Deepak Pandey, a daily wage earner in Ayodhya, once contemplated relocating to another city in search of employment a few years ago. Presently, he envisions acquiring land in this Uttar Pradesh district and constructing a new residence. Mr. Pandey attributes the positive shift in his financial circumstances to Lord Ram, especially after the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple last month.
The 48-year-old resides in a three-room house in an alley leading to Ram Path, the primary route for devotees visiting the temple. “I used to rent out one of the rooms for ₹ 3,000 per month. Since the consecration ceremony, I have been renting it out for the same amount per day,” Mr. Pandey shared, noting that he has accommodated a new guest almost every day this month.
Since the consecration ceremony on January 22, nearly one lakh devotees have been visiting this Hindu holy town in Uttar Pradesh daily, as reported by the local administration. A significant number of these devotees come from outside the state.
Similar to Mr. Pandey, the owners of nearly every house in the alley have renovated at least one room in their houses to offer as a homestay facility for tourists.
Pramesh Pandey stands at the entrance of an alley, inquiring if devotees need a room to stay. “I have six rooms in three-four different buildings. I offer a room for ₹ 1,400 to ₹ 3,000 per day, depending on the rush of visitors,” he mentioned.
Most residents of the alley engage in odd jobs or sell items offered by devotees at the temple. “Lord Ram is showering his blessings on us. The god comes here in the form of devotees and helps us lead a better life,” expressed Jaswanti Sharma, a resident of another alley who operates a shop selling pictures of Ram and other souvenirs.
“The number of people visiting the town has gone up substantially since the new temple was opened. This has helped my business,” she added. Many shop owners are expanding their shops by adding a new floor above the existing structures.
Prabhat Gupta, who manages a food joint, is busy serving plates of hot dosas to people. He says “Jai Shri Ram” every time he hands over a plate to a customer. “The construction work for another floor has already started. If Lord Ram wishes, we will be able to host more customers once the construction is complete,” he remarked.
Aside from eateries and shops selling puja items, offices of travel agencies and shops selling clothes, mobile phone accessories, and gift items have started emerging on Ram Path.
Local tour agencies have experienced a boost in their business. Umesh Singh, who owns one such agency, said, “We have been witnessing a spike in bookings for the last one month. I hope this continues.” Singh mentioned that he has hired two full-time drivers and placed an order for a new luxury tourist van.
Nand Kumar Gupta, an office-bearer of the Ayodhya traders’ union, said, “The rise in the number of devotees has certainly helped the businesses here. However, it is too early to assess the impact on businesses.” Large buildings are being constructed along the road from Faizabad town towards Ayodhya, including hotels, guesthouses, multi-level car parking facilities, and restaurants.
Abhay Pratap Shahi, a partner in a Lucknow-based construction firm developing projects in Ayodhya, said, “We are working on two hotels and a shopping mall. The projects began in 2021 and are expected to be completed by 2027.” Considering the ongoing development work, the local administration is also assisting the traders.
“We are ensuring that the required clearances for construction work are provided in time. The work developing assisting infrastructure, such as wider roads, multi-level parking facilities, and other amenities for devotees, are also underway,” Ayodhya Commissioner Gaurav Dayal told Press Trust of India.
“We are hopeful that every devotee coming to Ayodhya, be it by road, rail, or air, will get the best-in-class facilities. Most of the work towards achieving this has already been done, and the remaining work will be completed in the coming months,” Mr. Dayal said.
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