With the historic ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla scheduled for January 22, the city of Ayodhya is undergoing a remarkable transformation, leaving residents in awe of the positive changes taking place. Described as the end of a 14-year “Vanvaas” for Ayodhyawasi, locals are expressing their satisfaction with the developments, highlighting a surge in income and a boost in business.
Madhusudhan Chauhan, a shop owner, shared his optimism about the substantial change in the city, expressing hopes for continued economic growth. “There has been a lot of change. Let the political parties do their politics, but the fact is that there has been a major change, and everyone is witnessing it. Our employment and income have started to increase,” he stated. Chauhan mentioned a significant increase in earnings for shopkeepers, with figures rising from Rs 2000 to 2500 to now reaching Rs 10,000 to 15,000.
Shopkeepers in Ayodhya’s main markets echoed this sentiment, emphasising the emergence of new shops and markets, contributing to a substantial improvement in their income. One shopkeeper noted the positive impact of the current administration, stating, “The situation has improved from before. The shopkeeping business has improved. Everything nice is happening in Ayodhya.”
Amit Chaurasia, another long-time resident and shop owner, expressed surprise at the unprecedented change in Ayodhya. “I have a shop in Ayodhya for the last 18 years. The situation is continuously getting better. There is an increase in all businesses. Never thought before that such an unprecedented change would take place in Ayodhya,” he remarked.
Piyush Sahay, a resident of Lucknow and frequent visitor to Ayodhya, observed significant changes in the city over the past year. “The city has witnessed market renovation, becoming very organised. It is a great pleasure to see development in Ayodhya,” he shared.
