When Lord Ram arrives at his grand abode in Ayodhya on January 22, it is likely to throw up a billion-dollar question. Will the Mariyada Purushottam become the wealthiest god leaving behind Tirupati Balaji, the richest thus far? Or will Lord Venkateswara retain the crown? While Tirupati Balaji’s net worth stands at an estimated Rs 2.5 lakh crores (as per the white paper released by TTD in 2022) with over a lakh of devotees visiting the holiest shrine in southern India everyday, the magnificent Ram mandir in Ayodhya could change the dynamics. There are other temples in the country too that are wealthy but nothing comes close to Tirupati Balaji, so far. As per estimates, about three lakh people are likely to visit Ayodhya everyday, post the inauguration on January 22. The numbers might remain more or less the same, depending on auspicious days.
Matter of Faith
Shree Jee Ramen Yogi Maharaj feels Lord Venkateshwara will always be influential from the point of view of wealth, because in the eyes of the devotees he is miraculous. He says the newly constructed Ram temple is a symbol of our national faith. “Ayodhya is being developed afresh, in which all the basic facilities related to world-class tourism are being developed.
It is going to be a grand temple just like Tirupati Balaji,” he says.
Yogi Maharaj says that while Ram is a symbol of national faith, there is no doubt that the number of visitors will increase for some time in the initial phase. “But it would be too early to say anything about the future,” he says. Talking about the Tirupati Balaji Temple, he says, is very ancient and historically a symbol of pure faith, which is viewed with reverence not only in India but throughout the world. “For the devotees, Tirupati Balaji is such a God who is miraculous and by whose mere darshan all kinds of wishes of the devotees get fulfilled. Devotees offer everything with devotion at his feet (hundi), that is why he is considered to be the richest God in the world till date,” he adds.
Spiritualism & Economics
Until the magnificent Ram temple was built, the Ram mandir used to receive donations anywhere between Rs 75 to 95 lakh per year. On an average, 12,000 to 15,000 people would visit Ram mandir everyday. The figure would double up during festivals and special occasions. But that is in the past. Now, the Ayodhya administration will be catering to about three lakh visitors everyday (post inauguration) if not more. The numbers are bound to shoot up drastically during festivals. Leave alone Indians, tourists from across the world are expected to pay a visit. “In Kaliyug, Lord Venkateswara is believed to be the direct abode of Vishnu, who is seen as the saviour of the sinners. This creates the possibility of a greater flow of money flowing into the temple hundi and wealth creation due to the faith and devotion of devotees,” says spiritual guru Govinda.
On the other hand, he says, Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu, sought to demonstrate to humans how to live according to dharma. “Thus, the Ayodhya temple, dedicated to Lord Rama, holds significance differently. It surely has a greater capacity to accommodate more devotees compared to Tirumala, allowing more and more people to have darshan. However, there is less expectation for monetary contributions to the temple in this context,” feels the spiritual guru.
Balaji is Lord Ram’s follower
The chief archak, priest of Chilkur Balaji temple CS Rangarajan feels Tirupati Balaji may still remain wealthier, but there is a huge following for Lord Ram. “Even the Suprabhatam of Balaji starts with Kausalya Supraja Rama Poorva Sandhya Pravarthathe....utthishta nara shaardoola karthavyam daiva mahnikam.... Even Balaji is Shri Rama’s follower,” he says. “Devotees mainly visit Tirumala to fulfill their vows or obeisances to the deity. But that might not be the case with Ayodhya,” feels Anand Sai, award-winning art director and chief designer for Yadagirigutta and Bhadrachalam Temples. Sai says it is tough to explain or compare the two of them when it comes to wealth. “Any new temple would attract a crowd or devotees only if there are proper facilities and infrastructure. Both the shrines are ultimately the incarnations of Lord Vishnu but then the purpose of visit to the temples would be totally different,” Sai says.
For example, says Anand, Tirumala has been attracting crowds for years as it has a sthala puranam and the Lord himself being called Apada mokkulavadu, Vaddi Kaasulavaadu. The same way people might as well visit Ayodhya for its sthala puranam. But you really cannot predict or compare the crowd this early,” he says.
