Pilgrims' progress across sacred India

The soon-to-be-inaugurated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has turned the small UP town into a hot pilgrimage destination. While Ayodhya is steeped in the back story of an ancient kingdom’s capital, now it’s all set to be plugged into India’s 21st-century hospitality and tourism industry – and the sub-sector of religious tourism. That India has always had a burgeoning spread of pilgrimage destinations of all faiths is plain, and glorious, to see. Less obvious is how religious tourism in this country punches way below its considerable weight. The refashioning of Ayodhya – from its redesigned railway station to its sparkling new airport to its range of hotels, including high-end ones – can serve as a template for religious sites.

India needs to provide its plethora of pilgrims comfort along with the available spiritual solace. And, in the bargain, Indian tourism will make considerable material gains. The ₹85,000 crore infrastructure investment in and around Ayodhya underscores the seriousness with which this temple town is viewing its visitors.

If Rome can provide splendour as it leads the tourist – both religious and secular – into St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, or if Mecca can have first-world facilities and infrastructure on the way to the Kaaba, there is no reason why the likes of Mathura, Ajmer, Kashi, Bainguinim, Sanchi, Hazratbal, Sarnath, Amritsar and other pilgrim sites in India can’t provide equal comfort to the tirth yatri. Attention to logistics – flights and roads, and hotels – are integral to this makeover. More than 60% of India’s tourism is religion-based. In 2022, 1,433 million domestic tourists visited pilgrimages. Rising affluence will require retaining top-tier Indian tourists. Ayodhya may well provide a blueprint.