Ramnagari Ayodhya was once known for its narrow roads and deteriorating streets, but ever since Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a resolution for its transformation, Ayodhya has been making continuous progress. All connecting roads have become wider, and the access has become convenient. The development here is so rapid that Ayodhya is now showcasing itself in a different light. The roads are broadened, making travel easy, and the entire region has witnessed remarkable progress.
The State Government has provided excellent connectivity for devotees coming from various states, including foreign countries. Now, the Yogi government’s aim is to provide direct road connectivity from various locations to the grand Ram Mandir under construction. All the routes leading to the Ram Janmabhoomi are being widened, and their beautification is underway. The goal is to create a scenic environment so that devotees coming to witness the divine birthplace of Bhagwan Ram can experience a spiritually uplifting atmosphere.
In Ayodhya, several routes are being prepared to guide devotees to the newly constructed Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. Some are near completion, while work is still underway on others. These routes will feature modern amenities and will be named to provide a spiritually enriching experience for devotees. The names of these paths leading devotees to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be Ram (meaning Bhagwan Ram), Laxman (meaning Bhagwan Laxman), Bhakti (meaning devotion), Shraddha (meaning faith), Dharma (meaning righteousness), and Bharman Path (meaning pilgrimage route). Travelling on these roads, devotees will realise that they are in a spiritual city, and their journey to the grand Mandir of Bhagwan Ram is becoming joyful and dignified.
Connecting Ayodhya to the sites through highways and external roads
1. Connecting Bharatkund to NandiGram
The construction of a two-lane road to connect the meditation site of Bhagwan Ram’s brother Bharat, known as Bharatkund, has been completed. An expenditure of 54 crore rupees has been incurred for this project. The route from Ramnagari to Bharat’s meditation site has been redesigned. A 16.5-kilometer road will be constructed from Vidya Kund to Nandi Gram. From Vidya Kund to Darshannagar, a ten-metre wide road will be built, and from Darshannagar to Bharatkund, a seven-metre wide road will be developed. The internal roads covering two kilometers within Bharatkund are also planned for improvement. This route from Ayodhya passes through Vidya Kund, Achari Sagar, Itaura Chauraha, ultimately reaching Bharatkund. Currently, the road is only three meters wide. The construction of this road will provide Ayodhya residents with an alternative route to reach Nandi Gram. Lighting will be installed in the marketplaces along the route, and there will be lighting on both sides of the road as well.
2. Connecting Shri Ram Janmabhoomi to Gorakhpur-Lucknow highway
The construction of a four-lane road connecting Shri Ram Janmabhoomi from the Gorakhpur-Lucknow Highway, passing through Mahoba Bazaar, is nearing completion at an approximate cost of 45 crore rupees. The work is being carried out on National Highway-27, ensuring a smooth journey to the Ram Mandir. Currently, 90 percent of the work on this four-lane road has been completed, and it is expected to be fully ready by the end of December. The construction of this four-lane road, starting from National Highway-27 through Mohabra and Tehri Bazaar, leading to the Ram Mandir, is progressing rapidly. There is a possibility that the construction of the four-lane road may be completed before the commencement of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Bhagwan Ram.
3. Connecting Ayodhya to Bilvahari Ghat
As part of the tourism development initiative for Ramnagari, there is a plan to develop a new four-lane road from Ayodhya to the entire market area. This road will be constructed connecting Ayodhya to Bilvahari Ghat. Starting from the new ghat, the road will extend to the Dashrath Samadhi, covering the entire market. A four-lane highway, costing around 400 crore rupees, is being constructed from Bilvahari Ghat to Ayodhya, which is the burial site of Emperor Dasharath, the father of Bhagwan Ram. The road construction will widen the existing Ayodhya-Bilvahari Ghat bridge to 10 meters. The road’s length is expected to be approximately 15 kilometers, enhancing connectivity between Ayodhya and Bilvahari Ghat.
The other proposed internal routes and their names are as follows
1. Ayodhya-Jagdishpur NH-330 highway
The Ayodhya-Jagdishpur highway is set to become a bustling route, with 85% of the road construction already completed. Works such as overbridges and underpasses are scheduled to be finished in the coming months. Efforts are underway to rapidly develop facilities for tourists travelling to the Ayodhya Dham, making them world-class. The widening and strengthening of several sections are also in progress. Construction of the Ayodhya-Jagdishpur section of the Ayodhya-Raebareli route is currently underway, also known as NH-330. Its total length is approximately 40.80 kilometers, with about 78 per cent of the widening work already completed. Road construction is also nearly 85 per cent complete. In the district’s boundary on the highway, the KumarGanj Flyover (1560 meters long) is 75 per cent complete. The railway overbridge is 82 per cent complete. Works on two vehicle underpasses and a bridge over the Madha River have been finished. For the construction of this highway, approximately 50 hectares of land from 37 villages across three tehsils of the district have been acquired, including 39.94 hectares of proposed land and 10.36 hectares of Government land from Tehsil Sadar, eight villages from Sohawal, and 26 villages from Milkipur. With a cost of 1500 crore rupees, 90 per cent of the work on the Ayodhya-Jagdishpur highway has been completed.
