Ayodhya wears a different look after consecration ceremony

Ayodhya: The temple town of Ayodhya, which dominated the headlines for several days in the run up to the 'pran pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony on Monday, wore a different look after Ram Lala idol was consecrated by prime minister Narendra Modi in the presence of thousands of guests, who included top personalities from Bollywood, industry and other fields.

The change in the atmosphere was clearly visible on the faces of the elated residents of Ayodhya as well as the large number of devotees who had flocked the town to have darshan of their 'aaradhya' (God) in his grand new home.

The residents of the town feel that Ayodhya will undergo a metamorphosis now that the Ram Temple is there housing the consecrated Ram Lalla.

"Ayodhya will now transform into a spiritual centre like many other cities in the country like Varanasi, Ujjain, Haridwar and some others," said a resident who stood near the famous Hanumangarhi temple, not very far from the Ram Janmabhoomi.

"Ayodhya has attained divinity after consecration of Ram Lalla," said Acharya Satyendra Das, the main priest of the Ram Temple.

The huge community of saints and seers in Ayodhya also feel the same way. They expect that the town will attract large number of devotees from across the country and the world. the state government has already started working developing an inland water navigation system on the sacred Saryu river.

BJP MP from Deoria Ramapati Ram Tripathi said that the consecration of Ram Lala had changed Ayodhya completely. "This is change is quite palpable also. The people who had visited Ayodhya 10-20 years back would not be able to recognise the town if they go there today," he added.

Tripathi feels that Ayodhya's 'resurrection' would also give a fillip to the economic development of the easter Uttar Pradesh. "It will usher in a spate of developmental activities in the eastern UP districts," he said.