Though the ‘pran pratishtha’ (consecration) of the Ram Temple is slated for January 22, Kolkata residents are planning trips ahead to get a look at how the temple town is preparing for the inauguration.
“A direct flight from Kolkata to Ayodhya started on Wednesday. A single ticket for the flight would cost around Rs 6,600. We are getting many inquiries at the ticket counter for the same,” said an official at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.
Ananda Jain, a businessman from Lake Town area of the city called it an “experience of a lifetime”. “I am fortunate to visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Though it is still under construction but it won’t be long before it’s ready. The entire city is decked up with lights. It doesn’t look like the old Ayodhya anymore. I hired a rickshaw there and the rickshaw puller told me that till a few months ago it was difficult for him to earn Rs 60-70 a day. Now, he is making Rs 700 -800 every day,” said Jain, who boarded the flight on Wednesday.
Jain said that though he and his friends had planned to visit Ayodhya on January 22 but couldn’t get tickets for the day. “The two-way commute cost me a little more than Rs 11, 000. Everyone should visit Ram Mandir once,” he added.
Another passenger who took Wednesday’s flight said, “I wanted to visit Ayodhya for a long time but couldn’t due to my busy schedule. Once I heard about the direct flight, I immediately booked a ticket. My friend and I boarded the flight but it was delayed by three hours.”
Sunil Verma, who hails from Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, had come to West Bengal to visit the Gangasagar Mela in South 24 Parganas district. He changed his travel plans after hearing about the direct flight connecting Kolkata and Ayodhya.
“I went to Gangasagar and on my way back took a direct flight to Ayodhya. As I live in Sultanpur, it was easier for me to board the direct flight to Ayodhya. With this direct flight, people with busy schedules will also be able to visit Ayodhya,” said Verma.
Vijay Nigania, who was onboard Wednesday’s flight, told The Indian Express from Mumbai, “Visiting Ayodhya was a dream. It was on my wishlist. When I saw Ram Lalla virajman, I couldn’t control myself and had goosebumps. It was only due to a direct flight that I could cover the distance in such a short time. I plan to take my family to Ayodhya too in the future.”
Travel agents in the city say they have been flooded with inquiries about both air and rail options to reach Ayodhya. Sarfaraz, who runs a travel agency shop in central Kolkata, said, “We have been getting a lot of inquiries about trains to Ayodhya. Those who are not getting flight tickets are booking train tickets to Ayodhya. There is a lot of excitement about the Ram temple among people in Bengal.”
Currently, there were only two direct trains connecting West Bengal and Ayodhya — Dun Express and Jammu Tawi Express. On an average it would take about a day-and-a-half to reach Ayodhya. However, the flight service has reduced the travel time between the two cities to arpund one-and-a-half hours.