Ayodhya buzzes with activity a day after top court's verdict

Ayodhya, Nov 10 Ayodhya buzzed with activity on Sunday as devotees flocked various temples to offer prayers amid tight security arrangements, a day after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement over the century-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.

The areas near Hanumangarhi and Naya Ghat were busy from the morning, as people from different walks of life arrived here to pay obeisance to Lord Ram and his ardent devotee Hanuman.

As the sun set, bhajans and kirtans echoed in the temple town. There was no let up in the security arrangements, with police personnel keeping a strict vigil. Intensified patrolling, frisking and searches continued in full swing.

Priest of Ram Lalla, Acharya Satyendra Das said Lord Ram was adorned with a new set of clothes offered by a devotee to mark the day.

People in the Rikabganj area of the city and other parts could be seen going through newspapers to understand the nuances of the Supreme Court judgement, and also ascertain, what people in other parts of the country feel about the Ayodhya verdict.

Sandeep Singh, who works as a manager at a hotel in Ayodhya, said, “This Sunday holds special significance for us, as we woke up to a new and transformed Sunday, with a feeling of relief that the lingering issue of Ayodhya dispute has been resolved once and for all.”

Shops selling utensils, puja items, idols and pictures of gods and goddesses were open, as were the eateries.

Owners of a sweets shop in the vicinity of Hanumangarhi temple, Anoop Saini and Vaibhav Gupta, were seen sifting through pages of newspapers and discussing the outcome of Saturday’s judgement.

“After the judgement in favour of Ram Lalla, we knew that we will fall short of garlands, so we had ordered additional garlands from Varanasi and neighbouring cities,” Anoop Saini said.

He added that Ayodhya will now grow in the right direction. “I am sure that Ayodhya will see its golden era in coming days. This is the best example of Satyamev Jayate,” he said.

Jaipur residents Awadhesh Sharma and Kajormal Sharma said they felt proud and blessed to have been in Ayodhya when the Supreme Court delivered its judgment.

Settling the fractious issue that goes back more than a century, the Supreme Court on Saturday backed the construction of a Ram temple by a government trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque in the Hindu holy town.

Delivering a unanimous verdict on a case that has long polarised the country and frayed the secular tapestry of Indian society, a five-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said the faith of Hindus that Lord Ram was born at the site was undisputed, and he is symbolically the owner of the land.

Ganesh Tare, who along with a group of 55 tourists, arrived here from Bhiwandi (Maharashtra) on Sunday, said that he felt joyed by the verdict.

Rampujan and Ramvati were also “feeling happy” as they arrived in Hanumangarhi temple area after ‘mundan’ of their son Jankaran.

Sunday was a busy day for 58-year-old newspaper hawker Ram Shankar Yadav.

“I have been distributing newspapers in nearly 11 localities of the district since 1994. On a normal Sunday, I distribute 500 to 525 newspapers, but on this Sunday, I distributed 750,” he said.

“This is a new morning, a new Sunday. As barriers have been put up at various parts of Ayodhya, the number of devotees coming here at this point of time is a bit less. However, in the next couple of days, it is likely to go up. There is absolute normalcy,” senior priest of Hanumangarhi temple, Mahant Raju Das, told PTI.

Later, Raju Das, along with local Muslim leader Babloo Khan, took a round of the workshop of the Sriramjanmabhoomi Nyas in Ayodhya.

“This is not just a win for Hindus or Muslims, this is a win for the Janmabhoomi,” Das said.

“I have been following the Quran in letter and spirit. If Kaba is sacred for the Muslims, then the Ramjanmabhoomi is equally sacred for the Hindus. This is the city of Lord Ram. We welcome the Supreme Court judgment, and each and every citizen should welcome it,” Khan said.

Both were seen clicking selfies together, apparently to send a message of communal harmony.

People were seen visiting the workshop which has almost turned into a studio for various news channels hosting debates from there.

“Lord Ram is the eventual truth in life. I am feeling extremely happy,” said Mahant Pawan Kumar Das of Ayodhya and Baba Bhawani Das.