KOCHI: Despite the Centre announcing a 50% cut in airfares for those travelling to the Mahakumbh Mela, the Kochi-Prayagraj sector is witnessing a heavy rush of pilgrims with airfares continuing to soar over Rs 25,000 as the religious gathering enters its final phase.
“We have been witnessing heavy demand for the last two weeks, especially after a couple of Malayalam celebrities attended the event. Many Malayalis are now travelling to the festival, which will draw to a close on February 26, on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. We expect demand to continue till the penultimate day of the mela. Airfares on direct flights are hovering above Rs 25,000, instead of the normal Rs 8,000-10,000,” said a senior travel consultant with Akbar Travels of India Pvt Ltd.
Actor Jayasurya attended the gathering along with his family and shared moments from his “spiritual experience,” including taking a dip in the holy waters at the Triveni Sangam ghat, on social media. Actress Samyuktha Menon also shared pictures of herself taking a dip at the ghat in Prayagraj.
Only IndiGo and Air India operate flights from Kochi to Prayagraj, with at least one stopover. According to ticket booking site MakeMyTrip.com, the minimum fare on the sector for February 18 is Rs 43,414, while it’s Rs 27,592 the very next day.
Ticket fares are hovering above Rs 25,000 till February 25, while they are below Rs 10,000 from February 26 onwards. For instance, the ticket fare is only Rs 8,090 on February 28 for the IndiGo flight that leaves Kochi at 7.20am to arrive at Prayagraj at 3.55pm. It has a halt at Bengaluru.
The high prices are despite Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu announcing a 50% cut in airfares for passengers travelling to the Mahakumbh Mela from February 1. Airfares on the Kochi-Prayagraj sector had soared to over Rs 50,000 at the end of last month.
This forced many to travel from places like Coimbatore or opt for the time-consuming train travel.
“A lot of people are keen to attend, as this year’s Mahakumbh Mela is a once-in-a-144-year event due to the rare alignment of celestial bodies. Due to exorbitant airfares, my brother opted to book a flight from Coimbatore to Prayagraj via Hyderabad. I reached Ayodhya and took a Vande Bharat to Allahabad and another one to reach Varanasi. On my return, though, I got my hands on an air ticket at a reasonable rate,” said Harikrishnan Karanghat, a resident of Tripunithura. The brothers attended the gathering on February 7 and 8.
“There was a heavy rush even then. The Triveni ghat is located nearly 10 km from the city. No vehicles were allowed within 5 km of the ghat as part of crowd-control measures. Crowds have swelled even more now with only a few days left for the event to conclude. My uncle and family are currently in Prayagraj. Now, cops are stopping vehicles around 15 km from the ghat. That was the situation on Sunday evening,” Harikrishnan said.
Low fares from Feb 26
According to ticket booking site MakeMyTrip.com, the minimum fare on the sector for February 18 is J43,414, while it’s J27,592 the very next day.
Ticket fares are hovering above J25,000 till February 25, while they are below J10,000 from February 26
Ticket fare is only J8,090 on February 28 for the IndiGo flight that leaves Kochi at 7.20am to arrive at Prayagraj at 3.55pm. It has a halt at Bengaluru