Ram Mandir 'pran-pratistha' a seminal moment, brings religious tourism to forefront: Yatra's Dhruv Shringi

Dhruv Shringi, Co-Founder & CEO of Yatra.com, believes the Ram Mandir has brought religious tourism to the forefront, attracting a diverse profile of travellers, including both the elderly and young people, on holistic religious holidays.

The eagerly anticipated consecration ceremony, known as "Pran-Pratistha," for the Ram Janambhoomi temple in Ayodhya concluded on January 22, marking the fulfillment of a purported 500-year-old wait for the return of Lord Ram to his home.

Dhruv Shringi highlighted a remarkable 400% increase in flight bookings for Ayodhya in the past two weeks. Anticipating increased demand, hotel chains are expected to expand capacity in Ayodhya, with approximately 2,000 new rooms projected within the next 24 months.

A report by Jefferies suggests that the temple town could draw over 50 million tourists annually, with the $10 billion Ayodhya makeover poised to transform the ancient city into a global religious and spiritual tourist hotspot.

Ajay Bakaya, MD of Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, mentioned ongoing projects that will result in 15-20 branded hotels in Ayodhya within the next 5–6 years, making it a promising opportunity for the foreseeable future.

On January 22, Ayodhya witnessed a festive atmosphere as thousands of devotees gathered from across India to witness the historic moment for Hindus.

Parag Bhatnagar, President of Havells India, highlighted that more than 3,000 lighting fixtures were installed in the temple with a high-tech, minimalistic design approach. He also emphasized the challenge of designing lights for different areas while maintaining the beauty and spirituality of the temple.

Anurag Katriar, Founder of Indigo Hospitality, and Trustee at NRAI, highlighted the immense opportunity for F&B businesses in Ayodhya. Katriar stated, "Wherever there is tourism, you need the F&B infrastructure as well. The difference would be, being a temple town, you may not be running pubs and bars, but you will be running beautiful restaurants. If about six to eight crore people are expected to visit Ayodhya every year, it is a huge, huge opportunity. Even if a person spends on an average during a visit a couple of thousand rupees, it is a huge number that we are looking at. So I am very confident that every restaurateur will make a visit to Ayodhya and they will be soon looking at opportunities to open their stores."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading the ceremony, declared January 22 as "not a date on a calendar, but the dawn of a new era." He likened the consecration to breaking free from a mindset of slavery and urged Indians to extend their consciousness from god to country and from Ram to Rashtra.