Stay tuned with us to get the latest breaking news and tourism updates on Ayodhya Dham and the newly built Ram Temple. Ayodhya is a popular sacred city in Uttar Pradesh, known as the birthplace of Lord Rama.
Millions of Hindus worldwide celebrated when the Supreme Court of India, in 2019, granted permission for the construction of the Ram Mandir at this holy site, following years of court battles and political disputes. On August 5, 2020, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of the temple, and it was inaugurated on January 22, 2024.
The grandeur of Maha Kumbh Mela happening in Prayagraj, is fueling a surge in religious tourism in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Chaitrakoot and other proximate cities.
The world’s largest religious gathering is expected to draw around 40 crore visitors. Due to which Ayodhya’s status as a pilgrimage destination is anticipated to perpetuate massive growth through 2025.
The divine influence of Maha Kumbh Mela, coupled with spiritual, astrological, cultural and social significance is magnetizing millions of international pilgrims, dignitaries and devoted tourists from all over the world.
Maha Kumbh Mela, a once in 144 years extravaganza, makes it a rarest of the rare spectacle. Transcending all sorts of boundaries, and bringing people together from all walks of life, amplifying a sense of unity and brotherhood. Which additionally will not only boost the local economy but also help fame Ayodhya’s authentic identity.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, starting in January 2025, is expected to bring a threefold increase in the number of tourists to Ayodhya each day. Many devotees attending the Maha Kumbh, who have not been able to visit Ayodhya until now, may finally get on their long-anticipated journey to the city, as it is only 160 kilometers away from Prayagraj.
The authorities in Ayodhya are expecting 10 percent of Maha Kumbh's attendees to reach Ayodhya afterward to seek the blessings of Ram Lalla. With an anticipated 25 crore attendees at the Maha Kumbh, Ayodhya is expected to receive 2.5 to 3 crore tourists concurrently between January 13th and February 12th.
Presently, Ayodhya records 1.5 to 2 lakh people daily. However, when the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj begins, this number is expected to rise by about three times. During the one month of the Maha Kumbh, from Paush Poornima (January 13) to Maghi Poornima (February 12), devotees are likely to complete their visit to Ayodhya to worship Lord Ram in the grand Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
Considering the expected huge rush, authorities have been preparing to manage the influx. Arrangements such as a Tent City and Rain Baseras (night shelters) with bonfires are being set up in Ayodhya. The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is poised to be a historic event for both Prayagraj and Ayodhya.
As the year 2024 draws to an end, Ayodhya has become the most popular tourist place in Uttar Pradesh, surpassing the former topper Agra. Despite Agra's world-renowned stature, the newly consecrated Shri Ram Jamabhoomi Temple skyrocketed the surge of domestic tourists in Ayodhya, outdoing the Taj Mahal.
With religious tourism in Ayodhya under its cap, Uttar Pradesh matched last year's tourist count of 480 million in about 9 months. While Ayodhya alone attracted 13.5 crore (135 million) domestic and 3,153 international tourists, Agra missed its former first rank with a low of 11.59 crore (115.9 million) domestic and 924,000 international tourists count.
This data displays a significant inclination of domestic tourists towards pilgrimage tourism, in Ayodhya especially. It was the strong zeal among tourists to witness the Ayodhya Ram Temple firsthand that caused over a 70% total footfall increase in this religious city. Nevertheless, the number of international tourists in Ayodhya was much lower.
Though Ayodhya got the most talk for being the most visited destination, other spiritual places like Varanasi and Mathura received increased attention from travelers placing them among the top tourist destinations of Uttar Pradesh.
Also, in the near future, the 2025 Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj is going to be a momentous event, which will further register a boom in Uttar Pradesh tourism. The Kumbh Mela will be celebrated from 13 January to 26 February 2025.
The Tilakotsav ceremony, a pre-wedding event for Goddess Sita and Lord Ram's wedding, will be held on 18 November in Ayodhya for the first time after the consecration of Ram Janmabhoomi Temple early this year. Amidst the preparation, the temple trust announced that more than 250 individuals will reach Ayodhya from Janakpur, the birthplace of Goddess Sita in Nepal.
Tilakotsav is a significant event in Ram-Sita's Marriage Celebration every year in which Tilakharus and devotees visit Ayodhya, the groom's place. On 16th November, a convoy of three decorated trucks containing gifts and 100 private vehicles carrying 251 individuals will set out from Janakpur and arrive on 18th November in Ayodhya. In the Tilak ceremony, Tilakharus will put tilak (vermilion) and hand over gifts and other offerings to Ram Lalla.
In the same way, devotees from Ayodhya will leave for Janakpur on 26th November for the marriage of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, to be held on December 9.
Ayodhya, the birthplace of the Hindu God Ram, started witnessing an influx in religious tourism, especially after the consecration of the long-awaited Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya on 22 January 2024. Now this temple is not only one of the most visited places in Ayodhya but also the reason for the booming tourist count of Ayodhya.
According to the report by the state tourism department, Ayodhya is now the host of one-third of the tourist surge in Uttar Pradesh. From the total tourist count of 33 crores (330 million) in the state, Ayodhya welcomed approximately 11 crore (110 million) tourists. Among these 2,851 were international tourists. Interestingly, the total footfall of tourists in Uttar Pradesh in the year 2022, which was 31.8 crores, surpasses just the first half of the year. Ayodhya is now one of the favourite destinations for both domestic and international tourists.
Subsequently, Prayagraj and Mathura are the next popular tourist destinations which attracted 4.53 crore (45 million) and 3.07 crore (30 million) visitors until June-July 2024. Also, Agra, the city of Taj, has a count of 69.84 (6.9 million) lakh tourists in the same duration.
Furthermore, the government is planning to build all of the significant places on the Ram Van Gaman Path (exile path), places where Lord Ram visited and stayed during their 14 year exile period. After this tourist circuit is completed, it will be one of the biggest pilgrimage circuits in India.
