THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Tour operators in Kerala are flooded with calls from believers following the opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Many in the industry said the sudden spurt in demand has driven up prices of existing tour packages to Ayodhya. At the same time, the lack of proper connectivity is a problem for tour operators who are struggling to meet the demand.
“We have been getting hundreds of enquiries since the date of the Ram temple’s opening was announced,” said Gayathri Narendran of Vivekananda Tours and Travels. “Business had been down the past six months as bookings were few what with clients awaiting the temple’s opening. Besides existing tour packages to Allahabad-Kashi-Gaya, we introduced special packages to Ayodhya. All are now sold out till May,” she said, adding that the cost of packages has risen by Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000.
“We have been doing business in Varanasi sector for over 50 years and vendors there have hiked the rates,” she said. The packages cost anywhere from Rs 9,000 to Rs 20,000. It is learnt the airfare in Varanasi sector has also gone up following heavy demand. Meanwhile, tour operators are coming up with new packages to Ayodhya to cope up with the rush. Vishnu Satheesan of Moksha Tours and Travels said they are carefully curating tour package for a hassle-free trip to Ayodhya. “We don’t want to launch the package immediately as summer is harsh in UP. We will launch the package after March. Also, it will be better if we launch it after the initial rush is over,” he said.
Connectivity continues to be a major concern as Kerala has very few trains to Ayodhya. “Accessibility is a major concern. Hence, people are booking packages well in advance. Train reservations to Ayodhya open four months in advance. A section of people wants to visit Ayodhya immediately while the other wants to go after the initial rush. People will have to plan the trip at least six to seven months ahead. For the next three years, the Ayodhya-Varanasi circuit will be one of the most sought-after spiritual destinations for Malayalis,” Gayathri said.
PRASHAD scheme
The Tourism Ministry introduced the PRASHAD scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) in 2014-15 to enhance people’s religious tourism experience. The Guruvayoor temple in Thrissur is one of the pilgrimage sites identified in Kerala.
India Tourism assistant director M Narendran said they have given funds to state tourism departments to scale up infrastructure at the selected sites.
“We launched the project due to growing footfall at the sites. Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are the major pilgrim destinations. There are no big Ram temples in India; Ayodhya is the first and people will want to experience it. Those visiting Varanasi and Rameswaram will definitely plan a trip to Ayodhya,” he said.
Narendran said connectivity and other associated infrastructure will come up gradually based on demand.
UP best in winter
The best time to visit Uttar Pradesh is during the winter season, which lasts from October to early March. At the time, the temperatures range from 8 degrees Celsius to 24 degrees Celsius. The summer season (March to June) in UP is harsh with daytime temperature going up to 45 degrees Celsius.