Lok Sabha Question No. 5037 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Development and Promotion of Buddhist Tourism Circuits
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5037

## ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026

## DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF

## BUDDHIST TOURISM CIRCUITS

## 5037. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) the current status of Buddhist tourism circuit, as envisaged under the  Swadesh Darshan Scheme, including the number of identified Buddhist  heritage  sites  being  developed  along  with  the  Central Financial Assistance (CFA) allocated for infrastructure upgradation, interpretation centres and tourist amenities;
- (b) the details of initiatives taken by the Government to promote interState and international connectivity among major Buddhist pilgrimage  destinations  such  as  Sarnath,  Kushinagar,  Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Bodh Gaya and Rajgir to attract domestic and foreign tourists;
- (c) the details of annual domestic and international tourist footfall at principal Buddhist Circuit destinations in India, particularly in Bihar along with associated economic and employment impact; and
- (d) the details of specific measures to enhance tourism-related employment,  capacity  building  of  tourist  guides  and  sustainable heritage conservation to elevate India's position as a premier global Buddhist tourism hub?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a)  to  (d):  Development  and  promotion  of  tourism  destinations  and products, including Buddhist pilgrimage destination, is primarily undertaken by the  concerned  State  Governments  (SGs)/Union  Territory Administrations  (UTAs).  However,  the  Ministry  of  Tourism  through  its central sector schemes of 'Swadesh Darshan (SD)', 'Swadesh Darshan 2.0

(SD2.0)',  'Challenge  Based  Destination  Development  (CBDD)'  a  subscheme  of  SD2.0  and  'Pilgrimage  Rejuvenation  and  Spiritual,  Heritage Augmentation  Drive  (PRASHAD)'  complements  the  efforts  of  tourism infrastructure development by extending financial assistance to the State Governments/UT  Administrations; subject to adherence to  scheme guidelines, submission of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), availability of funds, Government directions, inter-se priority etc.

The Ministry had launched the Swadesh Darshan Scheme (SDS) in 2014-15  for  integrated  development  of  tourism  infrastructure  under identified  thematic  circuits,  including  the  Buddhist  Circuit.  Under  the Scheme, projects were sanctioned across different States with a total outlay of ₹5290.33 crore and have been implemented in accordance with the scheme guidelines.

In  addition,  Government  of  India  under  its  initiative  for  'Special Assistance  to  States  for  Capital  Investment  (SASCI) -Development  of Iconic  Tourist  Centres  to  Global  Scale'  scheme,  has  also  provided financial assistance to the States in the year 2024-25 for development of tourism projects.

The details of projects sanctioned under SD, SD2.0, CBDD, PRASHAD and  SASCI  schemes  at  Buddhist  sites  across  India,  are  placed  at Annexure-I.

The Ministry  undertakes  promotion  of  tourism  destinations  of  the country, including Buddhist sites, through various ongoing initiatives such as participation in domestic and international travel exhibitions and fairs, organisation  of  familiarisation  (FAM)  tours,  stakeholder  engagement, support  to  States/UTs  for  organising  fairs  and  festivals,  and  digital outreach through official platforms.

The  Ministry  also  engages  with  neighbouring  countries  such  as Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Thailand under the framework of international  tourism  cooperation,  including  for  promotion  of  Buddhist tourism.

Connectivity  to  major  Buddhist  destinations  such  as  Kushinagar, Bodh  Gaya,  Rajgir,  Nalanda,  Vaishali,  Sarnath  and  Shravasti  has  been augmented through development of air, rail and road infrastructure by the concerned  Ministries/Agencies.  The  international  airport  at  Kushinagar has facilitated improved air connectivity for pilgrims, while road connectivity has been strengthened through National Highways developed by the concerned authorities. Theme-based tourist trains are also operated covering important Buddhist destinations, including links with Lumbini. Ministry of Tourism compiles data on Domestic Tourist Visits (DTVs) and Foreign Tourist Visits (FTVs) based on information received from the respective State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. The Ministry  of  Tourism  does  not  maintain  destination-wise  data  on  the economic and employment impact of tourism. However, the total number of tourism jobs (direct and indirect) in the country for 2023-24 was 84.63 million. The total share of tourism in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2023-24 is estimated at 5.22%. The details of tourist visits in the State of Bihar, which houses principal Buddhist destinations such as Bodh Gaya,  Nalanda,  Rajgir,  and  Vaishali,  and  the  other  States/UTs  of  India including  in  the  state  of  Bihar  during  the  last  five  years  are  placed  at Annexure-II. Further, Ministry supports capacity building, skill development and ongoing programmes,  in  coordination  with  the  concerned  stakeholders  and  in

promotion of sustainable tourism practices through its accordance with the existing policy framework.

