IndiGo has started direct flight operations between Mumbai and Ayodhya, ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla at the grand Ram temple in the holy town. Two flights will operate daily. The Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30.
According to IndiGo website, Mumbai-Ayodhya flight 6E 5378 will operate at 12:30pm and Ayodhya-Mumbai flight 6E 5379 will fly at 3:15pm. Earlier, the airline had started Delhi-Ayodhya and Ahmedabad-Ayodhya direct flights.
"We are pleased to commence direct flights between Mumbai and Ayodhya. With this, we have connected 3 major cities (Delhi, Ahmedabad and now Mumbai) to Ayodhya within weeks of the airport’s inauguration. Our customers will now have multiple options connecting to Ayodhya from our extensive 6E network, within India as well as overseas," said Vinay Malhotra, head of global sales of IndiGo.
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The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony will be held on January 22. The auspicious event will be presided over by PM Modi. Hundreds of sages and eminent personalities, including cricketers, film stars and industrialists from across the country, are also expected to attend the ceremony.
{{/usCountry}}The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony will be held on January 22. The auspicious event will be presided over by PM Modi. Hundreds of sages and eminent personalities, including cricketers, film stars and industrialists from across the country, are also expected to attend the ceremony.
{{/usCountry}}Lakshmi Kant Dixit, a priest from Varanasi, will perform the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at 12.20pm. The ceremony is expected to conclude by 1pm on January 22.
The idol of Ram Lalla, sculpted by Mysore-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, has been selected for installation. The seven-day rituals of the consecration ceremony have begun on Tuesday. The rituals include various forms of puja. The deity of Ram Lalla will get a divine bath with 125 urns on January 21.
After the January 22 event, the Ram temple will be opened for worship by the devotees. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from across India are expected to visit the temple every day.