The highway connecting Lucknow and Ayodhya is punctuated by milestones, memories and metamorphosis.
With the march of time, the road once taken by karsevaks amid the frenzy and arrests of the early 1990s has turned into a thoroughfare of development and pilgrims’ progress now, swathed in saffron and reflecting Ayodhya’s emergence from obscurity to eye-catching transformation.
Ahead of the January 22 Ram Lalla consecration ceremony, enthusiastic pilgrims of various hues could be seen moving on the highway and shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans. While some marched, others rode bicycles, motorcycles, tractors , cars and buses to Ayodhya in their quest to pay obeisance to the deity. There is security on the highway, but it is not obtrusive.
This picture of relatively unfettered movement now is in contrast to the early 1990s, when barriers were erected on the 135-km stretch to stop the karsevaks who then moved away from the road, using fields and village streets to reach destination Ayodhya. Over a dozen karsevaks were killed in police firing in Ayodhya in 1990.
Back then, the clamour for construction of Ram temple and removal of the disputed structure from Ram Janmabhoomi resonated on the highway as the karsevaks strode forward, passing through villages and towns, toward Ayodhya.
Defying prohibitory orders, they clashed with police to cross the bridge on the River Ghaghra at Ram Sanehighat on the Barabanki- Ayodhya border The area turned into a flash point of tussle between leaders of Bharatiya Janta Party, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagran Manch, who led the karsevaks toward Ayodhya, and the district administration, who on the order of the then government, erected the barriers.
{{/usCountry}}Defying prohibitory orders, they clashed with police to cross the bridge on the River Ghaghra at Ram Sanehighat on the Barabanki- Ayodhya border The area turned into a flash point of tussle between leaders of Bharatiya Janta Party, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagran Manch, who led the karsevaks toward Ayodhya, and the district administration, who on the order of the then government, erected the barriers.
{{/usCountry}}While some muscled their way past the barriers, others, including top BJP and VHP leaders, were detained in a government guest house at Ramsanehighat.
The call for Shilanyas or a campaign launched for worshipping Shri Ram Shila at Ayodhya again turned the highway into a focal point as seers and volunteers of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Mukti Yagna Samiti moved toward Ayodhya, using the highway. Bhoomi pujan and havan were performed by the Mukti Yagna Samiti leaders.
The day before the demolition of Babri mosque on December 6, 1992, a large number of karsevaks and volunteers of saffron brigade followed the road toward Ayodhya.
The formation of the BJP government in 1998 saw this road’s transformation into a four-lane highway when the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee launched the Golden Quadrilateral project. Swift connectivity between East and Central UP increased the movement of pilgrims on the highway. Still, Ayodhya remained untouched by development at the time.
All that changed when construction of the Ram temple began. Now, the January 22 consecration ceremony has again brought hordes of pilgrims on the highway. From Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, the pilgrims are travelling to Ayodhya for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony.
One such pilgrim, Gaurav Tyagi, 30, can be seen moving his wheelchair swiftly on the highway. He left his hometown Hapur on January 4 with a pledge to reach Ayodhya, before January 22. Since then, his hands have stopped only for night stays.
“Only 60 km of the total 603 km are left. I will make it. It will be an achievement,” said Tyagi who had won state-level badminton trophies. Owing to an accident 15 years ago, he became confined to a wheelchair. On his current journey, he is being supported by family travelling in a car.
There are others too. For instance, Nagesh, a transporter, is walking along with his wife Sheetal and hopes to have darshan of Ram Lalla. “We are walking for 31 days. Our journey started from Mumbai and we passed through Sagar and Chhattarpur in Madhya Pradesh. Now, we are heading towards Ayodhya,” said Nagesh.
The entire highway has hoardings, wall-painting, and flags in saffron welcoming people.
“People are helpful. Wherever it is dark and we wish to stop, people offer us a place to sleep and even food. I also feel safe,” said Sheetal.
Suresh Singh Bhati, 39, another transporter, is walking since January 3 from Talvandi Rukka in Hisar, Haryana.
“I walk up to 50 km a day. I will reach Ayodhya sometime tomorrow,” he said.
At least 50,000 people will reach Ayodhya in a similar manner by January 21. Despite knowing entry will be restricted, they are walking fast to reach their destination.
“Entry will be restricted till January 22. Once the prime minister’s visit is over, (the Ram temple) will open for all devotees the very next day. We can stand in queue for the entire day on Tuesday and hope to have darshan at the temple,” said Nagesh.