Residents say that business has been flourishing since the opening of the Ram temple.
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh:
Deepak Pandey, a daily wage laborer in Ayodhya, was planning to move to another city in search of a job a few years ago. Now he is planning to buy land and build a new house in this district of Uttar Pradesh.
Mr Pandey praised Lord Ram for the turnaround in his financial condition, which has further improved after the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple here last month.
The 48-year-old man lives in a three-room house on a lane leading to Ram Path, the main route for devotees visiting the temple.
“I used to rent a room for Rs 3,000 per month. Since the consecration ceremony, I have been renting it for the same amount per day,” Mr Pandey said. He said he hosted a new guest almost every day. this month.
According to the local administration, since the consecration ceremony on January 22, around one lakh devotees have been flocking to this Hindu holy town in Uttar Pradesh on a daily basis. A large number of devotees come from outside the state.
Like Mr Pandey, almost every homeowner in the street has renovated at least one room in their houses to offer it as a homestay facility to tourists.
Pramesh Pandey is standing at the entrance of a street asking devotees if they need a room to stay. “I have six rooms in three-four different buildings. I offer a room for Rs 1,400 to Rs 3,000 per day, depending on the rush of visitors,” he said.
Most of the residents of the street do small jobs or sell goods offered to the temple by devotees.
“Lord Ram is showering his blessings on us. The Lord comes here in the form of devotees and helps us live a better life,” said Jaswanti Sharma, a resident of another street who runs a shop selling Ram photos and other souvenirs. Said.
“Since the opening of the new temple, the number of people coming to the city has increased significantly. This has helped my business,” he said.
Many shop owners are expanding their shops by adding a new floor over the existing structure.
Prabhat Gupta, who runs a food joint, is busy distributing plates of hot dosa to people. Whenever he gives a plate to a customer, he says ‘Jai Shri Ram’. He says, “The construction work of another floor has already started. If Lord Ram wishes, we will be able to host more customers once the construction is completed.”
Apart from eateries and shops selling puja material, offices of travel agencies and shops selling clothes, mobile phone accessories and gift items have started opening on Ram Path.
Local tour agencies have got a boost in their business. Umesh Singh, owner of one such agency, said, “We have been seeing an increase in bookings for the last one month. I hope it continues.” Singh said he has hired two full-time drivers and ordered a new luxury tourist van.
Ayodhya Traders Association official Nand Kumar Gupta said, “The increase in the number of devotees has definitely helped the businesses here. However, it is too early to assess the impact on businesses.” Big buildings are being constructed along the road leading from Faizabad city towards Ayodhya. These include hotels, guesthouses, multi-level car parking facilities and restaurants.
“We are working on two hotels and a shopping mall. The projects started in 2021 and are expected to be completed by 2027,” said Abhay Pratap Shahi, partner at a Lucknow-based construction firm that is developing projects in Ayodhya. In view of the ongoing development works, the local administration is also helping the traders.
Ayodhya Commissioner Gaurav Dayal told the Press Trust, “We are ensuring that necessary approvals for the construction work are provided on time. Supportive infrastructure such as wide roads, multi-level parking facilities and other amenities for devotees will be provided.” Development work is also going on.” Of India.
“We hope that every devotee coming to Ayodhya, be it by road, rail or air, will get the best of facilities. Most of the work towards achieving this has already been completed and the remaining work will be completed soon ” In the coming months,” Mr Dayal said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
