Transnational Buddhist Circuit
The Indo-Nepal Buddhist Circuit will encompass Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, Rajgir and Kushinagar in Bihar, Sarnath and Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh, along with Kapilavastu and Lumbini in Nepal.
The Ministry of Tourism will soon roll out the first transnational Buddhist Circuit between India and Nepal as part of the route under the Swadesh Darshan scheme. While a major part of the Buddhist relics and pilgrimage sites are situated in India, a huge chunk encompasses Nepal, which is also the birth place of Lord Buddha.
Shedding light on the development, Suman Billa, Joint Secretary – Tourism, said, “We want to tap the huge segment of Buddhist pilgrims that visit other countries in South East Asia and give them an unparalleled experience by opening the routes to neighbouring countries. India does have a lot of sacred Buddhist sites but with Nepal involved, the journey becomes all the more comprehensive and detailed.” Billa further stated that several other SAARC nations have since shown interest in this initiative and the ministry plans to take discussions further with them. They are also keen on including Sri Lanka to the circuit since the island nation has a rich history of Buddhism.
The map of the circuit proposed by the ministry comprises Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, Rajgir and Kushinagar in Bihar; Sarnath and Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh; along with Kapilavastu and Lumbini in Nepal.
However, Billa mentioned that several bottlenecks need to be cleared to ensure the integrated circuit runs in a smooth manner. “Currently, the visa is the main issue but since double entry for eTV is on the cards, this issue is more or less addressed. Travel agents and tour operators also need to create relevant and offbeat itineraries that will instantly attract more tourists.” He added that infrastructure is being developed with allocated funds under the government’s Swadesh Darshan scheme.
In a bid to promote the country’s potential for Buddhist pilgrimage, the ministry will also be organising the International Buddhist Conclave from October 3-5, 2016, in Varanasi, Sarnath and Bodh Gaya. The three-day event is expected to host as many as 500 monks from ASEAN countries.