The BS Morning Show

All eyes are on Ayodhya today. The Ram Temple is all decked up, waiting for the consecration ceremony by a battery of priests led by an elderly Kashi Acharya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the ‘Jajman’ or chief guest at the event -- which will be witnessed by millions. And many of them will soon embark on a journey to seek blessings from the deity. The tiny temple city will soon turn into a mega pilgrimage spot. But what does it mean for the future of religious tourism?  After the temple inauguration, the next big event that will be keenly watched is the tabling of the interim budget. General elections are near, and there are expectations that the government may loosen its purse strings for welfare schemes. Even as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has ruled out any such “spectacular announcements”. In the third edition of our special series on interim budget, Bhaswar Kumar speaks to experts to find out if welfarism will indeed get a further boost? And if yes, will it impact fiscal discipline?  Financial market too is eagerly waiting for the interim budget. It has its wish list ready. But right now, it looks like all the roads are leading to Ayodhya. Hopes of a tourism-led economic boom have also seen stocks of travel and hospitality companies shoot up in recent weeks. So, should you join this rally or wait as valuations may test the optimism?  An IMD forecast says that Ayodhya is likely to be sunny today, during the inauguration of the temple. But rest of the north India is still reeling under fog and cold wave. Hundreds of flights have either been cancelled, or are being delayed at the Delhi airport -- which will soon open its second CAT III- B runway. But what is this landing system? How does it help aircraft land during foggy conditions? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.