Instant karma has emerged as the driving force behind Delhi’s multimillion-dollar realty industry, with religious tourism turning the twin towns of Haridwar-Rishikesh into hot spots for developers, industry trackers say.

With the two holy cities located just 200 kilometres from the national capital, Haridwar and Rishikesh are fast becoming a favourite destination for residents of Delhi and adjoining areas looking for a bit of quick spiritualism.

"Most of our flats are purchased by the residents of Noida-Gurgaon who visit a couple of times in a year to get a taste of spirituality," says the manager of Gayatrilok Apartments on the Haridwar-Roorkee highway.

Today, it is not only the local developers who are reaping benefits but also big players such as Super Tech, DLF and Sahara, who have forayed into construction of shopping malls. For instance, the Deep Ganga group of Delhi has already tapped 75 per cent of projects.

Vardhman group and velvet exporter Rishabh Veleveleen are investing $1 billion to develop a new township, Vardhmanpuram, which will have customized villas and interiors.

"Hardwar, being an important religious place on the world map, has good growth prospects. Statistics show that religious towns in India at large are witnessing more than a 45 per cent annual rise in property prices against the average 25 to 30 per cent in tier-II cities," says Vardhman’s U.C. Jain.

The township will "blend" spiritual living with modern features like theatres, swimming pools and spas.