Lok Sabha Question No. 3797 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-19
Subject: Promotion of Religious Tourism
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: CHINTAMANI MALVIYA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†3797 ANSWERED ON 19.03.2018

## PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS TOURISM

†3797. PROF. CHINTAMANI MALVIYA:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is implementing/proposes to implement  any  scheme  to  promote  religious  tourism  in  the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to promote religious tourism in Ujjain and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government proposes to interlink/connect various religious places in the country with each other and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI K.J. ALPHONS)

(a) and (b): The Ministry of Tourism, promotes India in a holistic manner  and  as  part  of    its  ongoing  activities,  annually  releases global  print,  electronic  and  online  media  campaigns  in    important and potential markets overseas, under the 'Incredible India' brandline, to promote various tourism destinations  and  products  of the country, including religious tourism. Promotions are also undertaken through  the  website  and  Social  Media  accounts  of  the  Ministry. Besides,  the  Ministry  of  Tourism  under  its  scheme  of  PRASHAD  National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation  Drive,  is  also  developing  infrastructural  facilities  at religious  places  in  the  country.  Under  the  PRASHAD  Scheme, Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned Rs 40.67 crore for the 'Development of Omkareshwar' in Madhya Pradesh in 2017-18.

(c): For the development of tourism infrastructure in the country, the  Ministry  of  Tourism  has  launched  the  Swadesh  Darshan  Integrated  Development of Theme Based Tourist Circuits Scheme. Spiritual  Circuit,  Buddhist  Circuit,  Ramayana  Circuit  and  Krishna Circuit are part of the 15 thematic Circuits identified for development in the country. The details of the projects sanctioned under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme as Spiritual Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Krishna Circuit are given in Annexure.

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ANNEXURE

STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (C)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†3797 ANSWERED ON 19.03.2018 REGARDING PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS TOURISM.

THE DETAILS OF PROJECTS SANCTIONED FOR DEVELOPMENT UNDER SWADESH  DARSHAN  SCHEME  AS  SPIRITUAL  CIRCUIT,  RAMAYANA CIRCUIT, KRISHNA CIRCUIT AND BUDDHIST CIRCUIT DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS

A. SPIRITUAL CIRCUIT (Rs. in crore)

|   Sl. No. | Name of State   | Name of Circuit & Year      | Project Name                                                                                                                                                            |   Amt. Sanctioned |   Amt. Released |
|-----------|-----------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|         1 | Kerala          | Spiritual Circuit (2016-17) | Development of Sabarimala - Erumeli-Pampa- Sannidhanam as a Spiritual Circuit in District Pathanamthitta, Kerala.                                                       |             99.99 |           20    |
|         2 | Manipur         | Spiritual Circuit (2016-17) | Development of Spiritual Circuit - Shri Govindajee Temple, Shri Bijoy Govindajee Temple - Shri Gopinath Temple - Shri Bungshibodon Temple - Shri Kaina Temple, Manipur. |             53.8  |           24.24 |
|         3 | Kerala          | Spiritual Circuit (2016-17) | Development of Sree Padmanabha Arnamula-Sabrimala- as a Spiritual Circuit in Kerala                                                                                     |             92.44 |           18.49 |
|         4 | Bihar           | Spiritual circuit (2016-17) | Development of Jain Circuit: Vaishali- Arrah-Masad-Patna- Rajgir-Pawapuri- Champapuri as Spiritual Circuit in                                                           |             52.39 |           24.06 |

|    |               |                             | Bihar.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |   52.35 |   24.05 |
|----|---------------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|---------|
|  6 | Uttar Pradesh | Spiritual Circuit (2016-17) | Development of Spiritual Circuit (Shahjahanpur- Allahabad-Basti- Ahar-Aligharh- Kasgunj-Sarosi- Pratapgarh-Unnao- Kaushambi- Mirzapur-Gorakpur- Kairana- Doamriyagunj- Bagpat-Barabanki-                                       |   76    |   15.2  |
|  7 | Uttar Pradesh | Spiritual Circuit (2016-17) | Azamgarh) Development of Spiritual Circuit - II(Bijnor- Meerut- Kanpur- Kanpur                                                                                                                                                 |   62.96 |   12.59 |
|  8 | Rajasthan     | Spiritual Circuit (2016-17) | Ghosi- Balia- Ambedkar Nagar- Aligarh- Fatehpur- Deoria- Mahoba- Sonbhadra- Chandauli- Mishrikh- Bhadohi) in Uttar Pradesh under Swadesh Darshan Scheme Development of Spiritual Circuit- Churu (Salasar Balaji)- Jaipur (Shri |   93.9  |   18.78 |

