The ‘Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhyadham’ in Uttar Pradesh (Ayodhya) is going to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30, 2023. This airport caters to the need of religious pilgrims and tourists along with having a cultural significance as it is designed in alignment of Hindu epic Ramayana. This Airport is located about 15 km from the main Ayodhya city.
The airport is named after sage poet Maharishi Valmiki.Maharishi Valmiki is credited for writing the epic Ramayana.
The airport’s terminal building will have an area of 6500 sq m, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually.
According to Vipul Varshney (the architect of the Ayodhya Airport), the structure is completely inspired by the life of the Hindu god Lord Ram. During its construction, it was specifically directed that it should be the only airport in the world that has a glimpse of the story of Lord Ram.
The airport has been built in accordance with the Nagara architectural style, which is an Indian temple style. The structure has seven mounted peaks (shikhara) — the main peak is in the middle, and three each at the front and back sides of the airport.The seven shikharas are inspired by the seven books (Kandas) of Ramayana. The colours used in the designing of the airport is done keeping in mind the five elements of nature – earth, water, fire, air, and space. Vipul Varshney mentioned tthe airport has been constructed with environmentally friendly GRC technology, which offers zero pollution caused by stones.