During a press conference in Kolkata, the company said it will invest rupees 180 crores in its first five hotels in five major pilgrimage locations, namely Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Dwarka (Gujrat), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) and Katra (Jammu and Kashmir).

The hotels are expected to be operational within next 30 months.

Managing Director of Daiwik Hotels Debashis Ghosal said: "Daiwik Hotels aims to align the pilgrimage with leisure holiday to provide a stress free experience to the pilgrim.

"The company plans to change and redefine the pilgrimage tourism landscape in India by creating a unique brand of hotels catering to every distinctive necessity of a pilgrim."

Ghosal who had previously pioneered the concept of multiplexes in Eastern India with the launch of 89 Cinemas is now exploring the pilgrimage hospitality sector in India.

A bunch of select facilities will be offered to the pilgrims including pilgrim assist desk to provide reliable information on the rituals, ceremonies and timings; temple guide to facilitate guest darshans and pujas; and activity room for organizing satsangs, hymns.

Targeted at the middle-income group, Daiwik Hotels proposes to be a complete brand that takes out the entire stress of pilgrimage.

"We are targeting the middle-class who want all the trappings of a luxury hotel but at an affordable price" said Ghosal.

Apart from providing international quality hotel infrastructure and services, Daiwik Hotels intends to provide a never before holistic pilgrimage experience to the consumers