With just around 50 days to go for the long-awaited consecration ceremony of the idol of Lord Ram at the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, hotel rooms in the temple town are almost fully booked despite being priced seven to 10 times more than the normal rates.
It is estimated that there are roughly 10,000 rooms in Ayodhya, which includes accommodation facilities in around 150 economy hotels, 30 dharamshalas (rest houses), and 20 luxury hotels.
Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be the chief guest at the event, the temple trust plans to invite eminent personalities and over 25,000 Hindu religious leaders of 136 ‘Sanatan’ traditions for the ceremony.
While the trust is expecting 10,000 people to attend the event inside the temple, lakhs of pilgrims are likely to turn up in Ayodhya with the Ram Temple set to be opened to devotees on January 23, a day after the consecration. The trust is set to feed one lakh saints and devotees every day for 30 days before the inauguration.
Surge in prices
“While searching for rooms online, I found very few hotels offering accommodation at a price below ₹3,000 after January 15,” said Raghvendra Pratap, 52, a devotee of Ram and resident of Gomti Nagar in Lucknow, who has been planning for a year to witness the consecration.
Several hotels have claimed that their rooms are already booked from January 18 to 31, while others are charging seven to 10 times the normal rate.
“Bookings are open, but the rate is eight times higher than normal. Between January 20 and 24, a room will cost ₹8,000. Other hotels are charging even more,” said Aman Sasodan, who runs Ram Bhoomi Hotel at Panchkosi Parikrama Marg on Ranopali bypass, 3 km from the temple. The hotel’s normal daily room tariff is ₹1,000.
Most hotels have either closed bookings on their websites or stopped collaborations with online platforms. People associated with the tourism and hotel industry in Ayodhya hinted that rooms are being sold on the black market.
‘Hoarding of rooms’
“All our rooms are occupied between January 20 and 24. We have also hiked prices by three times. Most commercial living spaces have increased their room rates,” said Jasmeet Singh, manager of Rama Residency, near the Hanuman Garhi Temple in Ayodhya. He added that hoarding of rooms “is rampant, but we have not done it”.
Shan-e-Awadh, built in 1986 and considered one of the oldest hotels in the town, also confirmed that bookings are almost full between January 21 and 24.
Another hotel owner said travel agents from big cities like New Delhi and Lucknow, with an eye on making profits, have fully booked rooms in some hotels between January 15 and 31 by offering high rates and full advance payment four months ago.
However, the State government has fixed a price cap of ₹1,500-₹2,500 for rooms at 146 certified paying guest facilities and homestays. “We have audited 146 properties, and rooms can be booked using the Holy Ayodhya mobile application. There is no hike in rates and people may avail of the facility,” said Rakesh Kumar Singh, consultant, Ayodhya Development Authority, which designed the app along with the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department.
Mr. Singh confirmed that the room rates in commercial spaces in the days leading up to the consecration ceremony “are high”.
To provide accommodation to 80,000 devotees for the ceremony, the district administration and the temple trust are setting up tent cities in Brahma Kund, Manjha Guptar Ghat, Bag Bijaise, Mani Ram Das Chhavni and Karsevakpuram in Ayodhya. Bookings will start in mid-December.
CM comes calling
With the date of the consecration ceremony nearing, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday paid a visit to Ayodhya, his fourth trip to the temple town in the last 35 days, to inspect the progress of the construction of the Ram Temple. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation General (retd.) V.K. Singh were also present with him.
The two Ministers and Additional Chief Secretary (Civil Aviation) S.P. Goyal offered prayers at Hanumangarhi Temple and to the idol of Lord Ram along with the Chief Minister.
Mr. Adityanath also inspected the construction of the Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport in Ayodhya and its readiness to handle the likely influx of devotees for the consecration ceremony. The first phase of construction of the airport will be completed by December 15, he said.
“The holy Ayodhya of Lord Ram, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, is becoming the new Ayodhya of new India,” the CM said, adding that the U.P. government is making all efforts to restore Ayodhya’s glory.
