Ayodhya Airport Is Now Maharishi Valmiki International Airport
The newly built Ayodhya airport will now be known as Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham. The Union Cabinet on Friday chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the proposal for naming the airport. Besides, the meeting has also decided to announce the airport as an international airport.
“The airport”s name “Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham” pays homage to Maharishi Valmiki, the sage attributed to composing the epic Ramayana, adding a cultural touch to the airport”s identity,” an official release read.
➡️ #Cabinet approves #AyodhyaAirport as an International Airport and naming it as “Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham”
➡️ The airport’s name, “Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham,” pays homage to Maharishi Valmiki, the sage attributed to… pic.twitter.com/i7WlDnW4WS
— PIB India (@PIB_India) January 5, 2024
As per the release, promoting the airport to international rank is significant for realising Ayodhya”s economic prospects and its importance as a global pilgrimage site, in order to attract foreign pilgrims and tourists. Prime Minister inaugurated the airport on December 30, 2023.
The land acquisition for the Ayodhya airport was initiated on November 2021 and construction started in February 2022. The first phase of the airport, featuring a 65,000-square-foot terminal with a capacity for 2 to 3 flights per hour, completed at a cost of over Rs. 1,450 crore. The terminal building possess the capacity to cater about 10 lakh passengers annually.
The front of the building alluded to the temple architecture of soon-going-to be inaugurated Ayodhya”s Ram Temple. Besides, the interior of the building are embellished with local art, paintings and murals depicting symbolism of the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. It also presents various sustainability features, like an insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting, landscaping with fountains, a water treatment plant, a sewage treatment plant, solar power plant and many other such features that have been provided to meet GRIHA – 5-star ratings, The Economic Times reports.
