Shopkeepers say they had virtually no business for so many years, but the new mandir has made up their losses within a month as over two lakh people are visiting the mandir daily and the economy of Ayodhya is booming. A group of shoppers said, “We haven’t ever earned so much. We suffered earlier, but now things are very good”.
Malti Devi, 65, used to do household chores in Ayodhya for most of her life. But now, she says her life has found a new purpose as she has a means of living, thanks to Ram Lalla.
She is now selling Ram Lalla photographs and photo-frames on Ram Path leading to the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and these items are flying off the shelves in the holy town as thousands are making a beeline to the mandir daily. “Everyone wants Ram Lalla’s photograph. They want to take the picture home as a blessing from Ayodhya. I sell over 100 of these pictures daily. It is a noble work; I earn too”.
Old-time shopkeepers on the Bhakti Path leading to the mandir are only stocking items with ‘Ram Lalla’ pictures and models of ‘Ram Mandir’ as they are high in demand. “Whatever stock we bring, it gets sold out daily. People buy such items by the dozen,” said Rajesh Asre. The photographs, posters and photo frames of Ram Lalla cost anywhere between Rs 100 and Rs 1000, depending on the size.
Devotees explain they want to buy the pictures of Ram Lalla as they can’t take mobile phones inside the mandir to click the new idol themselves. “The new idol of Ram Lalla is divinity personified. We had never seen it before. I could not take my eyes off the deity during the few seconds I got for Darshan inside the mandir. We want to take pictures of Ram Lalla home now to place it inside my mandir at home”.
People also want to get a picture alongside the Ram Lalla Idol, but that is not possible as mobiles or cameras are not allowed inside. Some ingenious locals have, however, managed to get a picture of the new idol and mandir from inside the premises and are seen offering people to just pose in the streets.
The new Shri Ram Lalla idol has been prepared by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj who earlier made the sculptures of Adi Shankaracharya installed at Kedarnath and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at the India Gate.
