With a guest list of over 10,000, the event will witness the presence of not only business tycoons but also notable personalities from the entertainment, sports, politics, faith, public life, and arts sectors.
According to an ET report, Sanjiv Mehta, former CEO of Hindustan Unilever (HUL), expressed his excitement about the event, describing it as a significant day for Hindus and Indians alike. “I really look forward to the event. It is a big day for all Hindus and for Indians. For me, it is a spiritual trip as a Hindu,” Mehta was quoted as saying.
Mehta, along with other business leaders such as Anil Agarwal of Vedanta Group, Ajay Piramal of Piramal Enterprises, Gautam Singhania of Raymond Group, and Venu Srinivasan, chairman emeritus of TVS, is among the guests invited to the ceremony by the temple trust.
Bharat Forge’s Baba Kalyani, Amit Kalyani, Emcure Pharmaceuticals’ CEO and MD Satish Mehta, and L&T CMD SN Subrahmanyam are also included in the guest list.
A top leader of a prominent Indian conglomerate said that receiving the invitation from the trust was a deeply emotional experience.
“The Ayodhya Temple has been a place of faith and spiritual importance for Hindus since time immemorial. And it has always been on my ‘must-visit’ list,” the tycoon was quoted as saying by the financial daily.
Extensive security arrangements have been put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the event. Hotels in Ayodhya have been fully booked, and strict protocols have been established for the participation of sadhus, VIPs, and VVIPs. Each invitee has received a detailed invitation letter, which emphasizes that it is strictly a ‘one-card-one-person’ invite.
Many business magnates intend to utilize private aircraft to travel to Ayodhya and are expected to choose the Radisson, among other prominent hotels in the temple town, for accommodation.
According to a government official overseeing the arrangements, the definitive accommodation choices for the VVIPs will be made nearer to the date.
To accommodate the anticipated arrival of around 100 planes during the ceremony, preparations are being made for airstrips in Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, and Azamgarh. This highlights the scale of the celebrations and the significance of the event.
It is noteworthy that L&T, India’s largest engineering company, has undertaken the design and construction of the temple without any charges.
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Additionally, the UP Housing and Development Board has invited bids from interested parties for an auction of hotel plots in Ayodhya, indicating the growing interest from major hotel chains to capitalize on the tourism boom. With the upcoming opening of the airport and the temple, the demand for accommodation in Ayodhya is expected to surge from FY25.
