Commerce meets communion with god

Ayodhya residents turn to homestay concept to make a living, with the opening of the Ram temple in January bringing tourism opportunities.

Asutosh Singh, 41, lost his job as a business manager in a private firm in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I saw the toughest of times with no income, with even close relatives turning me away,” he says. His wife, who works in a school, has been supporting the family.

He is now hopeful of a substantial income, after sensing a tourism opportunity in his hometown, Ayodhya, with the opening of the Ram temple in January. “Now, I can support my family like I used to, with three rooms in my house certified under the homestay concept,” he says, adding that many people are considering it a potentially good source of income. His home is located less than 500 metres away from the temple.

Mr. Singh is among the few hundred residents of Ayodhya who have registered a portion of their house under the homestay concept over the last couple of months, and are expecting to make a handsome income as the Ram temple nears completion. “I am currently earning ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 a month, but that will increase after January 22 [after the consecration],” Mr. Singh says.

Anticipating the massive influx of devotees, the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) and local administration conceived of the homestay idea in August 2023. Through an application process, local homeowners will be awarded certification or accreditation allowing tourists to stay in the same house as them, or a separate portion, while fulfilling basic parameters.

“We invite applicants who fulfil our basic requirement of documentation and our checklist of basic amenities. After that, an audit of the property is conducted, and individuals meeting the specifications are given approval by the ADA and district administration, and subsequently registered on U.P. Tourism’s Holy Ayodhya app,” says Rakesh Kumar Singh, a consultant at ADA, in-charge of homestays.

The necessary checklist requires 14 basic amenities, including beds with clean linen, a toilet, CCTV cameras, private parking, and newspaper delivery. The checklist for the bathroom includes items like buckets, mugs, a geyser, wash basin, mirror and hair dryer, among others.

Presently, 160 properties on the Holy Ayodhya app are open for booking, while an equal number have been listed by owners on private online platforms. Roughly 500 people have applied for accreditation, with some applications still being processed.