Ever since the inauguration of Ram Mandir, Ayodhya has become a hot spot for travellers. From direct flights to special trains to more hotels, the city has seen it all in the last couple of months. However, it seems like the rush to Ayodhya is dying down. Tourism in the city is declining and that has caused SpiceJet to halt direct flights and the railways to cease special trains to Ayodhya. But, why has the rush to Ayodhya died down? Read on to know more about this.
Tourism Decline In Ayodhya Leads To Reduction In Flight & Train Services
The wave of religious tourism in Ayodhya seems to be faltering, especially over the last couple of weeks. Special buses and train services from many states have been ceased or cut back. SpiceJet has also halted direct flights from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Patna to Ayodhya due to a decline in passenger flow.
According to a report in The Free Press Journal, the Astha Special trains that were introduced for pilgrims, have been discontinued due to declining demand. However, it is to be noted that about 35 normal trains continue to arrive daily at Ayodhya Dham and Ayodhya Cantt stations. They bring approximately 28,000 passengers daily to the religious city. While these trains remain full, the overall demand for trains towards Ayodhya has seen a decline.
While talking to The Free Press Journal, Ram Janmabhoomi trustee Anil Mishra said that this decline can be attributed to the intense heat experienced over the past month. He further expressed that once the weather conditions improve in the region, the tourist influx will also rise in the city.
Data Shows Significant Drop In Number Of Visitors In Summer
From January to March, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya saw 1.5 lakh devotees every day. The surge in the number of devotees in Ayodhya can be greatly attributed to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in January. The tourist footfall in Ayodhya, however, started dropping in April. As per data shared by The Free Press Journal, around one lakh devotees visited the Ram Mandir daily from April to May. These figures dropped to 60,000 to 80,000 between May and June.
As per the hoteliers in Ayodhya, there is a decline in business as well. Most of the crowd in the city right now consists of locals from neighbouring districts. This means fewer overnight stays and less hotel occupancy. The Free Press Journal report further highlights that there is a rise in tourists from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, and Kerala, despite the declining trend.
Local businesses and hoteliers believe the decline is due to the adverse heatwave-like conditions in the region. They are hopeful that a rebound will happen in the next few months. What are your thoughts on tourism in Ayodhya? Let us know in the comments!
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikipedia
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