Call it an effort to be part of the bandwagon and be identified with it or whatever, but the fact is that different brands and business organisations, cutting across verticals, are determined to grab a slice of the large pie coming courtesy the Ram Lalla Darshan at Ayodhya. Marking the historic (January 22, 2024) occasion, each has come up with commemorative launches and events. Kolkata-headquartered Senco Gold & Diamonds has launched a special 'SiyaRam Collection' as a tribute to the enduring bond of devotion between Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman and as a salutation to the beacon of cultural, spiritual, and social unity that Ayodhya exemplifies. Adani Wilmar, one of the largest Food & FMCG companies in India, has, under its popular Fortune brand, curated a series of delightful activities and a range of special traditional delicacies that promise to add to the festive spirit. Fortune has distributed over 25,000 delightful jalebis shaped in the form of the ‘Bloom’ as a sweet ode to Lord Rama, whose favoured dessert was jalebi. IndiGo has enhanced connectivity to Ayodhya by introducing direct flights from Mumbai, in addition to existing routes from Delhi and Ahmedabad.
The semi high speed Vande Bharat Express has chugged off between Delhi and Ayodhya as a gift to devotees who went for the temple’s grand inauguration on Monday. PMI Electro Mobility, the leading e-bus manufacturer in India, now boasts of the largest eBus fleet in Uttar Pradesh, aligning with the green transport mission of Ayodhya. ETO Motors has secured an order for 500 electric three-wheelers in Uttar Pradesh, with a particular focus on Ayodhya. Signify, the world leader in lighting, announced illumination of the ‘Ram Path’ and sections of the Ram Mandir with customized ornamental and functional lights and thereby contributing to the cultural heritage of Ayodhya. Thomas Cook rolled out a special group package tour- Anant Kashi Ayodhya Yatra - to keep pace with the prevailing trend. These are just a few of the umpteen such Ayodhya exclusives that have been introduced. Ayodhya is just the beginning. Next in line is the Char Dhaam Yatra. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently said “An all-weather road is being built as a Char Dham project. Similarly, works on big projects like the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line are also progressing well. These will boost tourism, employment opportunities and facilities for education and treatment.”
Soon, a number of bridges will be thrown open and will connect important towns like Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gauchar and Karnaprayag through five districts of Uttarakhand--Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Chamoli, making the Chardham (Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath) sojourn safer, smoother and easier. Noted economist J.B. Say proved how one large unit brings with it hundreds of other units and each of such large and smaller units increase the purchasing power and thereby, eventually sets in motion an ever increasing development chain. Hopefully, Ayodhya, Chardhaam and other pilgrimages will bring good tidings to the Indian economy.
