The facility will be made available to devotees and tourists on an operator model (Representational)
To facilitate the pilgrimage for Ram devotees and tourists visiting Ayodhya Dham by helicopter, the Uttar Pradesh government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is introducing helicopter services from six districts in the state with a fixed fare.
According to an official release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), "To facilitate the pilgrimage for Ram devotees and tourists visiting Ayodhya Dham by helicopter, the Yogi government is introducing helicopter services from six districts in the state."
As per the release, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate the helicopter service from Lucknow. The government has also fixed the fare for helicopter service.
"Ram devotees and tourists will be offered helicopter services from Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Mathura, and Agra. Plans are underway to expand this service to additional districts in the state shortly," it said.
Principal Secretary Tourism Mukesh Meshram said that Chief Minister Yogi had given instructions to provide helicopter facilities to Ram devotees.
Under this, helicopter service is being started from 6 districts of the state. This facility will be made available to devotees and tourists on an operator model.
In addition to this, the Yogi government is introducing an aerial darshan of Ayodhya city and the Ram temple for devotees.
The Tourism Department has been assigned responsibility for this initiative. Devotees interested in having aerial darshan will need to make bookings to avail of the facility.
The helicopter rides will take off from the helipad near the Tourism Guest House along the banks of the Saryu River. Devotees will enjoy an aerial tour covering renowned tourist destinations, including Ram Mandir, Hanumangarhi, and Saryu Ghat.
The duration of this air journey is set at a maximum of 15 minutes, with a fixed fare of Rs 3,539 per devotee.
As per the release, the helicopter ride can accommodate up to five devotees, with a weight limit of 400 kg. Devotees are allowed to carry a maximum of 5 kg of luggage.
Additionally, helicopter services will be available for the 126 km distance from Gorakhpur to Ayodhya Dham, completing the journey in 40 minutes. The fare for this service is fixed at Rs 11,327 per devotee.
Director of Tourism Department Prakhar Mishra said that as per the intention of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in the first phase, helicopter service is being started from six religious places, including the capital Lucknow. In the coming time, the service will be expanded as per demand.
Mishra shared that devotees can access helicopter services from Namo Ghat in Varanasi, covering a distance of 160 km in just 55 minutes, with a fixed fare of Rs 14,159 per devotee. Additionally, services are available from Ramabai in Lucknow, covering 132 km in 45 minutes at the same fare.
Helicopter services are also accessible from the helipad near the Tourism Guest House in Prayagraj, covering 157 km in 50 minutes with a fare of Rs 14,159 per devotee.
Furthermore, devotees can opt for helicopter services from the helipad near Govardhan Parikrama in Barsana, Mathura, and the helipad near Agra Expressway in Agra.
These longer routes, spanning 456 km and 440 km respectively, take 135 minutes to complete, with a fixed fare of Rs 35,399 per devotee.
It's important to note that the fixed fares for helicopter services are one-way, and devotees travelling from Ayodhya Dham will need to pay the revised fare.
The frequency of helicopter flights to Ayodhya Dham will be adjusted based on the number of devotees, ensuring a daily service from each destination.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)