INCLUSION OF PLACES IN BUDDHA AND GANDHI CIRCUIT
01/January/2018

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF TOURISM

 

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†2259

ANSWERED ON 01.01.2018

 

INCLUSION OF PLACES IN BUDDHA AND GANDHI CIRCUIT

 

†2259. SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY:

SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

 

  1. SHASHI THAROOR:

 

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

 

 

  • whether the Government has taken any decision to include several tourist places of Bihar including Kapilvastu in the Buddhist and Gandhi circuit plans;

 

  • if so, the details thereof and the status of the Buddhist Circuit along with the steps taken by the Government to develop Buddhist Circuit;

 

  • whether India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group has decided to establish Ramayana Trail in Sri Lanka and the Buddhist Circuit in South Asia and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to establish Ramayana trail in India also;

 

  • whether the Government has taken any measures to disseminate information about the Buddhist Circuits in other countries, especially the ones with substantial Buddhist populations such as Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and Sri Lanka; and

 

  • if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

 

ANSWER

 

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

(SHRI K. J. ALPHONS)

 

 

  • to (b): Ministry of Tourism has launched Swadesh Darshan Scheme in 2014-15 for integrated development of Theme-Based Tourist Circuits in the country including Bihar. Under the Scheme, 15 thematic circuits have been identified for development namely North-East Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit,


Heritage Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Tirthankar Circuit and Sufi Circuit.

 

 

Ministry has sanctioned projects for the development of Buddhist Circuits in Kapilvastu, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and for sites associated with Mahatma Gandhi in Bihar under the Scheme. The details of same are as under:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Rs. in crore)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sl.

State

Circuit/

Project

 

 

 

Amt.

No.

 

Sanction

 

 

 

 

 

Sanctioned

 

 

Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.

Bihar

Buddhist

Construction of Conevention

 

98.73

 

 

Circuit

Centre   adjacent

to

Maya

 

 

 

 

(2016-17)

Sarovar on the western side

 

 

 

 

 

at Bodhgaya, Bihar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.

Bihar

Rural

Development of Rural Circuit:

 

44.65

 

 

Circuit

Bhitiharwa-

Chandrahia-

 

 

 

 

(2017-18)

Turkaulia in Bihar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.

Uttar

Buddhist

Development

of

Buddhist

 

99.97

 

Pradesh

Circuit

Circuit:

 

Srawasti-

 

 

 

 

(2016-17)

Kushinagar-Kapilvastu

in

 

 

 

 

 

Uttar Pradesh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the above projects are under implementation.

 

 

(c): The 2nd meeting of the Joint Working Group on Tourism Cooperation between India and Sri Lanka was held on 23.06.2016 in Colombo. In the meeting, both sides agreed to promote Ramayana Trail and Buddhist Circuits in each other’s country by inviting Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Media and Journalists.

 

 

  • to (e): The Ministry undertakes several promotional activities in the domestic and international markets for promotion of the varied tourism products and destinations of the country including Buddhist Circuits. The Ministry produces publicity material and collaterals in English and foreign languages for domestic and international markets; media campaigns in the print and electronic media are undertaken in the domestic and international markets; familiarisation tours for trade, media and opinion makers are undertaken from overseas to Buddhist Sites in the country under the Hospitality Scheme.

 

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