The design of the upcoming airport at Ayodhya will reflect the idea and spirit of Ram Mandir, invoking a sense of spirituality and creating a sense of place for all passengers arriving and departing from the airport.
To cater to the needs of local population as well as pilgrims and provide direct connectivity to Ayodhya -- the important religious destination -- the Airports Authority of India has undertaken the work of development of the airport for the civil flight operations.
Officials said that nearly 52 per cent of development work has been completed till now and overall project work is expected to be completed by June, 2023.
Ayodhya being the first one of the seven most important pilgrimage sites ((Mokshdayini Sapt Puris), attracts visitors from all over the world and has been witnessing rapid growth of travellers.
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The airport development project worth Rs 242 crore includes the construction of a terminal building and development of airside facilities like widening and expansion of runway, etc. The new terminal building with a total area of 6,000 sq.m. is being designed to serve 300 passengers during the peak hours with an annual handling capacity of six lakh passengers.
A senior official said that the design of the airport will reflect the idea and spirit of Ram Mandir and the roof of the terminal is proposed to be adorned with Shikharas, in varying heights to convey a sense of grandeur to the structure. Along with the varying shikharas, the terminal will have decorative columns displaying important events from the story of Ramayana pictorially. The glass fa ade of the terminal will be designed to recreate a sense of being in the very palace of Ayodhya. The building will shine aesthetically and functionally, displaying a perfect mix of local architecture with a modern architectural note.
The building also incorporates environmentally responsive systems that reduce the consumption of energy and improve overall efficiency using skylights, solar power system, efficient rainwater harvesting amongst others.
The Prime Minister has envisioned Ayodhya to be developed as a Spiritual Centre and Global Tourism Hub where the values and ethos will be matched by futuristic infrastructure, for the benefit of tourists and pilgrims. Development of the airport in Ayodhya will be an important step towards contributing to his vision.
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This airport will not only put the pilgrimage site on aviation map but also give a boost to economic development of the region. Direct air route to this important religious destination would facilitate the pilgrims from all over the world.
