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Coming soon in Ayodhya: Snow park, tent city, cruiseThe idea, according to senior officials, is that when people come for a visit to the temple, they should also get different avenues to engage and spend more time in the city.
Gyanendra Keshri
Last Updated IST
<div class="paragraphs"><p>A general view of Ayodhya. </p></div>

A general view of Ayodhya.

Credit: Reuters Photo 

As the legend goes, hurt by the slanderous rumours about her ‘charitra’ (character) after Lord Ram brought her back from Ravana’s custody, Goddess Sita cursed Ayodhya that it would never prosper and have peace Despite being the epicentre of India’s ‘kamandal’ politics, Ayodhya remained a sleepy town. However, things are set to change. It’s not just about the building of the new Ram temple. Various cultural and recreational avenues are being created to transform Ayodhya into a vibrant city.

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Guess what’s coming up along with the opening of the Ram temple: a snow park, tent city, cruise service, cultural zone and food zone to name a few.

The idea, according to senior officials, is that when people come for a visit to the temple, they should also get different avenues to engage and spend more time in the city. “Many things are planned. We have received a lot of proposals and are trying to give approvals as soon as possible,” Ayodhya District Magistrate Nitish Kumar told DH.

New Delhi-based Ayodhya Cruise Lines Private Limited has proposed to set up a snow park and provide cruise services.

Manoj Arora, Global Business Head of Ayodhya Cruise Lines, informed DH that the company targets to start cruise service on the Saryu river in Ayodhya either in December this year or January 2024.

On the proposed snow park, Arora said, “We are awaiting approvals from the authority. We are hopeful we will get it soon.” A lot of cultural and recreational activities are being planned near Naya Ghat. The cruise service will run from Naya Ghat to Guptar Ghat through Raj Ghat, Laxman Ghat, Ram Ghat and Janki Ghat.

A tent city is to come up on the banks of the Saryu River in line with the one developed in Varanasi. Two Ahmedabad-based companies — Praveg Communications (India) Limited and Lalluji and Sons — run tent cities on the bank of river Ganga in Varanasi. Ayodhya DM Kumar said these companies have also made proposals to run tent cities in Ayodhya.

Food and cultural zones are also being developed at Naya Ghat. “A lot of these things will open around the opening of the temple. Some of them will come up even earlier, while others like the snow park will come up later,” he said. The doors of the Ram Temple is slated to open for devotees on January 25, 2024.

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(Published 17 August 2023, 02:55 IST)