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ANNEXURE-I

STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5037 ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026 REGARDING DEVELOPMENT  AND  PROMOTION  OF  BUDDHIST  TOURISM  CIRCUITS RAISED BY SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY

The details of projects sanctioned under SD, SD2.0, CBDD, PRASHAD and SASCI schemes at Buddhist sites across India

|   S. No. | State/UT       | Scheme   | Sanction Year   | Name of the Project                                                                        |   Amount Sanctioned (₹ Cr ore) |
|----------|----------------|----------|-----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh | SD       | 2017-18         | Development of Buddhist Circuit: Shalihundam- Bavikonda- Bojjanakonda - Amravati- Anupu    |                          35.24 |
|        2 | Andhra Pradesh | CBDD     | 2024-25         | Enriching Buddhist Heritage and Cultural Experiences at Nagarjuna Sagar at Nagarjuna Sagar |                          25    |
|        3 | Andhra Pradesh | PRASHAD  | 2015-16         | Development of Pilgrim Amenities at Amaravati                                              |                          27.77 |
|        4 | Bihar          | SD       | 2016-17         | Development of Buddhist circuit- Construction of Convention Centre at Bodhgaya             |                          95.18 |
|        5 | Bihar          | SD 2.0   | 2024-25         | Buddhist Meditation& Experience Centre in Bodhgaya                                         |                         165.44 |
|        6 | Chhattisgarh   | PRASHAD  | 2020-21         | Development of Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple, Dongargarh,                                    |                          48.44 |

|    |                |         |         | Rajnandgaon District, Chhattisgarh                                               |       |
|----|----------------|---------|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------|
|  7 | Gujarat        | SD      | 2017-18 | Development of Junagadh- Gir Somnath- Bharuch- Kutch- Bhavnagar- Rajkot- Mehsana | 26.68 |
|  8 | Madhya Pradesh | SD      | 2016-17 | Development of Sanchi-Satna-Rewa- Mandsaur-Dhar                                  | 74.02 |
|  9 | Sikkim         | PRASHAD | 2020-21 | Development of Pilgrimage Facilitation at Four Patron Saints, Yuksom             | 33.32 |
| 10 | Uttar Pradesh  | SD      | 2016-17 | Development of Srawasti, Kushinagar, &Kapilwastu                                 | 87.89 |
| 11 | Uttar Pradesh  | PRASHAD | 2015-16 | Development of Varanasi                                                          | 18.73 |
| 12 | Uttar Pradesh  | SASCI   | 2024-25 | Integrated Buddhist Tourism Development in Shrawasti                             | 80.24 |
| 13 | Telangana      | CBDD    | 2024-25 | Buddhavanam - Development of Digital Experience Centre                           | 24.85 |

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## ANNEXURE-II

STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5037 ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026 REGARDING DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF BUDDHIST TOURISM CIRCUITS RAISED BY SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY

