A sneak peak inside Ayodhya airport inaugurated by PM Modi

The consecration of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya is set to take place in less than a month. Ahead of the grand event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the holy city on Saturday (30 December) to inaugurate the newly built Ayodhya airport.

After unveiling the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and flagging off the new Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat trains, the Indian premier attended the inauguration of the new airport, which is located nearly 15 km from the main temple town.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Ayodhya airport.

Features of the Ayodhya Airport

The airport is renamed ‘Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhyadham’ after the great poet Valmiki, who is celebrated as the author of the epic Ramayana. The structure was previously called the Shri Ram International Airport.

The phase one of this state-of-the-art airport costs over Rs 1,450 crore, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The airport has an extended runway suitable for A-321/B-737 type aircraft operations.

#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham, in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh

Phase 1 of the airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1450 crore. The airport’s terminal building will have an area of 6500 sqm, equipped to serve… pic.twitter.com/zB4t0vfmjj

— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2023

The terminal building of Ayodhya airport, whose facade bears a traditional look, spans 6,500 square metres. According to the PMO statement, the facade “depicts the temple architecture of the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir of Ayodhya”.

The airport is designed in the Nagara architectural style, which is a temple style popular in India’s northern and western regions, as per an India Today report.

The terminal building boasts of several sustainability features such as insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rain water harvesting, landscaping with fountains, water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, and solar power plant to meet GRIHA – 5 star ratings, PTI reported citing the PMO’s statement.

The runway is 2,200 metres long, and the airport can handle 2-3 flights per hour, as per NDTV.

The building can accommodate 600 passengers at peak time, while its annual handling capacity is 10 lakh passengers.

The second phase of the airport will involve the development of a new terminal building spread across 50,000 square metres. This will have an increased capacity of 3,000 passengers during peak hours and 60 lakh passengers annually, reported India Today.

Inspiration from Ramayana

Themes from the epic Ramayana and Lord Ram’s life are at the centre of the new airport in Ayodhya. Local art, paintings and murals exhibiting the life of the Hindu deity adorn the interiors of the terminal building.

The airport has seven mounted peaks or shikharas at the front and back sides. The sculptures and decorations on these shikharas reflect the seven books (Kandas) of Ramayana, reported India Today.

Sources told the TV channel that the idea behind the airport is to reflect the “spirit” of the under-construction Ram temple. Invoking the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana, they said the aim is to promote a “sense of place to all passengers arriving and departing from the airport”.

Several murals showcasing various stages from the epic adorn the airport, with one of the biggest dedicated to Lord Hanuman, as per reports.

A huge Madhubani painting depicting the court of Lord Ram and his marriage to Goddess Sita also enhances the airport’s aesthetics, as per the TV channel.

Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said earlier that efforts were made to reflect the “cultural ethos of Ayodhya”.

Flights from the Ayodhya airport

IndiGo will run the inaugural flight from New Delhi to Ayodhya today. The commercial services will start from 6 January, following which it will operate tri-weekly flights between Ahmedabad and the holy city from 11 January, as per PTI.

Air India Express will also operate its maiden flight to the newly-opened airport from the National Capital on Saturday.

The airport will also see flights from Mumbai.

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‘Boost in tourism’

The Centre has said the new international airport will increase tourism in the temple town, improve connectivity in the region, enhance business activities as well as create employment opportunities.

Scindia said earlier that the Ayodhya airport will take the “development of pilgrimage and tourism” in the region to “new heights”.

The Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government are trying to develop Ayodhya as a major destination for spiritual tourism globally.

The state government sources previously told The New Indian Express that the number of visitors to the city is expected to jump to about 10 crore annually after the opening of the Ram Mandir next year.

The ‘pran pratishtha’ or consecration of the grand temple will take place on 22 January 2024, which will witness several bigwigs including PM Modi in attendance.

With inputs from agencies