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West Bengal's Digha sees hotel rates soar ahead of first Rath Yatra: Temple tourism drives demand; officials warn hoteliers over overcharging
KOLKATA/DIGHA: The rush of devotees to participate in the first Rath Yatra in Digha after the inauguration of the Jagannath temple has triggered an unprecedented demand for accommodation in the seaside town.
The average room tariff, which had jumped by 50% in May after the temple's inauguration, has nearly doubled ahead of Rath Yatra.
Complaints of a 10-fold hike in rates at some hotels have prompted the district administration to ask hoteliers to display tariff charts and warn that any attempt to charge higher tariffs will att-ract fines of up to Rs 1 lakh.
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The Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India has also asked its members to refrain from making an overkill.
'We want hotel tariffs to be sustainable. For the sanctity of business, we have urged our members to keep tariffs moderate,' said HRAEI president Sudesh Poddar.
Sources said the crackdown by the district administration followed allegations that some hotels were charging Rs 3,000 for non-AC rooms that could be booked for Rs 300 on weekdays. While the association claimed hotels were adhering to the administration's directive, privately hoteliers acknowledged that rates had gone up.
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Hoteliers say the Jagannath temple has transformed Digha's hospitality sector, triggering an expansion in anticipation of a surge in demand. In May, hotel tariffs on weekends crossed record levels, with a suite in one hotel going for Rs 20,000 per night.
'The temple has changed the business landscape. We are seeing a new trend of visitors combining pilgrimage with beach tourism, leading to extended stay and increased spending,' said Bipradas Chatterjee, joint secretary of Digha Hoteliers Association.
The town now boasts 850 hotels, including 100 premium properties in New Digha, with the capacity to accommodate about 80,000 guests daily. The hospitality sector has also expanded geographically, with new hotels emerging along the Odisha border in view of the growing visitor influx. This expansion has also created employment opportunities, contributing to the local economy. However, the visitor surge has led to infrastructural challenges, with periodic traffic congestion becoming common during morning and evening hours.
The temple's impact extends beyond just occupancy rates, as hotels report increased revenue from associated services like restaurants and local tourism packages. Radhagobinda Bhojanaalaya, one of the very few pure vegetarian restaurants in Digha, has seen demand skyrocket in the past month and half.
'We used to get about 30 customers earlier. But since the temple was inaugurated, we are struggling to serve around 300 customers daily.
We can can seat only 28 people at a time. We are looking for a bigger place. We have already doubled our staff,' said Rajat Kumar Dutta, son of owner Laksmikanta Dutta.
At the temple's gate no. 6, a dedicated offerings stall is also doing great business. 'A packet of offerings contains six peda and two gaja, priced at Rs 100. Over 100 packets are sold daily, and seven to eight employees are working on packing and selling these offerings,' said Raj Agarwal, the stall supervisor.
Local resident Ranjit Jana from Dahodaya village offers sandalwood tilak to visitors. 'The temple is open from 6 am to 8 pm daily, with a break from 1 pm to 3 pm. If pilgrims want, I apply sandalwood tilak on their foreheads. The donations they give are much more than what I used to earn as a labourer,' he said.
