With the Ram Mandir finally becoming a reality, residents of the twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad want the region to be peaceful again and get the much-needed boost in terms of infrastructure and employment in the years to come. The towns have rarely fought on communal grounds, but what has affected them the most is a long-standing feud between the outsiders, who had larger interests than the locals.

mid-day spoke to some residents from both the communities and observers ahead of the mandir's bhoomi pujan today. All of them welcomed the initiative but some questioned the timing of the ceremony and the purpose behind it.