The tranquil town of Ayodhya is poised to receive its inaugural international airport, just in time for the much-anticipated inauguration of the Ram temple scheduled for January next year. Dubbed the Maryada Purushottam Shriram International Airport, the first phase of this transformative project, with an estimated cost of nearly Rs 400 crore, is on track for completion by October 2023. As per inside sources, commercial flights are set to commence operations in November or early December of the same year.Spanning a sprawling 821 acres, the Maryada Purushottam Shriram International Airport will initially connect Ayodhya with approximately four major cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Future expansions are planned to incorporate additional flights and destinations, thus positioning the sacred town as a burgeoning hub for religious tourism. Ayodhya, renowned as the mythological birthplace of the Hindu deity Ram, holds significant potential to attract religious pilgrims and tourists from across the subcontinent.This state-of-the-art airport is well-equipped to handle commercial flights in varying weather conditions. The construction of a 2,200-metre-long and 45-metre-wide runway, as well as an air traffic control tower, has been successfully completed. Rajeev Kulshrestha, the Ayodhya airport general manager overseeing projects, assured that all essential groundwork, encompassing civil, electrical, and IT infrastructure, will be finalized by the upcoming month.As the temple town of Ayodhya prepares to unveil its international gateway, expectations are high for an influx of visitors and a boost to the region's cultural and religious significance. The Maryada Purushottam Shriram International Airport is set to play a pivotal role in transforming Ayodhya into a thriving tourism hotspot.