State wise Domestic and Foreign Tourist Visits (DTV & FTV) during 2021-2025

| States/UTs                | 2021 DTV    | 2021 FTV   | 2022 DTV     | 2022 FTV   | 2023 DTV     | 2023 FTV   | 2024 DTV     | 2024 FTV   | 2025 (DTV)   | 2025 (FTV)   |
|---------------------------|-------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|--------------|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 126,238     | 1,687      | 235,061      | 4,461      | 323,189      | 9,025      | 710,397      | 11,497     | 722,922      | 10,179       |
| Andhra Pradesh            | 93,277,56 9 | 27,551     | 192,716,7 21 | 165,84 5   | 254,706,32 8 | 60,42 6    | 290,266,45 2 | 262,43 1   | 333,827,7 59 | 226,31 1     |
| Arunachal Pradesh         | 102,915     | 182        | 222,437      | 1,055      | 1,040,601    | 4,496      | 869,912      | 4,714      | 794,190      | 4,288        |
| Assam                     | 1,409,16 1  | 536        | 8,382,003    | 9,001      | 7,612,720    | 23,81 8    | 7,608,16 9   | 27,170     | 9,102,89 0   | 32,042       |
| Bihar                     | 2,501,19 3  | 1,046      | 25,330,36 4  | 86,82 9    | 81,585,701   | 546,5 76   | 65,463,3 04  | 736,72 0   | 68,223,78 3  | 619,44 7     |
| Chandigarh                | 228,809     | 5,451      | 3,027,165    | 28,43 9    | 365,591      | 31,49 8    | 998,605      | 39,058     | 2,357,90 9   | 11,096       |
| Chhattisgarh              | 4,747,417   | 8          | 23,636,291   | 238        | 26,022,069   | 953        | 31,487,900   | 3,485      | 33,396,1 38  | 926          |
| Dadra Nagar Haveli &      | 661,222     | 185        | 799,602      | 1,791      | 1,004,327    | 4,048      | 1,358,901    | 2,626      | 3,856,126    | 9,099        |

| States/UTs       | 2021 DTV    | 2021 FTV   | 2022 DTV     | 2022 FTV   | 2023 DTV     | 2023 FTV   | 2024 DTV     | 2024 FTV   | 2025 (DTV)   | 2025 (FTV)   |
|------------------|-------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|--------------|
| Daman & Diu      |             |            |              |            |              |            |              |            |              |              |
| Delhi            | 10,642,4 77 | 100,1 78   | 27,186,20 9  | 815,7 13   | 39,414,6 22  | 1,828, 116 | 46,257,0 00  | 1,999, 410 | 46,257,0 00  | 1,999, 410   |
| Goa              | 3,308,08 9  | 22,12 8    | 7,011,992    | 174,7 99   | 8,175,46 0   | 452,6 92   | 9,941,28 6   | 467,91 1   | 10,314,5 48  | 551,27 2     |
| Gujarat          | 24,525,2 10 | 11,31 9    | 135,811,3 25 | 1,777, 215 | 178,066, 579 | 2,806, 871 | 184,014, 075 | 2,274, 477 | 217,075, 988 | 2,351, 261   |
| Haryana          | 2,025,45 0  | 4,578      | 2,108,496    | 2,439      | 2,012,16 2   | 1,346      | 1,892,25 1   | 543        | 1,718,01 9   | 1,007        |
| Himachal Pradesh | 5,632,27 0  | 4,932      | 15,070,94 4  | 29,33 3    | 15,942,1 18  | 62,80 6    | 18,041,9 29  | 82,765     | 13,350,7 48  | 81,570       |
| Jammu & Kashmir  | 11,314,9 20 | 1,650      | 18,499,33 2  | 19,98 5    | 20,679,3 36  | 55,33 7    | 23,012,7 07  | 65,452     | 17,604,4 03  | 39,306       |
| Jharkhand        | 3,383,64 2  | 1,637      | 38,284,37 9  | 192,3 19   | 35,776,1 02  | 189,26 1   | 54,040,7 89  | 45,273     | 62,650,3 54  | 13,616       |
| Karnataka        | 81,333,6 59 | 72,487     | 182,413,2 03 | 128,5 20   | 284,120, 502 | 409,3 33   | 304,563, 569 | 485,20 4   | 296,080, 878 | 500,21 9     |
| Kerala           | 7,537,61 7  | 60,487     | 18,867,41 4  | 345,5 49   | 21,871,6 41  | 649,0 57   | 22,246,9 89  | 738,37 4   | 24,337,0 46  | 793,30 0     |
| Lakshadw eep     | 13,500      | 4          | 22,844       | 125        | 45,796       | 755        | 67,430       | 898        | 61,252       | 628          |
| Madhya Pradesh   | 25,554,0 67 | 41,60 1    | 35,848,78 1  | 204,4 54   | 111,946, 409 | 182,6 85   | 133,176, 410 | 167,53 5   | 152,603, 121 | 187,94 0     |
| Maharashtra      | 43,569,2 38 | 185,6 43   | 111,297,6 24 | 1,511, 623 | 161,359, 527 | 3,387, 739 | 189,371, 541 | 3,705, 170 | 189,371, 541 | 3,705, 170   |

