India’s temples have been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons – Tirupati and Sabarimala rocked by scandals, a rathyatra tragedy at Jagannath Puri – and now, the Ayodhya Ram Mandir is embroiled in allegations of theft by insiders. Admitting the absence of professional supervision, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will now scout for a CEO.

Ram Mandir, inaugurated in Jan 2024, drew over 160mn visitors that year alone and became India’s most visited attraction, ahead of the Taj Mahal. Searches for pilgrimage hotels in Ayodhya rose more than 500% year-on-year. Ujjain and Mathura saw similar surges.

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