Ayodhya

Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh – The newly inaugurated Ayodhya International Airport, officially named as Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhya Dham, is set to facilitate direct air links to Prayagraj and Chitrakoot. The airport, serving the twin cities of Ayodhya and Faizabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, is a significant development in the aviation sector of the country.

The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 30th December 2023, with flight operations beginning from 10th January 2024. The airport is located adjacent to NH-27 and NH-330 at Naaka in Faizabad. The Government of Uttar Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in February 2014 for the development of the airport.

Ayodhya International Airport: A Gateway to the Holy Land

The new airport will provide seamless direct access to Ayodhya, an important religious destination for pilgrims from all over the world. It will provide improved airport infrastructure amenities for the passengers arriving in the state while boosting the industrial, business and tourism sectors of India.

Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and the epicenter of the Ramayana, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. Ayodhya is also one of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) of Hinduism and a prominent site for the followers of Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

Some of the major attractions in Ayodhya include the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, the Hanuman Garhi Temple, the Kanak Bhawan Temple, the Nageshwarnath Temple, the Ramkot Fort, the Tulsi Smarak Bhawan, the Valmiki Ramayana Bhawan, the Ram Katha Museum, the Guptar Ghat, the Mani Parbat and the Chhoti Devkali Mandir.

The establishment of direct air links from Ayodhya to Prayagraj and Chitrakoot is expected to further enhance the connectivity and accessibility of these important religious destinations, thereby promoting tourism and economic growth in the region.

Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, is one of the oldest cities in India and a major pilgrimage center for Hindus. It is situated at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers, which is known as the Triveni Sangam. Prayagraj is also the host of the Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering in the world, which is held every 12 years.

Some of the major attractions in Prayagraj include the Allahabad Fort, the Anand Bhawan, the Khusro Bagh, the Allahabad Museum, the Jawahar Planetarium, the Swaraj Bhawan, the Alfred Park, the Mankameshwar Temple, the Akshaya Vat, the Patalpuri Temple and the Hanuman Temple.

Chitrakoot, meaning ‘the hill of many wonders’, is a town in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is believed to be the place where Lord Rama, along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, spent 11 years of his 14-year exile. Chitrakoot is also a sacred place for the followers of Ramananda, a medieval saint and reformer of Hinduism.

Some of the major attractions in Chitrakoot include the Kamadgiri Hill, the Ramghat, the Bharat Milap Temple, the Sati Anusuya Ashram, the Sphatik Shila, the Gupt Godavari Caves, the Hanuman Dhara, the Janki Kund, the Ram Shaiyya and the Valmiki Ashram.

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