New Delhi: With hotels in and around Ayodhya packed to capacity ahead of Ram Temple's consecration, even VIP invitees are unable to find accommodation.
Actor Sunil Lahri, who played the role of Laxman in Ramanand Sagar's superhit television serial Ramayan, expressed his disappointment over not getting an accommodation.
Lahri, along with actors Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia who played the roles of Lord Ram and Sita in the serial, have received the invitation for the January 22 event from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The trio was in Ayodhya on January 16 for the shooting of a ‘bhajan' which will be released on January 22. “We had shot the scenes of the ‘bhajan' on the streets of Ayodhya. I went to Ayodhya two years ago for a shooting and it looks completely changed now. The city has changed a lot. The entire city is painted in religion,” said Lahri.
“I have received the invitation, but the only problem is that I am not able to get a room in the hotel there. All the hotels are booked in Ayodhya,” he said, adding that almost all the hotels are booked.
Lahri said his flight is confirmed but there is no surety about accommodation. “Due to Lord Ram's grace, I have received an invitation for the consecration ceremony. I hope I will get accommodation as well,” he added.
While hotels in Ayodhya are booked to capacity till January 23, hoteliers say they are expecting the bookings to shoot up by 90 per cent even after the ceremony.
“We are booked till January 23. The bookings are 100 per cent presently till January 23 and after the consecration, we are expecting a 70-90 per cent jump in the bookings till March. Presently, only invitees for the consecration ceremony have been invited. So hotels across Ayodhya are booked with only invitees,” said Shyam Sharam, a manager at AP Palace Hotels, Ayodhya.
Pradeep Thakur from Kamay Kohinoor Palace hotel in Ayodhya said they are booked from January 15 to 22. “Our hotel is expecting a promising shoot-up of the business by 50 per cent even after the consecration ceremony,” he said.
UP Hotels Association joint secretary Shyam Krishnani said that the demand for hotels would surge till mid of March.
