Mega plan for Ayodhya as a big centre of tourist, economic and religious activity

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has prepared a master plan for turning the ancient holy city of Ayodhya into a ‘Smart City’. It may be recalled that in November 2019, the UP government had agreed to develop seven municipal corporations, including Ayodhya and Gorakhpur, as ‘smart cities’. Also, the Mayor of Ayodhya, Rishikesh Upadhyay, has disclosed that the ancient holy city will be developed as a ‘major pilgrimage centre’ under the Smart City Project.

After the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, the Uttar Pradesh government has made elaborate plans to construct a resplendent destination in the temple town. Expecting nearly 100,000 pilgrims a day at the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi temple once it is ready by the end of 2023 or 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre are working on a plan to develop Ayodhya as a big centre of tourist, economic and religious activity. The state government aims to build Ayodhya as the biggest religious destination in North India with plans to constitute an ‘Ayodhya Tirtha Development Board’ to take this task further.

As per the officials, the mega plan will take shape simultaneously with the construction of the temple and will include an international Sri Ram Airport in Ayodhya, a modern railway station taking shape by next year, new religious tourism attractions like the world’s tallest statue of Lord Ram and development of the entire 84-mile perimeter area the city as a religious destination. Several multi-level parking, a network of widened highways and a two-km long elevated road leading to Ram Janmabhoomi, underground cabling and deployment of electric vehicles to ferry people are on the anvil.