Ramayana circuit: 11 destinations proposed; 4 in poll-bound UP

As many as 11 destinations, including four in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, are proposed to be developed under the Ramayana circuit in six states.
At the same time, the government has also approved to set up another 12 destinations across five states under the Krishna circuit, according to an official statement.
The twin proposals came up during the first meeting of the National Committees on Ramayana and Krishna circuits held under the chairmanship of Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma here.
As part of the development of theme-based circuits, projects to the tune of over Rs 300 crore for Uttar Pradesh, which will go to Assembly polls next year, have already received in-principle approval from the government.

"Under the Ramayana Circuit, 11 destinations spread across six states have been proposed," the release said.
The destinations are Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringhverpur & Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh); Sitamarhi, Buxar & Darbhanga (Bihar); Jagdalpur (Chattisgarh); Bhadrachalam (Telangana); Hampi (Karnataka); and Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu).

The expert committee also suggested inclusion of Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh), Nashik & Nagpur (Maharashtra) and Mahendragiri (Odisha) in the proposed circuit, it said.
However, "under the Krishna circuit, 12 destinations spread across five states have been proposed," the statement said, adding, these were also approved by the committee.
The destinations for this circuit are Dwarka (Gujarat); Nathdwara, Jaipur & Sikar (Rajasthan); Kurukshetra (Haryana), Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, Nandgaon & Govardhan (Uttar Pradesh); Puri (Odisha).

Presentations were also made on pan-India Ramayana and Krishna circuits during the meeting which was also attended by Tourism Ministry Secretary Vinod Zutshi, senior officials and experts, among others, it said.
Under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, 13 thematic circuits have been identified for development across the country -- North-East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit.