Since PM Modi inaugurated the Hindu pilgrimage site of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor on the banks of the Ganges in 2021 in his constituency of Varanasi, more than 130 million tourists have visited the area, according to government data.

Apart from a $6 billion makeover of the northern city of Ayodhya

The creation of a new religious tourist centre (Ayodhya) with improved connectivity and infrastructure can create a meaningfully large economic impact,” the analysts wrote in a note.

Varanasi – by dying where Hindus believe to attain salvation and freedom from the cycle of birth and re-birth – have surged by up to 65%.