Ayodhya set to become India’s busiest temple, see how others like Golden Temple fare

Jan 25, 2024

By: Katya Naidu

Credit: IANS

Ayodhya’s tourism potential

Religious tourism is big in India. Most temples attract tens of millions of visitors in spite of infrastructure bottlenecks. Ayodhya which has its own airport apart from newly built hotels may attract 50 million tourists per annum, estimates Jefferies.

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The template of Ayodhya

The $10 billion makeover is now set to transform the ancient city from a sleepy town to a global religious and spiritual tourist hotspot, says Jefferies.

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Religious tourism: Big Biz

Around 80-100 million people visit five most popular temples in India, every year. In comparison, top five monuments including Taj Mahal, Red Fort etc draw 10-15 million tourists per year.

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Golden Temple, Punjab

Amritsar’s Golden Temple attracts the most visitors at around 30-35 million per annum. The temple also receives as much as $10-15 million in collections.

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Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh

The Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati also brings 25-30 million visitors per year. His collections however are much higher at around $140-150 million per year.

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Jagannath Puri, Odisha

The Lord Jagannath of Puri which is known for its ‘beating heart of Krishna’ attracts 15-20 million tourists every year. It gets as much $20-25 million in collections.

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Vaishno Devi, J&K

Vaishno Devi, considered a manifestation of goddess Mahalakshmi, sits on top of a hill in Jammu. In spite of its rough terrain, 7-8 million people make the tough climb every year. It also makes $50-60 million in collections.

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Ajmer Sharif, Rajasthan

The location of a Sufi Tomb of saint, Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti, also attracts 7-8 million tourists every year.

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Ayodhya: Air & land

​As per Jefferies report, both Tripuati and Vaishno Devi have poor air connectivity as well as limited pan-India hotel chains. Ayodhya however has both air connectivity and has 17 hotels including Indian Hotels, Marriot etc.

Credit: IANS

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