A BJP flag flutters amid demolished house in Ayodhya.
Ayodhya: Poetic Justice And Politics In The Land Of Ram
The BJP losing the Faizabad constituency, which houses the Ram mandir, shocked many across the country. But the story of Ayodhya isn't just the story of the temple alone. It's also the story of many homes and shops destroyed on the revamped Ram Janmabhoomi Path, leaving the locals ravaged, forcing many to leave the town. It's also the story of the numerous barricades overwhelming Ayodhya, putting it under a state of "permanent curfew". It's also the story of many villagers who are worried that the government will "snatch their lands"—at meagre prices—to build a new ring road. And finally, it's also the story of the Muhammad Bin Abdullah mosque, the Babri Masjid's replacement, whose construction hasn't even begun. Amid so many troubles, with almost no one hearing their complaints, the people of the Faizabad constituency had just one chance, their only chance: making their votes talk.
Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
Cutout of Lord Ram and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in front of Temple in Ayodhya.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
Mohammed Bin Abdullah Masjid at Dhannipur in Ayodhya.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
A series of barricades, Ayodhya's new ubiquitous symbols.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
A shopkeeper in Hanuman Gadhi, Ayodhya.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
Devotees at the Ram ki Paidi at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
Gaya Prasad Rawat with his family in her house in the Sanethu Laxmanpur village, Ayodhya.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
Priests perform evening prayers on the banks of river Sarayu in Ayodhya.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
A demolished house in Ayodhya.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
A demolished house in Ayodhya.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
A demolished house in Ayodhya.
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Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook
A shopkeeper in Hanuman Gadhi, Ayodhya.
