At night, the city of Ayodhya in northern India glows. Revered in Hindu mythology as the birthplace of Rama, Ayodhya has long been central to the country’s religious and political imagination. In 1992, the demolition of the centuries-old Babri Masjid by Hindu nationalist mobs triggered nationwide riots and deeply altered India’s secular foundations.

Today Ayodhya is the centerpiece of India’s temple revival. The newly built Ram Mandir, a grand Hindu temple constructed on the ruins of the demolished mosque and opened in January 2024, now dominates the city’s skyline. Its sandstone spires are lit by floodlights that cast long shadows over a city reimagined through memory, myth, and stone.

Pilgrims walk along the Ram Path, a broad state-funded corridor that leads to the temple. They pass murals, LED screens, uniform shop fronts, and widened roads. Older homes and businesses have been cleared to make way for polished facades and controlled movement. The government presents this as development and beautification. It is billed as a fusion of ancient faith with digital efficiency, a model for India’s Smart Cities Mission.