Lok Sabha Question No. 1399 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Ramayana and Buddhist Circuits in Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Shri Jagdambika Pal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1399 ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## RAMAYANA AND BUDDHIST CIRCUITS IN UTTAR PRADESH

## 1399. SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) the  present  status  of  development  of  the  Ramayana  Circuit  and Buddhist  Circuit  in  Uttar  Pradesh  under  the  Swadesh  Darshan Scheme, including the key sites covered in the State;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  any  comprehensive  plan  to  develop Siddharthnagar,  as  an  important  destination  under  the  Buddhist Circuit; and
- (c) the details of the funds allocated and utilised for improving tourism infrastructure, connectivity and visitor facilities under the Ramayana  and  Buddhist  Circuits  in  Uttar  Pradesh  during  the  last three years and the current year?

## ANSWER

(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

THE MINISTER OF TOURISM

- (a) to (c): Development and promotion of tourism destinations and products  including  destination  planning  is  primarily  undertaken  by  the concerned State Government (SG)/Union Territory Administration (UTA). In order to complement the efforts of tourism infrastructure development in the  country,  Ministry  of  Tourism  launched  its  Swadesh  Darshan  scheme (SDS)  in  2014-15  and  sanctioned  76  projects  for  Rs.5290.33  Crore  under identified  thematic  circuits  including  Ramayana  Circuit  and  Buddhist Circuit.  The  projects  sanctioned  under  Swadesh  Darshan  scheme  in Ramayana  and  Buddhist  Circuits  in  the  State  of  Uttar  Pradesh are physically  complete.  The  details  of  projects  sanctioned  in  the  State  of Uttar  Pradesh  under  various  thematic  circuits  including  Ramayana  and Buddhist Circuits in Swadesh Darshan Scheme is annexed.

Government  of  India  under  its  'Special  Assistance  to  States  for Capital  Investment  (SASCI) -Development  of  Iconic  Tourist  Centres  to Global Scale' scheme, has also sanctioned projects in the country with the primary objective to comprehensively develop iconic tourist centres in the country, branding and marketing them at global scale. Under this scheme, the  project  'Integrated  Buddhist  Tourism  Development  in  Shrawasti'  has been sanctioned in 2024-25 for Rs.80.24 Crore.

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## ANNEXURE

STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1399 ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026 REGARDING RAMAYANA AND BUDDHIST CIRCUITS  IN  UTTAR  PRADESH  RAISED  BY  SHRI  JAGDAMBIKA PAL

Details of projects sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan Scheme in the State of Uttar Pradesh

|   Sl. No . | State/UT      | Circuit / Sanction Year   | Name of the Project                                                                                                                                                     |   Amount Sanctioned (₹ Cr.) |   Amount Released /Authorised (₹ Cr.) |   Amount Utilised (₹ Cr.) |
|------------|---------------|---------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------|
|          1 | Uttar Pradesh | Buddhist Circuit 2016-17  | Development of Srawasti, Kushinagar, &Kapilwastu                                                                                                                        |                       87.89 |                                 72.56 |                     68.43 |
|          2 | Uttar Pradesh | Ramayan a Circuit 2016-17 | Development of Chitrakoot and Shringverpur                                                                                                                              |                       69.45 |                                 64.09 |                     56.03 |
|          3 | Uttar Pradesh | Spiritual Circuit 2016-17 | Development of Ahar-Aligarh- Kasganj-Sarosi (Unnao)- Pratapgarh- Kausambi- Mirzapur- Gorakhpur- Domariyaganj- Basti-Barabanki- Azamgarh- Kairana- Baghpat- Shahjahanpur |                       71.91 |                                 69.63 |                     69.63 |
|          4 | Uttar Pradesh | Spiritual Circuit 2016-17 | Development of Bijnor- Meerut- Kanpur- Kanpur Dehat- Banda- Ghazipur- Salempur- Ghosi-                                                                                  |                       67.51 |                                 64.14 |                     63.62 |

|    |               |                           | Balia- Ambedkar Nagar- Aligarh- Fatehpur- Deoria- Mahoba- Sonbhadra- Chandauli- Mishrikh- Bhadohi                                                                |        |        |        |
|----|---------------|---------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|
|  5 | Uttar Pradesh | Heritage Circuit 2016-17  | Development of Kalinjar Fort (Banda)- MagharDham(Sa ntKabir Nagar)- ChauriChaura, Shaheed Sthal (Fatehpur)- MahuarshaheedS thal (Ghosi)- Shaheed Smarak (Meerut) |  36.65 |  36.65 |  36.65 |
|  6 | Uttar Pradesh | Ramayan a Circuit 2017-18 | Development of Ayodhya                                                                                                                                           | 127.21 | 115.46 | 113.22 |
|  7 | Uttar Pradesh | Spiritual Circuit 2018-19 | Development of Jewar-Dadri- Sikandrabad- Noida-Khurja- Banda                                                                                                     |  12.03 |  11.43 |  11.43 |
|  8 | Uttar Pradesh | Spiritual Circuit 2018-19 | Development of Gorakhnath Temple (Gorakhpur), Devipattan Temple (Balrampur) and Vatvashni Temple (Domariyagunj)                                                  |  18.3  |  18.12 |  18.12 |

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