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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya on Saturday (December 30). This comes ahead of the grand ‘pran pratishtha’ (consecration ceremony) of the idol of Lord Ram in the under-construction Ram temple on January 22.
Located 15 kms from the main Ayodhya city, the phase 1 of the airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,450 crore, according to a statement by the PMO.
The Ayodhya airport will be named as ‘Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham’ and a notification in this regard is likely to be issued soon, an official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
With a total area of 6,500 sqm, the airport’s terminal building is equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually.
The terminal building has been designed to depict “the architecture of the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir of Ayodhya,” the statement said. Even the main gateway has been built in a similar way, carrying a concrete core and cladding of sandstone, bearing stylised carvings.
Once inside, passengers can see the interiors decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Lord Ram.
As part of its modern infrastructure, the airport is equipped with various sustainability features like insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting, landscaping with fountains, water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, and solar power plant to meet GRIHA – 5 star ratings.
The office of Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia Thursday posted on X a video on the airport’s inauguration, and said: “This state-of-the-art airport, decorated with themes from the epic Ramayana, will take the development of pilgrimage and tourism in the entire region to new heights,” the post said.
The inaugural flight to land at the Ayodhya airport from Delhi is scheduled on Saturday. Commercial services will begin from January 6.
During his Ayodhya visit, PM Modi will also flag off the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station. The programme involves inauguration of Amrit Bharat trains and Vande Bharat trains, among other development projects worth more than Rs 15,700 crore.
— With PTI inputs
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