Uttar Pradesh is set to become richer by ₹4 lakh crore this year due to the growth in tourism, this in wake of the ‘pran pratishtha’ of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s office cited a report by SBI Research claiming that the state is expected to earn ₹25,000 crore as tax revenue in the upcoming financial year.
“It clearly states that Ayodhya will be the most important factor in this with tourists and devotees coming to the city not only from within the country but also from different parts of the world. It reveals further that with the growth in tourism, Uttar Pradesh will become richer by about 4 lakh crores this year,” ANI quoted the press statement as saying.
A report by foreign stock market research firm Jefferies has claimed that Ayodhya will surpass Vatican City and Mecca in terms of devotees footfall. As per the report, Ayodhya is expected to attract around five crore devotees annually, making it a major tourism destination not only within Uttar Pradesh but also in the entire country.
The temple town situated along the Saryu river is becoming a hot spot for tourism, thanks to the construction of Ram temple along with various facilities including the international airport and a modernised railway station, new hotels, road connectivity and others.
Tirupati Balaji temple in Andhra Pradesh attracts 2.5 crore devotees every year and generates an annual revenue of ₹1,200 crore. Vaishno Devi is visited by 80 lakh people annually and generates an annual revenue of ₹500 crore.
The Taj Mahal in Agra attracts 70 lakh visitors, generating an annual revenue of ₹100 crore, while Agra Fort sees 30 lakh visitors, contributing to an annual revenue of ₹27.5 crore.
“According to another estimate, more than one lakh devotees are expected to visit Ayodhya every day for the darshan of Lord Shri Ram. This number could soon reach three lakh devotees per day. If this happens, over 10 crore devotees may visit Ayodhya annually. If each devotee spends approximately ₹2500 during their visit, the local economy of Ayodhya alone would add up to ₹25,000 crore,” the press statement said.
