From Garhmukteshwar To Triveni Sangam: Ganga Expressway to Boost UP’s Spiritual Tourism Circuit

Uttar Pradesh's Ganga Expressway is all set to be inaugurated soon. Named after the river that has sustained one of the world’s most fertile and populous regions, the 6-lane expressway will connect Meerut with Prayagraj. Apart from significantly reducing the travel time on the route, India's biggest Build-Operate-Transfer project will also cover 7 of the state's pivotal spiritual destinations.

Ganga Expressway to cover 7 major tourist destinations in UP

The Ganga Expressway will connect 7 major tourism destinations in Uttar Pradesh, giving a boost to the spiritual corridor. It will connect places like Garhmukteshwar, Kalkidham, Belhadevi, Chandrika (Shakti peeth), and Triveni Sangam, boosting the tourism economy in the region. The area houses some of the most revered temples and religious sites such as Vasudev Mandir (Hapur), Kalki Dham (Sambhal), Sankat Haran Mandir (Hardoi), Chandirka Devi Mandir (Unnao), Belha Devi Mandir (Pratapgarh) and finally the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj.

An insight into booming religious tourism in India

The inauguration of the Ganga Expressway will come at a time when Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a tourism boom unlike anything in recent decades. Unprecedented growth in religious tourism in Uttar Pradesh is driving both cultural revival and economic transformation.  The cities of Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj have become the spiritual heartland of the country and are driving the state's economy to new heights. 

The newly inaugurated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the banks of the holy river Ganga, along with the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the confluence of holy rivers in Prayagraj are witnessing a huge influx of pilgrims and tourists, not just from the country, but globally. As per ANI, the number of tourists to these cities surged by over 30% in the past year. The Uttar Pradesh tourism department estimates that the state earned over ₹20,000 crore from pilgrimage-related travel in 2024. This has also helped small businesses, from street food vendors to handicraft sellers, along with the workers in the hospitality industry. 

As per Bloomberg, India’s spiritual tourism market is expected to be worth about $59 billion by 2028 and employ 100 million people in the industry. Varanasi alone witnessed a surge of 1500% tourists from 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's endorsement and encouragement have helped a massive boost of religious-based tourism in the country. As per local tourism data, Ayodhya has been averaging more than 1.5 million visitors per month.

Not just in Uttar Pradesh, the tourism industry is flourishing across the country. As per EY data, $231 billion to India’s economy in 2023 was directly driven by tourism. The publication also suggests that the industry is likely to witness a growth of 12-15% over the next five years. In such a scenario, the large-scale road infrastructure project becomes a facilitator in the economic growth of the country. 

With the soon-to-be-launched Ganga Expressway, the ease of travel to the Spiritual Hub of India will become even more accessible. The Uttar Pradesh government, as well as the Central government have paid special attention to spiritual tourism in India's cultural and heritage destinations. Constant efforts are being made to position the state as a year-round pilgrimage hub. The improved road circuit will make tourism more practical than ever. This will likely prompt theyounger generation to embark on faith-based travel and connect them with their roots. 

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The Ganga Expressway will trim travel time from Meerut to Prayagraj from 11 hours to 6 hours and will save fuel by 30%. The route is expected to become operational from April 1.