UP Tourism launches one-day guided heritage tour package in Ayodhya

     Lucknow, Oct 30 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (UPSTDC) on Friday said it has launched a one-day guided tour package, 'Ayodhya Divine Heritage Trail', to help devotees and tourists explore the prominent temples, ghats and religious sites associated with the 14-Kosi Parikrama route in the temple town.

     The six-hour tour will begin on November 1, with two batches operating daily, it said in a statement issued here.

     The first batch will operate from 10 am to 4 pm, while the second will run from 1 pm to 7 pm, it said.

     The initiative comes amid preparations for the 10th edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the statement said.

     Uttar Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said the 14-Kosi Parikrama holds special significance in Ayodhya's religious traditions, with devotees undertaking it as an expression of faith and devotion.

     "Through the Ayodhya Divine Heritage Trail, the Yogi government aims to take this spiritual experience to a larger number of people. It is also an effort to further strengthen Ayodhya's significance in the Ramayana Circuit," he said.

     The tour will begin from Lata Mangeshkar Chowk and take visitors first to the Ramayana Wax Museum, where they can see wax figures of Lord Ram, Goddess Sita and other characters from the epic.

     The itinerary also includes Surya Kund, Girija Kund, Panchmukhi Mahadev Temple, Guptar Ghat, Jhunkhi Ghat, Lakshman Kila and Sheshavatar Temple.

     Swarg Dwar, Ram Ki Paidi and Nageshwarnath Temple are also part of the tour, allowing visitors to explore Ayodhya's religious heritage, mythological associations and spiritual significance, the statement said.

     The journey will conclude with the Saryu Aarti, featuring the lighting of lamps, prayers and devotional songs on the riverbank. Tourists will subsequently be brought back to Lata Mangeshkar Chowk.

     UPSTDC Chairman Amrit Abhijat said the tour had been designed to enable visitors to conveniently explore the city's prominent religious sites with the assistance of a guide in a single day.

     "The package will be particularly useful for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, who may find it difficult to undertake long religious journeys independently," he said.

     The initiative aims to make spiritual journeys more accessible and comfortable while familiarising tourists with Ayodhya's rich cultural heritage, Abhijat added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)