Common devotees get better darshan than VIPs at Ram temple, says ADG

Lucknow: ADG Lucknow zone, Praveen Kumar, said that devotees visiting the Ram temple get a unique experience and are able to have uninterrupted darshan of Ram Lalla for seven minutes. Speaking in a panel discussion on the ‘Transformation of the temple town', Kumar said, "We get several requests for VIP darshan at Ram temple. But let me tell you all, maybe it is an arrangement prospered by Ram Lalla himself, but the common devotees get a better view than those seeking VIP darshan as they soak in the energy of thousands of devotees in the queue at the temple."Talking about the temple-based economics, experts from various fields — Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi; head of economics department at Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University Ashutosh Sinha, and SSP Gaurav Grover spoke about the changes in Ayodhya in the past three to four years from the time construction work on the temple picked up pace and it was inaugurated. Sinha said, "In our field studies along with students, we have found that the income of the local businessmen has gone up by five times to six times since Jan 2024."SSP Grover said that crowd control and security cover in the city during the VVIP visits is taking place with the help of latest tools and technology. "We secure land, water and air through latest equipment and artificial intelligence-based solutions," he said. Mayor Tripathi in his talk highlighted the changed perception of the city. "Before 2017 Ayodhya used to be neglected by the previous govts and their focus was not on development of the city. But we all can experience how proactive governance can result in positive transformation," he said. DIG Ayodhya, Somen Barma, too interacted with some prominent local residents and policemen who were awarded at the event.