AYODHYA, INDIA, January 6, 2024 (The Hindu by Ishita Mishar): The dust from construction hangs heavy in the air, over the area Hindus believe is the birthplace of Ram, considered the seventh incarnation of Vishnu. Spread across 2.7 acres, the temple that will occupy 30% of this space, with the rest left for green cover. In November 2019, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court permitted the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya at the disputed site. Soon after the judgment, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), an outfit of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which was at the forefront of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement that began in the early 1980s, began seeking donations for the construction of the temple. Champat Rai, a senior VHP leader and general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (temple trust), said that the Ram temple will have its own power station, sewage, and water treatment plant, so the city’s civic system would not be burdened by its presence. “Built in the mix of both Nagara and Dravidian style of architecture, the temple is being constructed without cement and iron to make its life longer,” he said, adding that artisans from across India had been at work.

According to the Uttar Pradesh government, Ayodhya, which was part of the Faizabad district until 2018, is witnessing a facelift like no other city in India has ever witnessed. Under the Ayodhya master plan-2031 and Vision Ayodhya-2047, up to 250 projects worth more than US$9.6 billion are simultaneously being executed by 34 executive agencies. The aim is to make Ayodhya a global holy city. This development includes construction of a new township over 1,200 acres, which will be developed with nearly $264 million in the next five years. The city now has a new airport and a renovated railway station. To keep the young and restless entertained, the Sarayu will have speed boat rides. Soon, there will be a museum, a spiritual theme park, and a Ramayana forest.

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