Ram Mandir; The Poor Reality Of Ayodhya. The Temple, The City, The People Of Ayodhya, How It’s Been Going.

Ram Mandir the grand temple, the main temple’s roof started leaking just after the first rain.

Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has been one of the biggest fusses of this time, in our country. A total budget of 1,800 crore, is the estimated number that cost for the temple. In a country with the Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava concept, this Hindu temple is the highest-spend religious place that exists in India, with the full support of the current Indian government. 

In recent news about the Ram Mandir, the chief priest of the temple Acharya Satyendra Das said, that only after the first rain in Ayodhya the roof of the temple is leaking. He also mentioned that since there is no drainage system in place all the water coming from the leaked roof is collecting where the idol is.  

The temple is still under construction, as the high priest said that they are building more palaces designated for different Gods. And that all of it is going to be done by the next year, 2025.  

There lies the main concern, all these work as well as fixing the new problems that are rising, how they are going to solve all those by next year. Since the temple has opened to the public as well it will be difficult to fix the structure now. 

The high priest has also shown his concern about this.

Since there’s no vent hole or channel for water drainage it will be difficult when the rain intensifies to continue with the offering prayers. As the chief priest has stressed over and over on this point the leakage problem is the major issue here and it should be solved as soon as possible. 

In his concern, he mentioned, “If it is being claimed that the entire construction work will be completed by 2025, it is a good thing, but it is impossible as much work is still left to be done.” 

He also demanded immediate action and a deep investigation into this matter. “Attention should be paid to the matter and to find out what was missing. It is very important. There is no space to drain water out of the temple.” 

He also commented, “It is very surprising. So many engineers here and the Pran Pratishtha was held on January 22, but water leaking from the roof. Nobody would have thought this.” 

In making the Ram Mandir, there were some big changes, such measures were taken, to make sure the showcasing of the grandeur of the Ram Mandir did not fail at all. 

There’s always a price people have to pay to achieve success. Here as well the price has been paid by the people to make it look a huge success to the world. It wasn’t the government neither was the major Hindu religious groups like VHP, and RSS who’s been so big on making Ram Mandir. Instead, it was the local civilians, the local people who lived there worked there, it was them, who had to make the sacrifices and are still suffering. 

They didn’t have any other choices, the fear of government, and the constant threat from all these Hindu religious defenders, they had to give up their lands, houses, and places like shops and small businesses in ‘the name of God.’  

They made the ultimate sacrifices, and it is the government that’s taking all the praise for such a grand creation. 

 Only for the Hindu religious people, and it is safe to say because the inauguration of Ram Mandir on such a large scale, on a broader platform even internationally when the country was being represented, showed it was a huge success for the whole country the only people were invited was from a specific religious group. 

Even though the fact is India is a ‘secular state.’  

And as the speculation goes with Ram Mandir, it was probably the bold and official move made by the Modi government to reshape India as a Hindu country. 

Poor compensation: In the name of compensation whatever little they were given by the government in reality that sounds like a joke!  

Those who lost their houses like, with at least 3 rooms or 4 rooms were given nearly max 5 lakhs, then with 5 or 6 rooms nearly 7 lakhs. In some cases, people didn’t even get new land or anything just half of the money that they lost. That mostly happened with Dalits, the lower middle class, poor.  

Then some people relied on their daily businesses, work, or any small hustles, all those were gone when they demolished such a big area for a wide road, and the outside beautification of the temple.  

Some of the shop owners remade their shops on their own and now the only thing being sold there is anything that praises Ram, and the rest of the people who couldn’t afford to redo their shops just got abandoned and some using whatever is left off and even some people had to come up with small stalls or a cart to continue their business. 

The caste and class division are so vivid here, even by the government it is unimaginable. 

The things that are going on in Ayodhya and its surrounding areas are public knowledge now, these things are happening out in the open.

And if anyone said no, or resisted they were called ‘Anti-Hindu’ or ‘Anti-Muslim’ and slurs. The threat is always looming on their heads and the hatred that has spread so much into people is not just insulting anymore but scary. 

After all this, the big question that arises is how it is even possible after only the first rain the grand Ram Mandir’s roof is leaking. The amount of cost it took just to build the temple it is shocking that the main temple’s roof is leaking already. 

Now whose failure would it be called; the government was so keen about this, and they created the whole hype about Ram Mandir so who would take responsibility for this? There must have been some mistakes made that were definite, but who, how, and where?  

Now our government and the Ram Mandir have always been one, there is no individualism there, so when they have been so proud these whole time about the temple, they should also take full responsibility when such grave mistakes like leaking roofs with no water drainage systems are happening. 

India has always been a place where people from different beliefs live. It’s been home to so many people with a variety of cultures, religions, races, etc. Everyone has their way of living, and it should be that way, this has always been the biggest pride for Indians. A big family, everyone with different choices, one home. India is a secular state. 

Religion doesn’t divide people; it is people who bring this sort of division amongst themselves. It is the ‘man-made’ rules and regulations, the patriarchal teachings that instill fear into people and bring differentiation. 

The people of Ayodhya are happy for Ram Mandir, they are glad, but who can catch up with such expensiveness, even with tourism it’s not easy to keep up with such organized tourism, not for the average local people. And the general expanse that has increased so much with such upgraded infrastructure.  

Everyone is happy about the new upgradation, but they also need to be able to afford it somehow. 

Who knows, in which religion it says, to praise God, or to pray to them there needs to be a grand dedicated place so the Gods could stay there, and the people, according to religions are the children of God, they should suffer, and pay the prices, make life-changing compromises.  

But this has always been the way, ‘in the name of God’, the powerful always take advantage of the people, the poor get poorer, and the rich, the entitled privileged get richer. Where does it end, when will it be enough, when will people push back?  

Increasing poverty could never be the answer to anything, no matter what.