AYODHYA: The Uttar Pradesh government will start helicopter services to Ayodhya from six districts in the state by the end of this month, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The services will be started from Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Mathura and Agra.

Helicopter services will be started from Lucknow later this month, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Mukesh Meshram told PTI. He added that the government has fixed the fare for the services.

In addition to this, the state government is also introducing an aerial darshan of Ayodhya and the Ram temple there, Meshram said. For this, helicopter rides will start from a helipad near the tourism guesthouse along the banks of the Saryu river.

People interested in the aerial darshan will have to make advance bookings, the official said.

The aerial tour will cover the Ram temple, Hanumangarhi and Saryu ghat among other places and its duration has been fixed for a maximum of 15 minutes, officials said and that the fare would be Rs 3,539 per person.

The helicopter service from Gorakhpur to Ayodhya would cover 126 km in 40 minutes and the fare has been fixed at Rs 11,327 per person, according to the officials.

From Varanasi and Lucknow, the fare would be Rs 14,159 per person for a 55-minute and 45-minute flight, respectively. The officials said a fare of Rs 14,159 per person would be charged from Prayagraj for a 50-minute flight, from Mathura and Agra, Rs 35,399 per person for a 135-minute flight.