Tag: Ram Temple Ayodhya.

Ayodhya is Awake and Abuzz 24x7

‘Now Ayodhya is Awake and Abuzz 24×7 Like Big Cities’

By LokMarg

Sumit and Amit Gupta, the fourth generation owner of Chandra Sweets in Hanumangarhi, say the economic activity in the city is growing by each passing day. Their views:

Ever since the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony was held in Ram Mandir, Ayodhya has become the city that never sleeps. Earlier, sweet shops on the Ram Path, the road leading to the temple in Hanumangarhi, used to see two-fold business on Ramnavmi and Diwali. However, since January 22 (when the consecration ritual was held), the sweets (used as prasad) are selling four to five times the regular sales every day. Ab toh har din Diwali hai (Every day is Diwali now).

We have been doing business for four generations, but we have never witnessed such a monumental surge of the devotees in Ayodhya. There are two famous sweet items in our shop, khurchan and lal peda. Now, these vanish within hours of being brought to the shop. We have to outsource the ingredients from faraway vendors as our regular suppliers are unable to meet the demand. And the surge is growing by each passing day. We are not talking only about sweet shops or Pooja-related wares; you name any business in Ayodhya and you will find it flourishing in leaps and bounds.

But we have not raised the prices of any item. Nor have the new suppliers tried to make profits by increasing the price. Everybody is happy with the current windfall and feels blessed by Ramlala. The common man in Ayodhya feels content and happy that Lord Ram has found a permanent gaddi (seat) and roof after a struggle and patient wait of over 500 years.

ALSO READ: Ram Temple is a Symbol of Unity in Counrty

The entire geography and appearance of the city has changed in the past few years, since the construction of Ram Mandir began. The markets and shops have got a facelift, and there is not a single road or bylane which has not been provided with lighting. Potholes, broken roads, poor sewage systems and garbage management that used to be a trademark of the city are now a thing of the past.

There is oly one grudge though. There has been too much barricading to regulate the flow of pilgrims. This is causing a lot of movement hassles to the visitors. However, the vendors are confident that once the dust settles, these hindrances will be removed pushing the economy of the religious city to newer heights.

As told to Rajat Rai

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‘Business In Ayodhya Has Risen Manifold Since Pran Pratishtha Event’

‘Business In Ayodhya Has Risen Manifold Since Pran Pratishtha Event’

By LokMarg

Anup Gupta, owner of Ram & Shyam Hotel at Hanumangarhi, says even neighbouring districts are benefitting from devotees thronging the newly-built Ram Temple

With the grand ceremony at Ayodhya Ram Temple, our city has suddenly found its place in the sun. On the day of Pran Prathishtha (consecration), the Ram Temple recorded over 3 to 4 lakh people who lined up for a drashan and the next day, this figure swelled to over 7 lakh. The role of the police and administration deserves a salute as they managed the crowd very well. Ever since the stream of visitors to Ayodhya has not stopped. It seems, every Hindu wants to have a glimpse of Ram Lalla.

Naturally, this has meant good business for the Ayodhya residents. Be it the sale of flowers or other puja ware (like ladoos etc to be offered as Prasad) or food and other daily-use items, the demand has increased manifold. Souvenir items such as precious stones, posters, statues, etc have also shot up drastically, benefitting one and all – the suppliers to small sellers, everyone.

According to rough estimates, as reported in the local media, the sales of flowers and ladoos touched a whooping ₹4 crore a day since January 22. And since Ayodhya cannot meet this surge in demand, most items are being sourced from neighboring districts. So, even surrounding districts are also benefitting from the rush of devotees.

ALSO READ: ‘Ram Mandir is Symbol of Unity for the Country’

The demand for hotel rooms has also increased to a record high. Hotel occupancy is 100 per cent and booked for months in advance. There are visitors who flocked into Ayodhya well in advance (before January 22). Such was the rush that all roads leading to Ayodhya had to be closed and no fresh batch of devotees was allowed inside for the next few days after January 22.

Once the rail, road and air connectivity to Ayodhya comes into service, the rush of visitors is only going to scale new heights. Already, many big hotels groups have bought land to set up five-star facilities here and there are more queuing up to set up all kind of stay options, from budget to luxury, to serve tourists.

