Patna: The Union ministry of tourism has launched a new scheme - '
Swadesh Darshan
' - for integrated development of 'theme-based tourist circuits' in the country. Buddhist circuit has been identified as one of the 13 thematic circuits for development under the scheme.
All places associated with Buddhist heritage in the country are covered under this theme.
The ministry of tourism provides central financial assistance to state governments/Union territory administrations for tourism projects, subject to fulfilment of certain conditions, said an official.
Under Buddhist circuit theme, the ministry sanctioned a project, 'Construction of cultural centre at
Bodh Gaya in
Bihar' at an outlay of Rs 33.17 crore in 2014-15 and 'Development of Buddhist circuit in Sanchi-Satna-Rewa-Mandsaur-Dhar in
Madhya Pradesh
' for Rs 74.94 crore in 2016-17.
The projects carried out with foreign assistance for development of Buddhist sites during the last five years include formulation of comprehensive plan for upgradation of Buddhist sites in Bihar and UP.
The ministry of tourism, Government of India, the departments of tourism of the governments of Bihar and
Uttar Pradesh and the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) had entered into an agreement for advisory services way back in October 2013 for designing and implementing a comprehensive plan for the upgradation of Buddhist sites in Bihar and UP. The work on the project is over.
For the promotion of Buddhist heritage sites in the country, the ministry regularly carries out promotion campaigns in domestic and overseas Buddhist markets.
The ministry also organizes roadshows, invites tour operators and media on familiarization trips to Buddhist sites, holds exhibitions and produces literature on Buddhist heritage.
The ministry also organizes international Buddhist conclaves at an interval of every two years, for which international tour operators, opinion makers and media personalities as well as Indian stakeholders are invited with the aim to encourage inbound tourism to the Buddhist sites in the country.
The Buddhist circuit is a route that follows in the footsteps of Buddha from
Lumbini
in Nepal where he was born, through Bodh Gaya where he attained enlightenment to Sarnath and Kushinagar in UP where he gave his first teaching and died, respectively.