NRI devotees take airlines to new high

Thiruvananthapuram: With the hill shrine of Sabarimala in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district attracting more devotees each year, including an increasing number from abroad, it is not just the Travancore Devaswom Board that is feeling financially blessed.
The airline sector is now gaining the benefits of a significant number of pilgrims taking the aerial route on their pilgrimage to Kochi, or Thiruvananthapuram, the nearest airports to Sabarimala.
Airline officials say there is now a significant number of NRIs who are making the annual pilgrimage to Sabarimala, particularly from east Asia, most of who fly into Chennai on their way to Kerala.
Travel agency sources say these pilgrims are mainly from countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka, boosting the revenues of carriers operating in these sectors during the Sabarimala pilgrim season, from November to January.
12/12/06 Economic Times

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