Jan 25, 2024
By: Katya Naidu
Credit: IANS
Religious tourism is big in India. Most temples attract tens of millions of visitors in spite of infrastructure bottlenecks. Ayodhya which has its own airport apart from newly built hotels may attract 50 million tourists per annum, estimates Jefferies.
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The $10 billion makeover is now set to transform the ancient city from a sleepy town to a global religious and spiritual tourist hotspot, says Jefferies.
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Around 80-100 million people visit five most popular temples in India, every year. In comparison, top five monuments including Taj Mahal, Red Fort etc draw 10-15 million tourists per year.
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Amritsar’s Golden Temple attracts the most visitors at around 30-35 million per annum. The temple also receives as much as $10-15 million in collections.
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The Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati also brings 25-30 million visitors per year. His collections however are much higher at around $140-150 million per year.
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The Lord Jagannath of Puri which is known for its ‘beating heart of Krishna’ attracts 15-20 million tourists every year. It gets as much $20-25 million in collections.
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Vaishno Devi, considered a manifestation of goddess Mahalakshmi, sits on top of a hill in Jammu. In spite of its rough terrain, 7-8 million people make the tough climb every year. It also makes $50-60 million in collections.
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The location of a Sufi Tomb of saint, Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti, also attracts 7-8 million tourists every year.
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As per Jefferies report, both Tripuati and Vaishno Devi have poor air connectivity as well as limited pan-India hotel chains. Ayodhya however has both air connectivity and has 17 hotels including Indian Hotels, Marriot etc.
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