Ayodhya, 03 Jan: As Ayodhya prepares for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of the Ram Lalla on January 22, 2024; the temple town is being transformed.
Ayodhya’s small alleyways, which formerly resonated with the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages, now echo with the peaceful whirr of eco-friendly vehicles. As one walks outside the under-construction Ram Mandir, a swarm of e-rickshaws transports visitors through the streets of the once-sleepy town of Ayodhya.
As the day of the inauguration approaches, many young people have acquired new e-rickshaws in the hopes of making more money.
“I used to rent an e-rickshaw but purchased one a week ago with a monthly EMI of Rs. 4,000. My income has now more than doubled to Rs. 800-Rs 1,000 per day,” says Mohammed Arif.
“There has been an increase in tourists, and crores of people will visit here,” he adds, elaborating on how the city is undergoing a frenzy of changes ahead of the consecration event. “I never imagined Ayodhya would be like this.” Shravan Kumar, another e-rickshaw driver, discusses how e-rickshaws help to keep the city clean.
“I’ve been operating an e-rickshaw for the past five months. People desire to commute in e-rickshaws as the Ram Temple’s opening date approaches. It does not pollute the environment. Previously, we earned Rs. 400-500, but now we earn around Rs. 700-800,” he explained.
E-rickshaw sales are also increasing in Ayodhya. “Right now, I can sell about 20-22 e-rickshaws. Previously, it was just 10-12 units,” says Mohit Singh, an e-rickshaw vendor.
However, with the inevitable growth of e-rickshaws, city tongas appear to be on their final legs. In the midst of growing urbanization, 70-year-old Bhagwati, the town’s last tonga wala, races against the clock to compete with e-rickshaws. He describes how e-rickshaws have thrown a shadow over the time-honoured habit of tonga carts, dubbed ‘Bhagwati Baggi Wala’.
“Now there are e-rickshaws, which are fast. They are more cost effective, which is why people have chosen this,” he explains.
Bhagwati, who earns just Rs. 300-400 per day, says he continues to drive tonga in order to preserve the tradition of Lord Ram’s birthplace. “I do this to keep the practice going. This is the birthplace of Lord Ram. I’ll never ride an e-rickshaw. It bothers me. I enjoy animals,” he opined.
Ayodhya has launched an eco-friendly golf cart service in advance of the Ram Temple’s consecration event. The Uttar Pradesh government launched the service with the goal of providing Ayodhya with a zero-carbon emission E-vehicle transportation option.
The dedication of Ram Lalla in the newly constructed temple in Ayodhya will take place on January 22 at 12.20 p.m. The consecration event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On December 30, PM Modi paid a visit to the temple town, where he hosted a roadshow, opened the reconstructed Ayodhya railway station and the newly built airport, and laid the groundwork for a number of other projects.
