Opinion A temple completed is a milestone in a new sacred geography

Ayodhya is not alone. Across India, corridors are being built, expanded, consecrated. The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi enlarged the temple precinct, restored smaller shrines, and reconnected the site to the Ganga. The Mahakal Lok Corridor in Ujjain extended the temple area dramatically, with storytelling elements engraved in pathways and murals.

In the Union Budget 2024-25, corridors for Vishnupad Temple (Gaya) and the Mahabodhi Temple (Bodh Gaya) were announced — signalling that this is not piecemeal temple-building but a coordinated vision of sacred infrastructure.

What is distinctive now in UP is how corridors will link to the completion of the Ram Temple. The newly widened Ram Path, Bhakti Path, Dharma Path and associated road networks frame a pilgrim’s journey not as a path through congestion, but as a procession through purpose-crafted space. These are narrative highways: Every turn, vista, walkway will carry meaning.

UP is staking a unique claim, not just as a centre of Hindu pilgrimage but as an axis where multiple streams of India’s spiritual heritage converge. Alongside the Ramayana circuit lies the Buddhist circuit — Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Kaushambi, and others.

With Rs 4,200 crore earmarked for this Buddhist circuit, UP is sending a clear message: This is a land where Rama and Buddha speak to the world. The infrastructure, amenities, and outreach are being built not just for domestic pilgrims, but for global seekers. The effect? A state that is not merely religiously rich, but spiritually plural and globally connected.

What does a spiritual capital feel like? It isn’t just about temples; it’s about the journey. The path a pilgrim walks will now be as intentional as the shrine they reach.

In Ayodhya, roads are being expanded to four lanes, new hotels are rising, and planning anticipates international arrivals. The Buddhist circuit, too, is being equipped with global-standard facilities and collaborative promotion. The Mahakal Lok Corridor, 900 metres long, is an example of storytelling in stone — scenes from the Shiva Purana painted in murals along the way.

A completed temple and robust corridors aren’t just spiritual; they are engines of regeneration. The influx of devotees spurs hospitality, transport, handicrafts, local business — all part of the resurfacing of old towns.

UP’s vision is bold: That devotion can be a catalyst for livelihoods, that heritage can be a framework for rejuvenation. With the temple’s completion, that vision acquires credibility. What follows will be whether that economic uplift travels deep into local communities and respects the cultural threads already living in these towns.

With construction complete, the focus shifts from making to sustaining. The Dhwaj ceremony marks the transition from building to being. The corridors will no longer just lead to the temple — they will be part of its life.

UP’s new tourism and pilgrim policy shows how sacred infrastructure is being positioned for the future. Heritage is being reimagined for global access. Myth is not bound to the past — it is being recrafted for a new India.

As the flag is raised on November 25, I invite every pilgrim and citizen to come not just to see, but to feel. Walk the Ram Path. Pause in the courtyards. Sense how architecture, light and ritual come together. Let your consciousness join the pilgrimage — not just outward, but inward. When you visit Sarnath or Kushinagar, carry the awareness that this land is being woven anew — with stories ancient and contemporary. As you traverse corridors and circuits, know you inhabit a moment where India is constructing its sacred geography for a new era.

Kala is a writer, including of the novel, Almost Single