In anticipation of the much-awaited consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, the passengers boarded the first flight to the newly built and inaugurated Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham on Saturday. They were heard chanting “Jai Shree Ram.” The chanting echoed the whole air terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. These passengers are marked to be the very first commuters to the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham,
A passenger from Rajasthan enthusiastically stated, “We are very excited about visiting Ayodhya and brought our children along. We are going to see Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, seek his blessings,” Anothr passenger from Karnataka expressed his gratitude to PM Modi for being one of the many passengers to be onboard the first flight to the Ram Bhumi.
“This is a historic day. An aerodrome has now been opened at Ram-ji’s birthplace. We are a large group from the Jain community going on the inaugural flight to meet Ram Lalla. We are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for this opportunity,” said Jain Peethadhish Ravindra Kirti Swami, who is among the large group of the Jain community travelling on the first flight. She further mentioned how she excited she is for getting blessing from Lord Ram. “It had been a dream for so long! Now, it is finally becoming a reality.”
Captain Ashutosh Shekhar, the pilot on command for the historical flight from Delhi to Ayodhya welcomed the passengers, calling it a proud moment. “We are grateful and blessed for the opportunity given by IndiGo to command the inaugural flight to Ayodhya. This is a proud moment for us and Indigo. We hope your journey with us is safe and pleasant,” Shekhar said.
The airport was inaugurated by PM Modi earlier in the day. The airport, developed at a cost exceeding Rs. 1450 crore, features a state-of-the-art terminal building designed with intricate details reflecting the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir’s architecture. The airport is poised to enhance connectivity, stimulate tourism and business activities, and generate new employment opportunities in the region.