| States/UTs    | 2021 DTV     | 2021 FTV   | 2022 DTV     | 2022 FTV   | 2023 DTV     | 2023 FTV   | 2024 DTV     | 2024 FTV   | 2025 (DTV)     | 2025 (FTV)   |
|---------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|--------------|------------|----------------|--------------|
| Manipur       | 49,371       | 648        | 139,518      | 3,908      | 57,701       | 3,668      | 29,102       | 2,518      | 25,281         | 2,892        |
| Meghalaya     | 154,409      | 411        | 937,091      | 7,774      | 1,402,624    | 20,023     | 1,585,535    | 23,075     | 1,805,108      | 10,439       |
| Mizoram       | 87,232       | 234        | 218,420      | 2,611      | 209,122      | 3,754      | 421,888      | 5,414      | 715,568        | 11,319       |
| Nagaland      | 23,968       | 325        | 97,431       | 2,923      | 99,720       | 4,725      | 125,516      | 5,623      | 125,975        | 5,384        |
| Odisha        | 3,742,22 1   | 2,269      | 7,867,909    | 22,12 1    | 9,725,18 4   | 45,17 3    | 10,998,8 19  | 87,854     | 12,553,9 62    | 59,683       |
| Puducherry    | 1,253,21 3   | 321        | 1,760,480    | 862        | 2,092,07 6   | 31,21 4    | 2,119,79 2   | 17,819     | 2,281,34 9     | 28,284       |
| Punjab        | 26,640,4 29  | 308,1 35   | 26,089,42 5  | 329,4 58   | 35,707,6 00  | 741,7 34   | 27,745,1 83  | 541,78 4   | 33,526,1 97    | 256,10 6     |
| Rajasthan     | 21,988,7 34  | 34,80 6    | 108,328,1 56 | 396,6 84   | 179,051, 925 | 1,699, 869 | 230,084, 198 | 2,072, 407 | 252,290, 010   | 1,944, 329   |
| Sikkim        | 511,669      | 11,50 8    | 1,625,573    | 68,64 5    | 1,321,16 9   | 93,90 8    | 1,540,42 1   | 84,820     | 2,827,41 2     | 101,82 7     |
| Tamil Nadu    | 115,336, 719 | 57,62 2    | 218,584,8 46 | 407,1 26   | 286,011, 515 | 1,174, 899 | 306,842, 014 | 1,161, 302 | 357,095, 556   | 1,545, 988   |
| Tripura       | 177,816      | 5          | 235,600      | 8,493      | 366,104      | 66,708     | 600,651      | 90,824     | 681,103        | 27,320       |
| Telengana     | 32,000,6 20  | 5,917      | 60,748,42 5  | 68,40 1    | 58,447,5 73  | 160,9 12   | 88,239,6 75  | 155,31 3   | 83,460,0 03    | 169,38 0     |
| Uttar Pradesh | 109,708, 435 | 44,73 7    | 317,913,5 87 | 648,9 86   | 478,525, 688 | 1,601, 503 | 646,807, 146 | 2,269, 067 | 1,545,54 8,242 | 4,529, 606   |
| Uttarakhand   | 19,434,4 75  | 8,532      | 54,642,55 9  | 61,561     | 57,570,5 78  | 143,0 27   | 60,849,0 60  | 139,37 5   | 61,573,1 70    | 159,41 2     |

| States/UTs   | 2021 DTV     | 2021 FTV   | 2022 DTV       | 2022 FTV   | 2023 DTV       | 2023 FTV    | 2024 DTV       | 2024 FTV    | 2025 (DTV)     | 2025 (FTV)   |
|--------------|--------------|------------|----------------|------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|--------------|
| West Bengal  | 24,325,9 84  | 34,82 8    | 84,542,19 5    | 1,037, 017 | 145,669, 292   | 2,706, 942  | 184,475, 527   | 3,124, 462  | 294,318, 520   | 3,996, 141   |
| Ladakh       | 303,023      | 1,054      | 510,137        | 21,259     | 489,059        | 36,315      | 336,682        | 39,704      | 306,188        | 32,121       |
| Total        | 677,632, 981 | 1,054 ,642 | 1,731,013 ,539 | 8,587, 562 | 2,508,81 7,710 | 19,24 1,212 | 2,948,19 0,825 | 20,942 ,074 | 4,132,84 0,259 | 24,018 ,318  |

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