The city of Ayodhya is expected to get a complete makeover as the recent Supreme Court verdict paved the way for a Ram temple. Authorities of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government have been planning an overall development of the city, Financial Express reported.

Plans are on to build resorts, a five-star hotel, an international bus terminal and an airport. The UP government is also going to begin a cruise on the Saryu river.

Shedding light on the makeover plans, deputy director information of Ayodhya division Murlidhar Singh said that plans were on to start river cruise on Saryu river in Ayodhya and it will at least require four years to develop Ayodhya as a city on the lines of Tirupati. “Ayodhya Teerth Vikas Parishad will be constituted. Plans are on to start river cruise on Saryu river in Ayodhya. It will take almost four years for Ayodhya to become a city like Tirupati,” he said.

He also informed that the government aimed at starting the flight operations by Ram Navmi (birth celebration of Lord Ram) in April 2020 at an international airport in Ayodhya which would be constructed at a rapid pace. He also told about the plans of expanding the Ayodhya railway station as well as building an international bus terminal.

According to Singh, a 5-kilometre-long flyover is also going to be built between Faizabad and Ayodhya.

He also said that the Ram temple will be the biggest religious site in the country. “The temple of Lord Ram will be the biggest religious place in the country. If 2,000 craftsmen (kaarigar) will be working for eight hours in a day, then the temple will be ready in two-and-half years. So far 65 per cent of the stones have been already carved,” he stated.

Regarding the development of the 77-acre campus of the temple, he said several religious institutes will be established inside the campus. According to him, a Gaushala (cow shed), Dharamshala (rest house) and Vedic institute including many other establishments will come up in the vicinity of the temple. He said that the city will be converted into an Aadhyatmik Nagari (Spiritual City) and as many as 10 Shri Ram dwaar (gates) will be made, he told.

To provide pilgrims with a comfortable visit to the city, at lease 10,000 rain basera (community resting places) will be made, he told, adding that ponds related to Lord Ram will be renovated.

In a historic judgement in the sensitive Ayodhya land dispute case, the Supreme Court on 9 November had directed the Centre to form a trust within three months, which will build a temple at the disputed site.

The Sunni Waqf Board, which was a party to the 7-decade-old title suit, should be given an alternate five-acre land at some other suitable place for construction of a mosque, a five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said in a unanimous judgement.

As per the Financial Express report, the Centre will seek opinions of the Ministry of Law and the Attorney General as to how the trust should be formed that will clear the way for the temple construction. A team of officials has been tasked with studying the Apex Court judgement threadbare to understand the nitty gritties of it so that the trust could be setup as asked in the verdict.