PATNA, Sept. 17 -- Airfares to Patna from several major cities have already exceeded Rs.10,000, over six weeks ahead of Diwali and Chhath, as demand begins to surge for Bihar's two largest festivals, officials said on Wednesday. On November 7, a day before Diwali, a one-way economy ticket from Delhi to Patna is priced at Rs.12,853 on MakeMyTrip, against a monthly average of about Rs.7,300 and the month's lowest fare of Rs.6,322. The corresponding fare from Mumbai is Rs.16,999, up from the monthly average of Rs.9,068 and a low of Rs.8,080. Fares from Chennai and Hyderabad are higher. A Chennai-Patna ticket costs Rs.17,008, against a monthly average of Rs.8,438 and a monthly low of Rs.7,283. From Hyderabad, the fare is Rs.17,602, compared with an average of Rs.9,607 and a low of Rs.7,039. A Chandigarh-Patna ticket on the same day costs Rs.13,127, against a monthly average of Rs.8,028 and a low of Rs.7,181. Kolkata is the only one among the major routes considered where the fare remains below Rs.10,000, at Rs.5,655 around Diwali, although this is well above the monthly low of Rs.3,795. The fares are marginally lower on November 12, a day before the four-day Chhath festival. A one-way ticket to Patna costs Rs.10,639 from Delhi, Rs.15,118 from Mumbai, Rs.10,934 from Chennai, Rs.16,336 from Hyderabad and Rs.11,128 from Chandigarh. The Kolkata-Patna fare rises to Rs.9,150. The current fares, however, remain below the peaks witnessed around the festivals last year, officials said. According to Patna-based IATA-approved travel agent Kumud Ranjan of Mamta Travels & Caterers, Delhi-Patna fares had touched Rs.22,000-Rs.25,000 last year around Diwali and Chhath, while fares from Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad had peaked at Rs.25,000-Rs.30,000. "Air fares are gradually increasing around Diwali and Chhath. In Bihar, incoming fares generally peak about a month before a festival, particularly Holi, Diwali and Chhath, and rise again immediately after the festival," Ranjan said. He said because of dynamic pricing, fares can rise sharply once the passenger load on a flight crosses about 70% of its capacity. The increase this year, therefore, is being closely watched as the festival season approaches, he added. With demand expected to intensify, passengers planning to fly to Patna may face higher fares if they delay booking....