Narendra Modi is about to fulfil a core promise to Hindus
But building a temple at Ayodhya is easier than building an economy
AYODHYA, a town on a tributary of the Ganges, is believed to have been the birthplace, 7,000 years ago, of Lord Ram, a major Hindu god. Evidence of the divine event is naturally wanting. “Only four things remain here of that era: the name of the lord, the soil on which we stand, the river that flows alongside, and the faith of the devout,” Ajay Kumar Pandey, a local resident with “Lord Ram” daubed on his forehead, told Banyan during a visit to the town this week.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Pilgrim’s progress”
Asia December 3rd 2022
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