UP govt plans to invest Rs 4,200 crore to develop Buddhist Circuit

Bid to boost religious and spiritual tourism for $trillion economy target

The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to invest ₹4,200 crore to develop Buddhist Circuit to boost religious and spiritual tourism in the state.

 

The six prominent Buddhist Circuit hotspots comprise Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Kaushambi and Sankisa.

 

UP tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh said in the first phase, ₹2,220 crore would be spent on tourism development projects in Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti and Kapilvastu.

 

In the second phase, tourism sites in Kaushambi and Sansika would be taken up. A preliminary project report (PPR) has already been sent to the central government. The funds for the development of the Buddhist Circuit would be raised from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

  The Yogi Adityanath government has claimed that the recently-concluded Maha Kumbh spurred an economy of almost ₹3 trillion.

 

Taking the agenda forward, the state is sanguine about religious, spiritual and heritage tourism to boost the socioeconomic landscape.

 

Recently, union tourism and culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reviewed the various Buddhist Circuit proposed projects.

 

Buddhist Circuit encompasses sacred sites where Lord Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment and 'Nirvana'.

 

The overarching Buddhist Circuit spread across Eastern UP, Nepal and Western Bihar attracts backpackers from several Asian countries, including Japan, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

 

In 2024, UP registered a tourist inflow of 650 million, a growth of 17 per cent from 480 million in 2023, according to the data from the tourism department.

 

Ayodhya, which saw the consecration of Lord Ram temple on January 22, 2024, emerged as the top tourist destination in UP.

 

The temple town welcomed 16.4 million pilgrims in 2024, up from 5.757 million in 2023, marking a significant rise of over 10 million.

Agra emerged as the top destination for foreign tourists, with 1.46 million international visitors in 2024.

 

Varanasi attracted more than 11 million tourists, an increase of 8.2 million from the previous year.