Lok Sabha Question No. 100 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-03
Subject: Rejuvenation of Religious Sites
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Dr. Nishikant Dubey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.100 ANSWERED ON 03.02.2025

## REJUVENATION OF RELIGIOUS SITES

100.  DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps for rejuvenation of religious sites for boosting tourism in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of the projected boost in religious tourism due to the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) & (b): The Ministry  of  Tourism  under  the  'Pilgrimage  Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive' (PRASHAD) scheme provides  financial  assistance  to  the  State  Governments  and  Union Territory  Administrations  for  development  of  tourism  infrastructure  at important  pilgrimage  and  heritage  destinations.  A  total  of  47  projects has been sanctioned in 27 States/UTs with estimated cost of Rs.1594.40 crore.

Details of the projects sanctioned under the PRASHAD Scheme is given in the annexure.

- (c): As  per  information  received  from  the  State  Government  of  Uttar Pradesh,  there  is  substantial  increase  in  religious  tourism  to  Ayodhya after construction of Ram Mandir. As per tourism statistics of Ayodhya, the total number of visitors to the district has risen from 6,022,618 in the year 2020 to 164,419,522 in the year 2024.

*********

ANNEXURE

STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.100 ANSWERED ON 03.02.2025 REGARDING REJUVENATION OF RELIGIOUS SITES RAISED BY DR. NISHIKANT DUBEY:

## List of projects sanctioned under PRASHAD Scheme

(in Rs. Crore)

| State/UT          |   S. No. | Project Name                                                                                            | Sanction Year   |   Approved Cost |
|-------------------|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Andhra Pradesh    |        1 | Development of Pilgrim Amenities at Amaravati                                                           | 2015-16         |           27.77 |
| Andhra Pradesh    |        2 | Development of Srisailam Temple                                                                         | 2017-18         |           43.08 |
| Andhra Pradesh    |        3 | Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narsimha Swami VariDevasthanam at Simhachalam | 2022-23         |           54.04 |
| Andhra Pradesh    |        4 | Development of Pilgrimage Tourism Infrastructure in Annavaram Temple Town                               | 2024-25         |           25.33 |
| Arunachal Pradesh |        5 | Development of ParshuramKund                                                                            | 2020-21         |           37.88 |
| Assam             |        6 | Development of Pilgrimage amenities at Kamakhya Temple                                                  | 2015-16         |           29.8  |
| Bihar             |        7 | Development at Patna Sahib                                                                              | 2015-16         |           29.62 |
| Bihar             |        8 | Development of basic facilities at Vishnupad temple                                                     | 2014-15         |            3.63 |
| Chhattisgarh      |        9 | Development of Pilgrimage amenities at Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple                                      | 2020-21         |           48.44 |
| Goa               |       10 | Development of Bom Jesus Basilica                                                                       | 2024-25         |           16.46 |
| Gujarat           |       11 | Development of Dwarka                                                                                   | 2016-17         |           10.46 |
| Gujarat           |       12 | Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Somnath                                                          | 2016-17         |           45.36 |
| Gujarat           |       13 | Development of Promenade at Somnath                                                                     | 2018-19         |           47.12 |
| Gujarat           |       14 | Development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Ambaji Temple                                                   | 2022-23         |           50    |
| Haryana           |       15 | Development of Mata Mansa                                                                               | 2019-20         |           48.53 |

|                   |    | Devi Temple and Nada SahebGurudwara                                                                                        |         |       |
|-------------------|----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|-------|
| Jammu and Kashmir | 16 | Development at Hazratbal Shrine                                                                                            | 2016-17 | 40.46 |
| Jharkhand         | 17 | Development of Baba BaidyaNathDham                                                                                         | 2018-19 | 36.79 |
| Karnataka         | 18 | Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Sri Chamundeshwari Devi Temple                                                      | 2023-24 | 45.71 |
| Kerala            | 19 | Development at Guruvayur Temple                                                                                            | 2016-17 | 45.19 |
| Madhya            | 20 | Development of Amarkantak                                                                                                  | 2020-21 | 49.99 |
| Pradesh           | 21 | Development of Omkareshwar                                                                                                 | 2017-18 | 43.93 |
| Maharashtra       | 22 | Development of Trimbakeshwar                                                                                               | 2017-18 | 42.18 |
| Meghalaya         | 23 | Development of Pilgrimage Facilitation at Nongswalia Church, Nartiang Shakti Peeth, Aitnar Pool and Charantala Kali Temple | 2020-21 | 29.29 |
| Mizoram           | 24 | Development of Infrastructure for Pilgrimage and Heritage Tourism at ChiteVang, Zuangtai, Reiek and Aizawl                 | 2022-23 | 44.89 |
| Nagaland          | 25 | Development of Pilgrimage Infrastructure at Molungkimong, NoksenChurch, Aizuto, Wokha and Kohima                           | 2018-19 | 25.2  |
| Nagaland          | 26 | Development of Pilgrimage Tourism Infrastructure at Zunheboto                                                              | 2022-23 | 18.18 |
| Odisha            | 27 | Infrastructure Development at Puri                                                                                         | 2014-15 | 50    |
| Punjab            | 28 | Development of KarunaSagar Valmiki Sthal at Amritsar                                                                       | 2015-16 |  6.4  |
| Punjab            | 29 | Development of Chamkaur Sahib                                                                                              | 2021-22 | 31.57 |
| Rajasthan         | 30 | Integrated Development of Pushkar/Ajmer                                                                                    | 2015-16 | 32.64 |
| Sikkim            | 31 | Development of Pilgrimage                                                                                                  | 2020-21 | 33.32 |

|               |    | Facilitation at Four Patron Saints, Yuksom                                                    |         |       |
|---------------|----|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|-------|
| Tamil Nadu    | 32 | Development of Kanchipuram                                                                    | 2016-17 | 13.99 |
|               | 33 | Development of Velankanni                                                                     | 2016-17 |  4.86 |
| Telangana     | 34 | Development of Jogulamba Devi Temple                                                          | 2020-21 | 38.9  |
|               | 35 | Development of Pilgrimage and Heritage Tourism Infrastructure at Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple | 2022-23 | 62    |
|               | 36 | Development of Pilgrimage Infrastructure at Bhadrachalam                                      | 2022-23 | 41.38 |
| Tripura       | 37 | Development of Tripura Sundari Temple                                                         | 2020-21 | 34.43 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 38 | Development of Varanasi - Phase - I                                                           | 2015-16 | 18.73 |
|               | 39 | Development of Mathura- Vrindavan as Mega Tourist Circuit (Ph-II)                             | 2014-15 | 10.98 |
|               | 40 | Development of River Cruise Tourism at Varanasi                                               | 2017-18 |  9.02 |
|               | 41 | Construction of Tourist Facilitation Centre at Vrindavan                                      | 2014-15 |  9.36 |
|               | 42 | Development of Varanasi - Phase II                                                            | 2017-18 | 44.6  |
|               | 43 | Development of Infrastructure facilities at Govardhan                                         | 2018-19 | 37.59 |
| Uttarakhand   | 44 | Integrated Development of Kedarnath                                                           | 2015-16 | 34.77 |
|               | 45 | Development of Infrastructure for Pilgrimage Facilitation in Badrinath Ji Dham                | 2018-19 | 56.15 |
|               | 46 | Augmentation of Pilgrimage Infrastructure Facilities at Gangotri and YamunotriDham            | 2021-22 | 54.36 |
| West Bengal   | 47 | Development of Belur Math                                                                     | 2016-17 | 30.03 |

*******