The Ayodhya district administration on Sunday started demolishing shops at Naya Ghat for the 13-km long Ram Path stretch widening project despite opposition by traders.
Demolition drive under way at Naya Ghat in Ayodhya on Sunday. (HH photo)
During the demolition drive that began at around 11am and continued till evening, around 12 shops and two temples were razed. In the 13-km long Ram Path from Sahadatganj (old Faizabad) to Naya Ghat, around 450 shops and 30 temples will be demolished.
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In the drive, which began from Nepali Bhawan, Ganga Bai Dharamshala, Shukla Mandir, Raja Bodh Singh temple and around 12 shops were pulled down. “The Ayodhya administration had given traders time till December 15 to demolish shops on their own. But the administration has backtracked from its promise,” alleged trader leader Nand Lal Gupta.
According to the Ayodhya administration, the demolition drive is being carried out as per the detailed project report of the road widening approved by the state government.
In the last week, several rounds of talks between the Ayodhya administration and traders failed to resolve the issue. Traders have alleged that despite assurance from the administration to restrict road widening up to 20-metre, shops beyond this limit were being demolished.
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Three proposed pathways
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Three proposed pathways
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Ram Path—13 km road from Sahadatganj to Naya Ghat
Ram Janmabhoomi Path—2km from Sugriv Quila to Ram Mandir
Bhakti Path—850 metre from Shringar Haat to Sri Ram Janmabhoomi
Pawan Dixit, Assistant Editor, brings over 20 years of frontline reporting experience to the newsroom. A specialist on Uttar Pradesh politics and governance, he has reported from the ground across the state’s most consequential stories. He cut his teeth in eastern UP, spending 15 years covering the region. Based in Varanasi, he reported the 2012 UP Assembly polls and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that reshaped the state’s political map. Moving to Lucknow in 2016, he has since led coverage of the 2017 and 2022 UP Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His reporting tracks the BJP’s strategy, opposition moves, and voter sentiment across all 75 districts. Pawan has been a constant presence in Ayodhya since 2016. He reported the entire arc of the Ram Mandir movement — from the legal fight to the Supreme Court verdict, through temple construction, to the inauguration. He continues to track every development at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On the state beat, he covers the BJP, the Industrial Development Department, and handles key outstation political assignments. He also reports major cases from the district court, Lucknow bench of the High Court, and the State Information Commission. Along with this, he also reports on NGT's important decisions related to UP. Known for sharp sourcing and clear analysis, Pawan connects politics, policy, infrastructure and faith — the forces driving UP today. He has reported developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir movement since 2016. The Supreme Court's Ram Mandir verdict, temple construction and the its opening have been reported by him.
He reports all developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir Trust.
He covers state BJP, Industrial development department, outstation political assignments, reports special cases from district court, high court and state information commission