He cites the example of Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple of Yadadri, which is attracting the crowd more these days after the infrastructure was developed.
“People started visiting more to have a look at the recently built structures,” adds Anand Sai. Will Lord Ram give a tough “competition” to other gods, in terms of wealth? That only time will tell!
Entry By Invitation Only
Meanwhile, social media is abuzz with Who’s Invited and Who’s Not for the grand opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The 6,000 invitation cards for the great consecration ceremony of ‘Ram Lalla’ have been sent to invitees from all around the country. “It will be something magical and a historic moment. I am very blessed that I could play Sita ji in Ramayan serial. It has been a very divine experience to be a part of something as magical as Ramayan. So I think we have all been very blessed,” says Dipika Chikhlia, the Ramayan serial actor. Here’s a sneak peek at who all have been invited.
Politicians: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, HD Deve Gowda, BJP veteran LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh.
Sportsmen: Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar
Celebrities: Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Chiranjeevi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Dhanush, Mohanlal, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Rishab Shetty, Kangana Ranaut, Madhur Bhandarkar, Tiger Shroff, Ajay Devgn, Prabhas, Yash, Sunny Deol, Ayushmann Khurrana, Arun Govil, Deepika Chikhalia Topiwala, and Jackie Shroff.
Industrialists: Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Ratan Tata and Gautam Adani.
Gen-Z of Bhajans
A new generation of Bhajan singers, known as Gen-Z are singing tunes of Lord Ram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised Swasti Mehul, Jubin Nautiyal, Hansraj Raghuwanshi, and Swati Mishra for their captivating devotional music. Classical singer Jashan Bhumkar says, “The advent of a new generation singing devotional songs to Lord Ram could be inspired by a variety of circumstances. It could indicate a cultural continuity in which younger generations find meaning and connection in ancient traditions. The surge could be ascribed to a desire for spiritual discovery as well as a growing interest in cultural and religious traditions. Social media and digital platforms may also help to popularise such professions of devotion among younger audiences.”
DIVINE DARSHAN
The live broadcast of the consecration event will be across India at booth level
It will also be live-streamed at the historic Times Square in New York City
PRECIOUS GIFTS
A Surat-based diamond trader has created a necklace inspired by the Ram Temple with over 5,000 American diamonds. The artist aims to give this outstanding work as a gift to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
lThe five-foot-long arrow (Ajay Baan) is made of gold, silver, copper, brass, and iron. It weighs 11.5 kg and is made in Ahmedabad.
A Sri Lankan delegation visited Ayodhya and presented a rock from the historic Ashok Vatika to Ramjanmabhoomi. Sita was held hostage in Ashok Vatika, a major garden from Ravan’s dominion during the Treta Yug period.
1,00,000 laddoos from Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam
Tirupati Balaji may still remain wealthier but there is a huge following for Lord Ram. “Even the Suprabhatam of Balaji starts with Kausalya Supraja Rama Poorva.... Even Balaji is Shri Rama’s follower. CS Rangarajan, chief archak, priest of Chilkur Balaji temple
Ayodhya is being developed afresh, in which all the basic facilities related to world-class tourism are being developed. It is going to be a grand temple just like Tirupati Balaji. Shree Jee Ramen Yogi Maharaj, spiritual guru
Any new temple would attract a crowd or devotees only if there are proper facilities and infrastructure. Both the shrines are ultimately the incarnations of Lord Vishnu but then the purpose of visit to the temples would be totally different. Anand Sai, art director and chief designer for Yadagirigutta
The Invitation Card
The invitation cards are sophisticated works of art that perfectly complement the grandeur of the temple. It features an imposing image of both the edifice and a very youthful Lord Ram. Each invitation set includes the primary invitation card, the Pran Pratishtha programme card, and a booklet that describes the history of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, as well as the names of those who played a direct or indirect role in it. The main card’s cover features an image of the impending Ram temple, followed by the words: Shree Ram Dham and Ayodhya.
