New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS): More than 12 crore pilgrims and tourists visited the holy town of Ayodhya in the first seven months of 2024, according to data released by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) tourism department on Wednesday.
The surge in footfall in Ayodhya, after the inauguration of the grand Ram Temple on January 22 this year, has been recorded for both domestic as well as international pilgrims and tourists.
Other religious centres of the state including Mathura, Prayagraj and Varanasi have also seen a significant uptick in numbers, however, Ayodhya has surpassed all others in the number of footfalls.
Mukesh Meshram, Principal Secretary of Tourism and Culture Department in UP shared an update about the growing religious tourism and its impact in the state.
He said that holy cities of UP are drawing tourists from places as far as the US and Canada.
Speaking to the press, he said that there is immense eagerness and excitement among the people to visit the Ram Temple and today, their long-held dreams of visiting the birthplace of Lord Ram are turning into a reality.
When speaking about the annual Deepotsav celebration in Ayodhya, he mentioned that this event has now gained global recognition.
“This year, we have set a target of lighting 2.5 million diyas, setting a new world record. Various Ram Lilas from different countries have also been invited to participate in the festival,” he pointed out.
Additionally, there will be a grand procession and cultural showcases.
With a large number of visitors expected this year, seating galleries are being constructed near the riverbanks to accommodate the crowd.
Last year, Varanasi attracted 10.5 crore tourists, and in the first seven months of this year alone, 5.45 crore people have visited it.
Similarly, Mathura saw 5.5 crore and Prayagraj 4.5 crore visitors during this period.
This reflects the state's growing popularity as a tourist destination and the increasing global interest in its cultural and religious heritage.
The senior bureaucrat also shed light on the grand preparations for the forthcoming 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and mentioned that old temples were being developed as tourist spots and also a world-class tent city was being planned for the event.
Mukesh Meshram highlighted the rapid development in various religious and cultural locations such as Mathura, Vrindavan, Chitrakoot, and Naimisharanya.
He stated that the Vindhyavasini Corridor has been completed, and other sacred sites are also seeing significant improvements.
"Since 2017, development work has been carried out at more than 650 locations in the state," he informed.