is going to be.

(Translation by Kaveri Mishra)

(Views expressed are personal)

Anil Kumar Singh is a poet and a critic. He teaches Hindi literature at Saket post-graduate college, Ayodhya

This article is a part of Outlook's March 21carinhopg, 2025 issue 'The Pilgrim's Progress', which explores the unprecedented upsurge in religious tourism in India. It appeared in print as 'The New Hindu Hub'.