Odisha pitches for big boost to Buddhist tourism

Budget has declared creation of five tourist circuits around specific themes for which a sum of Rs 500 cr has been set aside in the current financial year

The Odisha government today sought a major boost to its Buddhist tourism at the conference of state tourism ministers in New Delhi. At the meeting, state tourism & culture minister Ashok Panda demanded extension of the Delhi-Bhubaneswar-Port Blair flight to Phuket in Thailand to attract more Buddhist tourists.

Panda also sought sanctioning of ten rural tourism projects annually from two at present and inclusion of Buddhist circuit of Odisha in the five theme-based tourist circuits announced in the Union Budget for 2014-15.

The Budget has declared creation of five tourist circuits around specific themes for which a sum of Rs 500 crore has been set aside in the current financial year.

Inclusion of Bhubaneswar in the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) and Puri dham in the National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) also figured amongst the demands listed by the state government.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced the launching of HRIDAY Plan for conserving and preserving the heritage of cities such as Mathura, Amritsar, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Vellankani, and Ajmer with a provision of Rs 200 crore in the current budget. Similarly, PRASAD scheme with an outlay of Rs 100 crore is also proposed to be launched in this financial year. "We also reiterated for the central assistance of Rs 1,397 crore for the auspicious Nabakalebara festival due in 2015 as has been demanded by chief minister Naveen Patnaik recently," said Panda. The minister was accompanied by secretary, tourism & culture (Odisha), Arabinda Padhee.

Patnaik had recently written to the Planning Commission of India deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, seeking special assistance for the grand ceremony. In his letter, the chief minister dwelt on new infrastructure projects as well as strengthening of existing services and amenities needed for Nabakalebara.

Nabakalebara is an ancient ritual associated with the Puri Jagannath temple when the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are replaced with a new set of idols. The last such ceremony was held in 1996.