Uttar Pradesh govt to catalyse religious, spiritual tourism circuits

Uttar Pradesh (UP) is giving a major booster shot to the religious and spiritual tourism circuits in the state to meet its $1 trillion economy goal. 

 

The project would cover major pilgrimage destinations which include Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura, and Prayagraj.

 

This comes in the backdrop of an estimated congregation of 660 million tourists and pilgrims during the 45-day Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26.

 

To capitalise on the state’s cultural and spiritual heritage, the government is embarking upon a project of ₹4,560 crore to upgrade the roads infrastructure interlinking the religious tourism centres. The roadmap encompasses 272 projects to be implemented in collaboration between the state public works department and religious works department.

 

“The government will revamp the roads and major pathways in the select towns of historical, mythological and spiritual significance in the state,” a senior official said. 

 

UP logged a tourist inflow of 650 million in 2024 - a growth of 17 per cent from 480 million in 2023, according to the state tourism department.

 

Also, Ayodhya, which saw the consecration ceremony on January 22, 2024, has emerged as the top tourist destination. The temple town welcomed 16.4 million pilgrims in 2024, up from 5.757 million in 2023.

 

Meanwhile, Agra emerged as the top destination for foreign tourists, with 1.46 million international visitors in 2024. Varanasi attracted more than 11 million tourists in 2024, an increase of 8.2 million from 2023.

 

Moreover, the Yogi government is also looking at investing almost ₹4,200 crore to catalyse the Buddhist Circuit in the state.

 

The six prominent Buddhist Circuit hotspots in the state include Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Kaushambi, and Sankisa.