|       |            |                             | Bandheke Balaji)- Alwar (Pandupole Hanumanji, Bharathari)- Viratnagar (Bijak, Jainnasiya, Ambika Temple)- Bharatpur (Kaman Region)- Dholpur (Muchkund) - Mehandipur Balaji- Chittorgarh (Sanwaliyaji) in Rajasthan under Swadesh Darshan scheme   |        |        |
|-------|------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------|
| 9.    | Puducherry | Spiritual Circuit (2017-18) | Development of Spiritual Circuit in Puducherry under Swadesh Darshan Scheme                                                                                                                                                                       |  40.68 |   8.14 |
| 10    | Bihar      | Spiritual Circuit (2017-18) | Dvelopment of Mandar Development Hill & Ang Pradesh under Spiritual Circuit theme of Swadesh Darshan Scheme.                                                                                                                                      |  53.49 |  10.7  |
| Total | Total      | Total                       | Total                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 678    | 176.25 |

- B. BUDDHIST CIRCUIT (Rs. in crore)
- C. KRISHNA CIRCUIT (Rs. in crore)
- D. RAMAYANA CIRCUIT (Rs. in crore)

|   Sl. No. | Name of State   | Name of Circuit & Year     | Project Name                                                                            |   Amt. Sanctioned |   Amt. Released |
|-----------|-----------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|         1 | Madhya Pradesh  | Buddhist Circuit (2016-17) | Development of Buddhist Circuit in Sanchi-Satna- Rewa-Mandsaur- Dhar in Madhya Pradesh. |             74.94 |           14.99 |
|         2 | Uttar Pradesh   | Buddhist Circuit (2016-17) | 'Development of Buddhist Circuit - Srawasti, Kushinagar, & Kapilvastu in Uttar          |             99.97 |           19.99 |

|       |                |                            | Pradesh.                                                                                                                                                                            |        |       |
|-------|----------------|----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|-------|
| 3.    | Bihar          | Buddhist Circuit (2016-17) | Construction of Cultural Centre adjacent to Maya Sarovar on the western side at Bodhgaya, Bihar                                                                                     |  98.73 | 19.75 |
| 4.    | Gujarat        | Buddhist circuit (2017-18) | Development of Buddhist circuit: Junagadh- Gir- Somnath- Bharuch-Kutch- Bhavnagar- Rajkot- Mehsana in Gujarat under Swadesh Darshan scheme                                          |  35.99 |  7.2  |
| 5.    | Andhra Pradesh | Buddhist Circuit (2017-18) | Development of Buddhist Circuit: Shalihundam- Thotlakonda- Bavikonda- Bojjanakonda- Amravati- Anupu in Andhra Pradesh under the theme of Buddhist Circuit of Swadesh Darshan Scheme |  52.34 | 10.47 |
| Total | Total          | Total                      | Total                                                                                                                                                                               | 361.97 | 72.4  |

|   Sl. No. | Name of State   | Name of Circuit & Year    | Project Name                                                                                     |   Amt. Sanctioned |   Amt. Released |
|-----------|-----------------|---------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
|         1 | Haryana         | Krishna Circuit (2016-17) | Development of Tourism Infrastructures at places related to Mahabharata in Kurukshetra, Haryana. |             97.35 |           19.47 |
|         2 | Rajasthan       | Krishna                   | Integrated                                                                                       |             91.45 |           18.29 |

| Circuit (2016-17)   | Development of Govind Dev ji temple (Jaipur), Khatu Shyam Ji (Sikar) and Nathdwara (Rajsamand) in Rajasthan.   |       |       |
|---------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------|-------|
|                     | Total                                                                                                          | 188.8 | 37.76 |

| SL. No.   | Name of State   | Name of Circuit & Year     | Project Name                                                                    |   Amt. Sanctioned |   Amt. Released |
|-----------|-----------------|----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|-----------------|
| 1.        | Uttar Pradesh   | Ramayana Circuit (2016-17) | Development of Chitrakoot and Shringverpur as Ramayana Circuit in Uttar Pradesh |             69.45 |           13.89 |
| 2.        | Uttar Pradesh   | Ramayana Circuit (2017-18) | Development of Ayodhya under Ramayana Circuit theme of Swadesh Darshan Scheme   |            133.31 |           23.53 |
| Total     | Total           | Total                      | Total                                                                           |            202.76 |           37.42 |

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