Pilgrims flock to Ayodhya: Surging demand spurs threefold airfare increase from Bengaluru to Ayodhya

Ahead of the scheduled inauguration of the Ram temple on January 22 in Ayodhya, a substantial number of pilgrims from Bengaluru are rushing to visit the sacred town in Uttar Pradesh. This surge is evident from the threefold increase in airfares to Ayodhya, based on searches across various travel platforms leading up to the inauguration. Ayodhya, along with Varanasi, has emerged as the most sought-after destination on travel platforms for check-ins on January 19, 20, and 21.

Currently, there are no direct flights connecting Bengaluru and Ayodhya. The introduction of Air India Express direct flights (tri-weekly) is slated to commence on January 17, with non-stop flights on January 17 and 18 priced between ₹6,600 and ₹8,799.

For the period between January 17 and 22, fares range from ₹12,134 to ₹24,282, albeit with a limited number of available seats.

Indigo is another airline providing flight services to Ayodhya from Bengaluru, but these are connecting flights with layovers in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, resulting in travel times spanning six to nine hours. While fares for flights on January 16 range from ₹11,558 to ₹13,301, fares for travel between January 19 and 20 vary from ₹22,400 to ₹29,669.

Sai Aadesh of GT Holidays revealed to The Hindu "There has been a more than 100% increase in domestic flight searches week on week for Ayodhya since the launch of the new airport. We are also witnessing a more than 60% week-on-week increase in train travel searches. Following the surge in demand for cultural and spiritual hubs like Varanasi and Prayagraj in 2023, we anticipate a similar upswing for Ayodhya with the inauguration of the temple."

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