Ahmedabad: In the lead up to the consecration of the Ram Lala in the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya , there has been a substantial surge in airfares in Ahmedabad – Ayodhya flights. Prices have skyrocketed, reaching up to five times the original cost for a one-way journey. The heightened anticipation among devotees for the opening of the Ram Mandir is the reason for this surge in travel expenses.

In the preview of the grand ceremony, IndiGo announced last week that it will operate direct tri-weekly flights between Ahmedabad and Ayodhya starting January 11. At the time, the base fare for the flight was set around Rs. 4000.

One Ahmedabad resident, Mr. Aman Chaturvedi, who had booked the flight tickets for Ayodhya on the same day when the flight was announced, mentioned that he paid only around Rs. 9300 for a round trip between Ayodhya and Ahmedabad. He leaves from Ahmedabad on January 20th and will return from Ayodhya on January 23rd, a day after the consecration ceremony.

However, as of today, if you book a ticket from Ahmedabad to Ayodhya for a journey on January 20th, the airfare for the direct flight is around Rs. 9,399 (subject to dynamic pricing). The return journey ticket for January 23rd is costing around Rs. 14,999. So, if you are booking tickets for a round trip between Ayodhya and Ahmedabad, it will cost you at least Rs. 24,398, which is a 265% rise in just 6 days since the announcement of the direct flight.

It’s worth noting that only Indigo is going to operate Ahmedabad – Ayodhya flights.

Similarly, around these days the flight fare of the connecting flight has also jumped up to Rs. 20000 for a one-way trip.

The surge is not limited to flight fares; travel operators in Uttar Pradesh (UP) have reported a surge in demand for hotel rooms as well. Travelers are extending their trips to include Varanasi and Prayagraj, which are approximately four hours away by road from Ayodhya. This surge in demand is leading to room shortages in the coming months.

Pradeep Kumar Roy, Secretary of the UP and Uttarakhand chapter of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), highlighted the spike in airfares and the scarcity of hotel rooms outside the Ayodhya also. He mentioned, “While Varanasi offers around 4000 hotel rooms, Ayodhya has about 1000. We’re also arranging accommodations in Lucknow, approximately 155 km from Ayodhya.” DeshGujarat