15 destinations identified under Ramayana circuit: Alphons

Fifteen destinations have been identified for development under the Ramayana Circuit, the tourism ministry told the Parliament on Monday.

Replying to a query in the Lok Sabha, Tourism Minister KJ Alphons said Ramayana Circuit is one of the fifteen thematic circuits identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the ministry.

"The ministry had initially identified fifteen destinations for development under the Ramayana Circuit theme namely Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringverpur and Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh), Sitamarhi, Buxar and Darbhanga (Bihar), Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh), Mahendragiri (Odisha), Jagdalpur (Chattisgarh), Nashik and Nagpur (Maharashtra), Bhadrachalam (Telangana), Hampi (Karnataka) and Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu)," he said.

Two projects worth over Rs 150 crore have been sanctioned in the last two years under the circuit, the minister added.

The projects sanctioned during the last two years are development of Ayodhya at a cost of Rs 133.31 crore and development of wayside amenities in Buddhist Circuit and Ramayana Circuit: Varanasi-Gaya; Lucknow-Ayodhya- Lucknow; Gorakhpur-Kushinagar; Kushinagar-Gaya- Kushinagar (2018-19).