Temple promised by BJP transforms Indian city but Muslims, some locals feel neglected

Devotees pray inside the Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya, India, November 23, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

AYODHYA, India (Reuters) - In this northern Indian city once marred by communal tensions, labourers are finalizing a $6 billion infrastructure facelift ahead of the opening of a grand Hindu temple that is igniting an economic boom - which some of Ayodhya's poor and its Muslim community say is passing them by.

City officials expect about 4.5 million tourists a month - more than Ayodhya's entire population of 3 million - once the first stage of Ram Mandir, as the temple is known, opens on Jan. 22 inside a sprawling complex of carved pink sandstone and white marble.