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INSIGHT
20 TRAVELBIZ MONITOR FEBRUARY, 2024
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Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir

A New Vista for Religious Tourism

hether referred to as Spiritual places, monuments, and festivals. They come
Tourism, Religious Tourism, to witness the divine splendour, to feel the
or a Sacred Journey, this Religious tourism spiritual energy, and to partake in the rituals
Wsector of tourism in India has has surged in the country, and traditions that have been passed down for
gained significant momentum following the centuries,” Mayal opined.
inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya particularly post-Covid. According to the latest statistics, religious
last month. While it may seem that this Experts anticipate that the tourism in India is set to reach new heights
development will primarily boost domestic inauguration of the Ram Temple in 2024, especially after the grand opening
tourism, its impact is not limited to that; of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, which is
it is expected to influence the inbound will accelerate this growth, as an expected to attract millions of devotees
tourism sector as well, albeit with varying increasing number of travellers every year. “The temple, a symbol of faith
magnitudes. and resilience, stands on the banks of the
Jefferies (an investment bank) predicts seek to include religious Sarayu River, where Lord Ram is believed to
that the South Asian country, home to the destinations in their holiday have been born. Other sacred sites, such as
world’s largest Hindu population, could the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, the Mahakal
witness a substantial increase in tourist plans, writes Corridor, the Tirupati Temple, and the Vaishno
numbers, ranging from 50 million to 100 Prasenjit Chakraborty. Devi Temple, are also witnessing a surge in
million annually, following the inauguration popularity and accessibility among tourists,”
of the new Ram Mandir in the northern city of she said. These places offer a glimpse of the
Ayodhya. This projected influx to the temple Pradesh, drawing 25 million visitors annually, diverse and vibrant expressions of Hinduism,
is anticipated to surpass the yearly visitors and the Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu and from the ancient to the modern, from the
to iconic landmarks such as the Taj Mahal Kashmir, attracting 8 million visitors per year. serene to the ecstatic.
in India (6.5 million), Vatican City in Rome Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI, said that Religious tourism is not only a lucrative
(9 million), and Mecca in Saudi Arabia (20 religious tourism, or the sacred journey and employment-generating sector for the
million), as indicated in the report. of the soul, is one of the oldest and most country, but also a catalyst for social harmony,
The investment bank also highlighted profound forms of tourism in India. “The cultural exchange, and national integration.
the strong spiritual, historical, and cultural country, a kaleidoscope of cultures and faiths, As India emerges as a global pilgrimage
significance of other religious sites in India, beckons millions of pilgrims and seekers hotspot, it also faces some challenges,
such as the Tirupati Temple in Andhra every year, who flock to its various holy such as ensuring the safety and security

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