Finally, after this long and hard fight, which is very well known, the court decided in 2019, and reconstruction started.

 

As the digging commenced, more and more evidence of the earlier temple started coming out.

 

The temple incidentally is being made just from the interest on bank deposits made from donated funds with just a token Re.1 from the Indian Government.

Why is there so much excitement for the temple?

There are many reasons for this, and some of those are as follows:

The temple building is being built with a vision of a structure lasting at least 1000 years. The materials used are chosen accordingly, and each part is selected with care and the best possible materials. Thus, the decision was made to plate the doors with gold, have the flooring with Makrana marble, and even have three images made to choose the best out of them. The scale of the temple is such that it will be able to sustain hundreds of thousands of devotees every week.

The entire city is being redeveloped. A new airport, train station, bus stand, and well-lit boulevards are part of the development, including the ability to do parikrama in an organized manner. Hotels and other infrastructure will ensure that devotees can have a proper experience.

Hindus, the religion of a billion people globally, have seen only oppression and destruction even after Indian independence, and although the development of Kashi and Ujjain has taken place, the scale at which Ayodhya is being done dwarfs all of them. This development is an expression of aspirations, ambitions, and financial prowess. The number of devotees visiting Kashi and Ujjain shows the response that happens when a good infrastructure is provided.

Another factor is the involvement of a large number of people. Right from the time when people were asked to bring a brick from different places, it made the temple everyone’s project. Distribution of Akshat all over India, and a large number of invitees continue the involvement. When the millions light earthen lamps, burst crackers, light up houses, and start mass prayers, it shows that this is everyone’s project.

The patina of untruths has been wearing off for some time, encouraged by deeply researched books on the past,  stories of Hindu Warriors, customs, and active social media. When Gita Press cannot cope with the demand of Ram Charitmanas, it shows a keenness to learn about the past. The Museum at Ayodhya is also a step in the right direction.

This will be the first well-designed and well-produced spiritual and religious center for Hindus, the only major religion with no place on the scale other religions have. I hope and wish that Varanasi and Mathura will be claimed soon and reconstructed similarly. The temple will start the process of finding suitable moorings for people who have been wrongfully blamed, invaded, and humiliated and whose culture and civilization have been discredited and misinterpreted to separate them from their culture during the last millennium.

 

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