Rath Yatra 2025: 'All Hotels And Lodges In Puri Fully Booked' For Lord Jagannath's Chariot Festival; Admin Warns Against Overcharging
All hotels and lodges in Puri are already fully booked for Rath Yatra, informed Puri Hotel Association, days before the commencement of the chariot festival.
Published : June 10, 2025 at 6:08 PM IST
Puri: With Mahaprabhu Jagannath's annual Rath Yatra scheduled for June 27, the Puri Hotel Association has informed that all hotels and lodges in the pilgrim town are already fully booked for the season, with bookings done as early as two months before the commencement of the festival.
Owing to the facility of online booking, many pilgrims and tourists have booked rooms well in advance to avoid the usual spike in prices during the festival.
Puri Hotel Association President Raj Kishore Patra said that usually, the room charges almost triple during Rath Yatra compared to normal days. As per reports, room rates in Puri range from Rs 2000 in smaller lodges to Rs 17,000 in luxury hotels. "Since the room prices are high during the Rath Yatra, tourists have booked rooms two months in advance to avail rooms at the right price," Patra said.
As thousands of devotees are expected to congregate for the grand chariot festival of the Holy Trinity, local authorities have warned hoteliers against overcharging while asking them to take steps to ensure safety and compliance.
Puri in Odisha houses around 1100-1200 hotels, lodges, guest houses, and homestays. While major hotels such as Hotel Taj, Swosti Resort and Holiday Resort maintain stable price, with tariffs ranging from Rs 5000 to Rs 17,000, many smaller hotels and lodges offer fixed three-day packages during and after Rath Yatra, including Suna Besha and Bahuda Yatra of the sibling deities.
With an international airport in the pipeline, Patra expressed optimism about significant boost in tourism in the future. "Around 20-25 renowned hotels are likely to open in the next five years," he added.
On the other hand, hotelier Shrimanta Dash has urged other hotel owners not to exploit visitors by inflating prices. "Overcharging tourists is unethical and harms the reputation of Jagannath Dham. It could negatively impact Odisha's tourism industry," he said, asking the district administration to take strict action against violators.
Meanwhile, security arrangements have been strengthened in an around the holy town. Central Range IG Praveen Kumar said that all hotel owners must report suspicious activities and ensure that all guests carry valid ID cards. A special meeting will be held with hotel owners to issue safety guidelines, he said.
On several illegal lodges operating in the city, Puri District Magistrate Siddhartha Shankar Swain said that the local civic body authorities have been asked to identify such establishments and initiate necessary action. "Strict legal action will be taken against those running hotels and lodges without a valid trade license," the official warned.
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