Art on streets, riverfront: What new Ayodhya might seem like

THE NEW Ayodhya might be an experiential metropolis, mixing the previous with the brand new, say these concerned in getting ready a blueprint for the masterplan.
Dikshu C Kukreja, Managing Principal, CP Kukreja Architects, says that in masterplans till now, street methods solely talked about 3m or 9m large roads, based mostly on want. “So far, we have only had a two-dimensional approach to masterplans in India. I’m proposing a three-dimensional one. Why can’t we have three types of 18m wide roads, where in some streets vehicles take precedence, some streets are only for pedestrians and cyclists and another 18m type where art programmes or other performances can be held. Such an idea hasn’t been executed before in India,” he says.
Delhi-based CP Kukreja Architects was chosen just lately to attract out a blueprint for the masterplan of Ayodhya, with two different companies, Canada-based infrastructure consultants Lea Associates and Indian conglomerate Larsen & Toubro.
The masterplan will embody methods on city planning, transport, infrastructure, heritage, tourism, city design and renewal. The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) launched a world tender in December final yr. While about 1,200 acre is recognized for a brand new, greenfield metropolis, the masterplan covers 875 sq km, which is beneath the ADA.
In their short- and long-term technique paperwork are concepts for a blue and inexperienced metropolis, says Kukreja. “It is not just about having sustainability goals but also having buildings that will play a supporting role to nature. Greenery will take precedence. As for the ‘blue’, it is about the river itself. The Sarayu has cultural and historical significance and we want to create a riverfront that will have possibilities for crafts and tourism,” he says.
“Since the city is an important stop on the darshan map, we hope to have quality public spaces. What if we can have places for cultural programmes every evening? There will be places where people can gather daily or they can gather weekly,” he says.

Even as they’re conscious that with the Ram Temple and the Ayodhya mosque, guests will arrive in hordes within the coming two years, there are plans to reinforce the transport infrastructure, present higher keep choices, which can imply investments into hospitality and scope to supply employment for various skill-based actions.
“We are also closely studying cities such as the Vatican and Venice. Not just for their religious significance but also in terms of how they preserved their identity and faced challenges of climate change. Among Indian cities, we are looking at Tirupati, Amritsar and Varanasi. How have they managed their infrastructure, and where have they faltered. These lessons will teach us what to do and what not to do,” says Kukreja.
“We are also going to explore vedic planning principles, in that our approach is not a conservative one, where everything is sacrosanct, but we believe that we have to respect history and yet make it progressive. Ayodhya can have the flavour of the 21st century, and not just one identity as it has now. Maybe it can have a world-class vedic university, where people from all over the world come to learn. History can become the anchor to revitalise the old city,” says Kukreja.