Ayodhya is excited about the Navratri festivities after setting up the Ram Lalla idol. Nearby, Varanasi has a surprising number of visitors. Uttar Pradesh recognizes this as a chance to boost spiritual tourism. The state’s latest projects focus on strengthening its tourism and economy. They want to share their deep-rooted cultural legacy.
With the dedication of the Ram Lalla idol earlier this year, plans are underway to make the first Navratri celebration at the Ayodhya temple a spectacular and historic event. It is anticipated that a sizable number of religious travelers from all around the nation will attend the event. In only the month of March, Varanasi had a record-breaking 95.63 lakh pilgrims.
Millions of devotees are flooding into Uttar Pradesh’s major holy tourist destinations, Varanasi, Mathura, and Ayodhya, as summer holidays begin and long before the festivals of Ram Navami and Navratri. In March, a record-breaking 95.63 lakh pilgrims descended to Varanasi alone in search of Kashi Vishwanath’s blessings.
With the dedication of the Ram Lalla idol earlier this year, plans are underway to make the first Navratri celebration at the Ayodhya temple a spectacular and historic event. It is anticipated that a sizable number of religious travelers from all around the nation will attend the event.
This kind of big affair usually takes place in Kashi Vishwanath during the month of Sawan. Similar to this, at Ayodhya, during the month of March, almost two lakh people visited Hanumangarhi and the recently built Ram Mandir every day. The influx of visitors to Mathura-Vrindavan started fifteen days before the Holi festival and hasn’t let up. In fact, pilgrims are now looking for lodging in Agra since there aren’t enough rooms in the ashrams, hotels, or guesthouses.
Through these efforts, the official hopes to bring about a comprehensive transition in which tourism promotes community empowerment and development in addition to facilitating cross-cultural interactions and economic expansion.
Considering the large number of people visiting Ram Lalla in Ayodhya for darshan, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of planes departing from the newly opened airport. As of right now, Ayodhya is home to 24 daily flights, some of which are operated twice a week and others four times, including services to Hyderabad that started this week. Since earlier, there have been flights to Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and other locations.
Currently, Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi has the most visitors of any religious tourist destination in Uttar Pradesh. The number of visitors to Varanasi has significantly increased since the new corridor was built.
Furthermore, there has been a noticeable increase in the Kashi Vishwanath Temple’s contributions. contributions ended the fiscal year on March 31 with a total of INR 83.34 crores, up 42.43 percent from the 2022–2023 fiscal year, when contributions were at INR 58.51 crores. Donations up to the fiscal year 2019–20 were around INR 26 crores prior to the corridor’s completion.
The temple administration reports that contributions in March alone amounted to INR 11.14 crores, the biggest sum for a single month, shattering all prior records. This suggests a resurgence of pilgrimage travel after the epidemic and a persistent spiritual ardor among followers.
The state’s religious tourist destinations are seeing an unheard-of increase in visitors, suggesting that pilgrimage travel has resumed after the epidemic and that followers remain steadfastly spiritually devoted.
High hopes were held for the effects of recent construction projects, such as the Mathura-Vrindavan Corridor, the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, and the recently built Ram Lalla Temple, according to Prakhar Mishra, Director of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
“We are expecting a significant surge of tourists prior to the festive season begins. The newly constructed Ram Lalla Temple, the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, and the Mathura-Vrindavan Corridor will not only attract tourists from all corners of the country but also significantly boost local markets, particularly those associated with the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative,”
Prakhar Mishra
The official went on to say that these initiatives would break previous records for the number of tourists who come to Uttar Pradesh, bringing with them travelers who are eager to discover the state’s rich cultural and religious legacy.
“Furthermore, the enhanced connectivity and amenities provided by these developments are expected to create a ripple effect in the local economy, leading to increased demand for locally produced goods and services. This, in turn, is projected to generate a surge in employment opportunities, providing indirect livelihoods to the local populace,
Prakhar Mishra
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