Is Ayodhya Experiencing A Localised Recession? (image-X/Sumita327)
Known for undergoing a revival of its tourism, Ayodhya registered an impressive 1.12 crore tourists over two months since the newly built Ram temple was inaugurated on January 23, as per a Times of India report. However, the holy city seems to be now experiencing a ‘localised’ recession following the Lok Sabha elections.
E-rickshaw drivers express their distress over fewer tourists visiting since the election results, where the BJP lost the Faizabad parliamentary constituency. Dalit leader Awadesh Prasad Singh of the Samajwadi Party won the seat by a margin of 54,567 votes, defeating the BJP’s Lallu Singh. The saffron party’s defeat in the home of the Ram temple is also reflected in the entirety of Uttar Pradesh, where the party only won 33 seats, a sharp decline from its win of 62 seats in 2019.
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The e-rickshaw drivers claim that the reason behind the recession is the election results. “We’ve been driving rickshaws here for 10 years, witnessing Ayodhya’s beautiful development. However, the BJP government is currently facing difficulties, leading to a decline. The local BJP candidate (Lallu Singh) is to blame because he neither addresses our issues nor meets with us. Ministers frequently visit but don’t engage with the common people; they hold rallies and leave without interacting with the poor public,” an e-rickshaw driver said, as quoted by ANI.
The e-rickshaw drivers lament the severe decline in their income. “When we used to earn Rs 500-800, now even earning Rs 250 is difficult since the election results were announced on the 4th. Within just two days, the situation deteriorated. There used to be many people here,” he stated.
The lack of pilgrims and visitors directly affects their livelihood.
Prior to the Ram temple opening its doors, many airlines, such as Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, had started direct flights to Ayodhya from various cities in anticipation of increased religious tourism. Effective June 1, SpiceJet has discontinued its direct flights from Hyderabad to Ayodhya, according to The Hindu. The decision is expected to be due to poor ticket sales and the gradual decline in visitors.
Read Also: What Happened To Faizabad, The Place Of Ayodhya Ram Mandir In Electoral Battle?
While some blame the election results, others attribute the decline in sales to the place being “overmarketed for political gain,” and the hype is dying now. Journalist Sujit Nair stated, “Such is the impact of politics and politicians exploiting the poor for their own interests. It’s a sad situation.” He further added that when excessive hype is created in a market, “the government should have a sustainability plan so that businesses in the area does not experience such steep decline, as is currently happening.”
Ayodhya is experiencing a localized recession. The decline in sales and spending isn’t due to the recent election results; rather, it stems from the area being excessively hyped and “over marketed” for political gain. Once the elections concluded, the hype dissipated, leading to…
— Sujit Nair (@sujitnair90) June 12, 2024
Meanwhile, other social media users attributed the scorching temperatures as the reason behind the decline in tourism. The number of pilgrims and visitors is expected to pick up after July, once the extreme heat conditions die down.
Even Varanasi is facing a slow down . Pilgrims are less due to hot weather . It will pick up again after July. Bodhgaya and places like Khajuraho are almost closed during this period. Ayodhya still has some pilgrim flow.
— Kuleshwar Singh (@samecowin) June 13, 2024
The decline is due to extreme heat conditions
— Col Hunny Bakshi, VSM (@colhunnybakshi) June 13, 2024
