Making Ayodhya world-class city with heritage at heart: Divisional commissioner on vision for town

PTI, Feb 7, 2024, 11:09 AM IST

After the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple here, authorities have now set their eyes on the next phase of Ayodhya’s redevelopment with a top official asserting that the vision for the town is to make it a ”world-class city” with ”heritage at its heart”.

In an interview to PTI, Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner Gaurav Dayal also said the broad targets that were set by the administration for the holy city for the January 22 event have been ”achieved”.

”The four road corridors, beautification of the entire city, creation of public amenities, multi-level parking facilities, dormitories, toilet blocks, upgradation of restaurants by speaking to all stakeholders…all those things have been taken care of,” he said.

These corridors include the four-lane 13-km Ram Path and about two-km Dharm Path adorned with 40 Surya Stambhs — the showpiece streets of Ayodhya — and Bhakti Path and Ramjanmabhoomi Path, for which the government had to undertake a massive demolition exercise before the beginning of construction work.

”Now, in the next phase, the four big-ticket projects are widening and redevelopment of Panchkosi Parikrama Marg and Chaudahkosi Parikrama Marg, both will be 21-metre wide, Chaurasikosi Parikrama Marg, and the Ring Road. Large-scale demolitions have already been done along these pilgrimage circuits. Similar to what Ram Path appears, you will have these massive roads through the city also,” Dayal told PTI.

The road-widening exercise along the main road, now called Ram Path — running from Sahadatganj in Faizabad town to Naya Ghat Chouraha in Ayodhya — took about a year-long time and was completed this January.

The project affected about 3,100 properties, including over 2,200 shops, and very old houses and other structures, which were either partially or fully demolished, as per official data. Some of these buildings had ornamental facades, and the administration had to face resistance from owners or occupants of many of these properties.

”There will always be some losses, if you want to make big gains… What is of the utmost importance to the city, it is Lord Ram’s temple. People had been struggling for 500 years,” the divisional commissioner said.

”All theses buildings were 150-200 years old. They will come up again, and when the city grows, you will get more money, you will construct more beautiful buildings,” he added.

There were very good buildings, even along Panchkosi Marg and Chaudahkosi Marg, and ”we have tried to save as much as possible, and many trees have been saved through smart realignment”, Dayal said.

However, the local administration has ensured that the three new road corridors, which have been built in the main city, bear uniform facades, and has installed ornamental lamp posts whose designs are in sync with the ethos of Ayodhya.

The Ram Path, the largest section of which is 20-metre wide, is adorned with ”specially curated” ornamental lamp posts bearing a design that depicts ‘Ramanadi tilak’ and other associated religious symbols. Other sections of Ram Path bear different aesthetic designs, and Bhakti Path too is lined with specially designed lamp posts.

”We have very carefully planned each and every element of the streets. I asked all the big agencies, don’t give me traditional things, tell me what you can create for Ayodhya,” Dayal said.

Buildings in Ayodhya located along Ram Path and Bhakti Path bear uniform facade design implemented by Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA).

The Ram Path project cost about Rs 800 crore, including the compensation that was granted to affected parties identified by authorities, and another Rs 40 crore was spent on carrying out the work for making uniform facades along Ram Path, Bhakti Path and Ramjanmabhoomi Path, he said.

Asked what is the long-term vision for Ayodhya, Dayal said it is to make Ayodhya a ”world-class city with all modern amenities, and with heritage at its heart that will also reflect our ethos, traditions and culture, which will be part of the city”.

It has to have ”world-class connectivity”, smooth access to the Ram temple and other places of importance, and good road infrastructure. And, people coming from different parts of the world should carry good memories of the city, he added.

Dayal cited the example of the swanky new airport and the new building of the station which are modern from inside but bear traditional look.

”After all, Ayodhya will be a temple town, not a place where there will be theme parks and all, not like Disneyland. We will not jettison our culture in the race for modernity,” the divisional commissioner said.

Dayal asserted that the Ayodhya administration is not just working on widening of streets and putting up these ornamental lamp posts, but also taking up rejuvenation of old traditional structures and sites that embellish this holy city.

”There are about 37 mutts and temples which have been taken up for rejuvenation. There is a resurfacing of the temple buildings going on, public amenities are being upgraded. We have already upgraded, renovated and beautified many ‘kunds’… Ganesh Kund and Dant Dhavan Kund, where work is already on,” he said.

He cited the rejuvenation of Surya Kund and Guptar Ghat as well and said revival and redevelopment of Bharat Kund, some 25 km from Ayodhya, is also on the anvil.