2. Ayodhya-Akbarpur-Baskhari four-lane highway
There is an expectation that the construction of the four-lane road from Ayodhya to Baskhari will be completed in three months. The construction of this approximately 80-kilometer long road, with an estimated cost of nearly 5.5 billion rupees, is anticipated to provide significant convenience to the residents of the district for commuting. The construction of the four-lane road began nearly a year ago, with the goal of completing the project by December 2023. The construction of the Akbarpur Bypass, estimated to cost around 1.75 billion rupees, is also being expedited. More than half of the work on the Ayodhya-Akbarpur-Baskhari four-Lane Highway, with a total cost of 4 billion rupees, has been completed.
3. 84-Kosi Parikrama Marg, 67 Kilometers Long Ring Road
To alleviate traffic congestion, a 67-kilometre long ring road is being constructed. This ring road, with an estimated cost of 40 billion rupees, will connect Ayodhya, Gonda, and Basti. The acquisition of land for this project is in its final stages.
4. City’s main Ram path
The construction of the Ram Path in Ayodhya is progressing rapidly, extending from Naya Ghat to Sahadatganj over a distance of 13 kilometers. A beautification project for the highway from Sahadatganj to Naya Ghat, costing eight billion rupees, is underway. Additionally, a four-lane road is planned to be constructed between Sahadatganj and Naya Ghat, with an estimated cost of 2.5 billion rupees. An approved budget of 797.69 crore rupees has been allocated for land acquisition and other construction activities related to the widening of this route. Out of this, 290 crore rupees have been released. The Ram Path requires 40,765 square meters of land, and so far, 4,773 square meters of land have been acquired.
5. Along the Sarayu River, connecting to Lakshman path
A new alternative route named Lakshman Path is planned to connect Guptar Ghat to Raj Ghat, spanning a distance of 12 kilometers in honour of Bhagwan Ram’s younger brother and the Sesha avatar, Lakshman. This path will be a four-lane road, extending parallel to the proposed Udai Harishchandra Ghat embankment. The embankment width, initially six metres, has been increased to seven meters. The Lakshman Path has a width of 18 metres and is estimated to cost around 200 crore rupees. The project design aligns with the Udai Harishchandra Ghat embankment and aims to connect Lakshman through the parikrama path, diverting pilgrim traffic effectively. Additionally, parking facilities on 30 acres of land at three connecting points are being arranged to ensure convenient parking for devotees visiting Ayodhya. The width of the embankment, initially six meters, has been increased to seven meters. The Lakshman Path has been designed with a width of 18 meters. The estimated cost for this alternative route is approximately 200 crore rupees, and the proposal has been submitted for government approval. Upon approval, construction on this project will commence.
6. Dharma path connecting Sarayu riverbank to the highway
In Ayodhya, a stretch of 2 kilometres along the Lucknow-Gorakhpur National Highway (NH-27), from the Sanket Petrol Pump to Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, has been named Dharma Path. This main route connects Ayodhya to various places like Gonda, Bahraich, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, Kanak Bhavan, Hanuman Garhi, Ram Ki Paudi, and the Sarayu River Ghats through the highway.
7. Devotion path connecting inner Mandir
A devotion path is under construction from Shringarhat to the Ram Mandir (500 metres), extending from the Shringar Hat Barrier to the Ram Janmabhoomi. The construction work of the devotion path from Shringarhat to the Ram Janmabhoomi is progressing rapidly. A four-lane road, named Bhakti Path, is being prepared from Shringarhat to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, covering a distance of 0.742 kilometres. The widening work involves land acquisition and other construction activities, with an approved budget of 62.79 crores, and an allocated amount of 32.10 crores has been released. Compensation has been provided for 350 shops affected by the construction, and the demolition of 290 shops for widening is in progress. The path is being widened to 13 metres, including 5.50 metres of CC road. Along this path, various ancient Mandir, including Hanuman Garhi, Dashrath Mahal, Kanak Bhavan, and the Amawa Mandir, have been constructed.
8. Shraddha Path/Ram Janmabhoomi path
A four-lane road, named Janm Bhoomi Path, is being constructed from the Birla Dharmshala or Sugriva Fort to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, covering a distance of 0.566 kilometres. The construction involves a cost of approximately 83.33 crores, which was approved by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a high-level meeting. The operationalization of this path has begun for the devotees of Bhagwan Ram. Devotees can now visit their revered deity through the Janm Bhoomi Path. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust has closed the old path for the darshan of Ram Lala, which was in use for many years. Subsequently, Ram devotees can now have darshan of their deity through the Janm Bhoomi Path. The 850-metre-long Janm Bhoomi Path in Ayodhya was opened for devotees on July 30 this year. It starts near the Birla Mandir and ends at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi. The path begins in front of the Birla Dharamshala and passes beside the Sugriva Fort, reaching the Amawa Mandir, Rang Mahal, and directly concluding at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. The total cost for this extension is estimated to be 39.43 crores, with 23.79 crores allocated for land acquisition and redevelopment. The path has a width of 30 metres for 390 metres in length, and the remaining part has a width of 24 metres. The road has been constructed with a 7-metre-wide bituminous surface, along with a 15-metre and 10-metre-wide pedestrian path.
9. Newly constructed pilgrimage route – Pilgrimage path
The Uttar Pradesh government has approved a road project in Ayodhya, known as the Pilgrimage Path, which will connect the Sarayu River to the Ram Mandir. This road provides a more symbolic route for devotees to reach the Ram Mandir. The Pilgrimage Path will pass through Ram Ki Paudi and Rajghat, ultimately reaching the Ram Mandir. After merging with the Sarayu River, devotees will use this section of the road to directly reach the Ram Mandir.
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