Ayodhya citizens will also benefit from this never-ending influx of devotees. They will start services of paying guests, rented accommodation in their dwellings or start up tourist-friendly business like eateries or souvenir shops. You name a business, and you will find it expanding and leaping forward from January onwards. This year 2024 has been a landmark in the history of Ayodhya denizens.

Once the temple is complete (which is expected to happen in the next two years or so), you will not find a place to stay in and around 30 km of the city. Real estate prices are already skyrocketing. Ayodhya, as it is truly said, is set to surpass Mecca and the Vatican in the near future.

As told to Rajat Rai

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Ram Temple Ayodhya.

Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir To Receive Special Soil From Thailand Before Consecration

By LokMarg

In a gesture filled with cultural significance, Thailand is sending soil to the Ramjanmabhoomi ahead of the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

This act follows the earlier gesture of sending water from two rivers in Thailand to Lord Ram’s temple. This unique connection aims to strengthen the cultural ties between Thailand and India, said Swami Vigyanananand, founder and global chairman of the World Hindu Foundation (WHF) in an exclusive conversation with ANI.

In preparation for the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22, 2024, soil from Thailand is being sent to the sacred site of Ram Janmabhoomi. The initiative was taken by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) with Susheelkumar Saraff, President of the Thailand chapter of VHP, said Swami Vigyanananand.

The collaboration between the two nations is not limited to soil, Swami Vigyanananand said. He added, “India and Thailand have a strong cultural and historical bond. Kings belong to Lord Ram’s descendants. Every king here too has the title of Ram in their name which is an old tradition here, he said. Bangkok in Thailand is part of the Asian southeast country where rich Hindu cultural heritage exists that is why they planned to organise the World Hindu Congress here.

Swami Vigyanananand said, “We have identified 51 countries that will witness Lord Ram’s consecration at Ayodhya. Susheelkumar Saraff and I will be also be present in Ayodhya.”

Expressing his delight over the scheduled consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 next year, Swami Vigyanananand, chief organiser of World Hindu Congress, told ANI that the ceremony will be telecast live in Bangkok and Hindus from across the globe will converge at the event, engaging in kirtans, bhajans, puja, and recitation.

“We have ordered prasad (food offered to the deity) from Ayodhya. A replica of the Ayodhya temple has been built here. We have also brought an image of the birthplace of Ram Lalla from Ayodhya. Copies of the image will be shared with all the delegates (attending the conference). The festive ambience in Ayodhya ahead of the consecration of the Ram temple should be spread across the world,” he added.

A famous city in Thailand was known as Ayutthaya, where its kings bore the title of ‘Ramatibodhi’ (“Lord Rama”). Ayutthaya has been linked to the context in which Ayodhya is mentioned as the capital of Lord Rama in the Ramayana. Ayutthaya, which was the capital of the Siamese rulers from 1351 AD, was looted and almost completely destroyed by the Burmese forces in 1767.

The name of the Thai religious text is Ramkeen, which has the same status as the Thai Ramayana. Ramanujan, who wrote the book ‘300 Ramayana’, has compared this book with Valmiki Ramayana. It is believed to have been composed afresh by King Rama I in the 18th century and the main villain in this book, Thotsakan, is like Ravana of the Hindu text. The ideal of Ram is depicted in the hero of this book, Phra Ram. However, now the remains of Thai Ayodhya are spread over a large area and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Dr Suresh Pal Giri has been teaching in Thailand for 22 years. In an exclusive interview with ANI, he said, “I teach in a religious university in Thailand. The land on which you are standing is a part of the missing link of India. For some years, it was called Thailand, it is genetically Hindu and later with time, elements of Buddhism kept coming into Hinduism and it got mixed.”

He said that even after so many years, Lord Ram is worshipped in Thailand as well as in India. He said, “The similarity between India’s Ayodhya and Thailand’s Ayodhya is that we have not forgotten our ancestors, our existence and our traditions. Even after so many years, we still believe in Lord Ram and worship him in Thailand as well as in India. The king here had also built some Hindu temples in this city. Here, 35 kilometres away from Ayutthaya, there is a temple of Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Shankar. The city has a 3,000-year-old Hindu temple dedicated to the kings of India.” (ANI)

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