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By Nishang Narayan
Published on February 5, 2025
The Mahakumbh Mela 2025, currently underway in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, is the world’s largest spiritual congregation, deeply rooted in Hindu traditions. Beyond its religious and cultural significance, the Maha Kumbh is playing a pivotal role in driving India's spiritual tourism sector, attracting millions of visitors and generating substantial economic activity.
Authorities project that Mahakumbh 2025 will welcome over 400 million pilgrims, including a growing number of international visitors. By January 19, 2025, over 73 million people had already attended. In response to this unprecedented scale, the Uttar Pradesh government has allocated ₹7,500 crore for infrastructure upgrades, a sharp increase from the ₹4,200 crore spent in 2019. The event is expected to generate ₹2 lakh crore in direct revenue, with total transactions projected between ₹2–4 lakh crore, contributing over 1% to India’s GDP.
The economic impact of the Maha Kumbh extends across multiple industries, particularly in travel, hospitality, and local businesses. With surging domestic and international travel bookings, airlines, railways, and private transport operators are witnessing unprecedented demand.
Gopal Krishna Agarwal, National Spokesperson of BJP for Economic Affairs, highlights the broader impact:
"Maha Kumbh's spiritual significance is attracting global attention, fostering greater interest in India as a travel destination. Besides its religious importance, Maha Kumbh serves as an economic catalyst, transforming various sectors of India. It's a massive economic and cultural phenomenon, generating multi-billion rupees worth of economic activity and empowering local businesses. In addition, the government's tireless efforts ensure Maha Kumbh creates a ripple effect on global interest in India's spiritual tourism potential. Further, initiatives like the Maitri Bodh Cultural Economic Summit align with this phenomenon, fostering collaboration between culture and economy, showcasing India's economic strength rooted in our heritage."
The hospitality industry is a key beneficiary of the Maha Kumbh, with the event extending beyond Prayagraj into cities like Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kanpur, driving an increased demand for hotels, transport, and tourism services. Many visitors are extending their trips to explore historical and cultural sites, leading to a significant rise in bookings.
Ambika Saxena, CEO of TWH Hospitality, emphasizes this shift:
"Maha Kumbh is not just a spiritual gathering but a transformative economic force reshaping India's hospitality and tourism landscape. The unprecedented influx of domestic and international visitors is driving an unparalleled demand for accommodations, transport, and hospitality services, creating immense opportunities for innovation and investment. This event exemplifies how cultural heritage can be a powerful engine of economic growth, reinforcing India's position as a global tourism powerhouse. We see this as more than just an opportunity. It is a responsibility to elevate India's global standing and redefine the future of spiritual tourism."
Mahakumbh 2025 is a unifying force, seamlessly blending faith with commerce and driving long-term economic growth. The sheer scale of the event and the government’s investment in infrastructure reinforce India’s position as a leading destination for spiritual and cultural tourism. With millions of visitors and sustained global interest, the Maha Kumbh is set to further strengthen India’s status as a premier spiritual tourism hub, attracting both religious travelers and cultural enthusiasts for years to come.
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By Manu Vardhan Kannan
Published on May 19, 2026
FLY91 has announced an additional weekday daily flight between Pune and Goa for May 2026 to meet increased passenger demand during the summer holiday season. The temporary addition comes as travel activity continues to rise due to vacations, family trips and seasonal travel movement.
The airline already operates daily weekday services on the Pune-Goa route, while weekend operations currently run twice daily. The newly introduced weekday frequency is expected to provide travellers with more options and greater convenience during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
According to the airline, the decision was taken in response to increased movement from holidaymakers, students, families and business travellers. The Pune-Goa route has witnessed steady demand throughout the summer season, making it an important sector within the airline’s growing network.
By adding another service, FLY91 aims to improve schedule flexibility while increasing seat availability between the two destinations. The move is also expected to ease travel during the peak vacation period and support smoother passenger movement.
Pune continues to remain one of western India’s key educational and commercial centres, while Goa attracts a significant number of domestic travellers during the summer months. The additional service is expected to further strengthen connectivity between the two cities and support increasing regional travel demand.
FLY91 said the new flight also aligns with its broader objective of strengthening dependable and safe regional connectivity across underserved and high-demand sectors in India.
The airline currently operates flights across 12 destinations including Goa (GOX), Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Solapur, Jalgaon, Sindhudurg, Kochi, Agatti, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Hubballi.
Published on May 17, 2026
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has announced a special religious journey to Nepal under its Bharat Gaurav scheme, giving travellers and pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh and nearby regions an opportunity to explore important spiritual and tourist destinations in the neighbouring country.
The special 'Pashupatinath Nepal Darshan Yatra' will begin from Indore on June 12 aboard a Deluxe AC tourist train. According to IRCTC, this is the first Bharat Gaurav tourist train service designed for passengers travelling beyond India’s borders, making it a significant addition to its tourism offerings.
The journey will run for nine nights and 10 days, covering some of Nepal’s well-known religious and tourist attractions. The itinerary includes visits to Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan National Park, and Manakamana Temple. As part of the experience, travellers will also get access to a ropeway ride at Manakamana Temple and a Jeep Safari at Chitwan, arranged by IRCTC.
Passengers can board the train from multiple stations across Madhya Pradesh including Indore, Ujjain, Shujalpur, Sehore, Rani Kamalapati (Bhopal), Itarsi, Narsinghpur, Jabalpur, Katni, and Satna.
Rahul Holkar, Executive Tourism (Indore), said: "Dining facilities will be available for passengers onboard, with two restaurant coaches arranged for this purpose."
He also shared that the train will have 14 coaches and offer three accommodation categories: First AC, Second AC, and Third AC. The package further includes five-night accommodation in three-star hotels, along with local sightseeing through AC buses.
IRCTC has introduced different fare structures based on the selected category. The package covers rail travel, hotel stays, meals onboard and during the journey, local transportation, sightseeing, travel insurance, tour escorts, security arrangements and housekeeping services.
Officials also clarified that the Nepal Darshan Yatra is a guided tourist journey and should be viewed as a specially curated travel experience rather than a regular international tour package. Bookings for the Bharat Gaurav Nepal Yatra can be made through IRCTC’s official website and authorised offices.
Published on May 16, 2026
Air India has commenced commercial operations to Ludhiana’s newly operational Halwara airport, becoming the first airline to launch services at the airport. The new route strengthens connectivity between Ludhiana and Delhi while also opening access to Air India’s wider international network.
The inaugural flight from Delhi landed at Halwara airport at 0703 Hrs, while the return service departed from Ludhiana at 0800 Hrs. Air India will now operate two daily flights on the Delhi–Ludhiana route using its A320 family aircraft.
The newly launched services have been scheduled to provide passengers with smoother onward connections through Delhi to Air India’s international destinations. Travellers flying from Ludhiana can conveniently connect to cities including London, Paris, Milan, Rome, and Birmingham through a single ticket and a unified baggage allowance system with through check-in facilities.
Passengers will also benefit from same-terminal transfers at Delhi airport, allowing easier movement between domestic and international flights.
The flight schedule for the Delhi–Ludhiana route includes:
With the launch of operations at Halwara airport, Air India continues to expand its domestic network while strengthening connectivity between regional cities and international destinations.
Bookings for Air India’s Ludhiana flights are now open across all channels, including the airline’s website, mobile app, and travel partners worldwide.
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