India Announces New Measures to Draw More Tourists to Buddhist Sites

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• India Announces New Measures to Draw More Tourists to Buddhist Sites

Government of India has announced the introduction of additional measures in the Buddhist circuit from next year to make Bodh Gaya and other Buddhist pilgrimage sites attractive and accessible to tourists. These new measures include the launch of an air- conditioned train in the Buddhist circuit and putting up signboards in foreign languages. Along with Union Ministry of Tourism, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department are working to provide improved services to tourists along the Buddhist circuit in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

A major task will be to remove all electric poles and place wires under the ground to clear up the place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. The announcement was made during a three- day Buddhist International Festival at Bodh Gaya, which is located at a distance of about 100 km from Bihar’s capital Patna. Delegates from countries like Japan, UK, Sri Lanka, Australia and Taiwan participated in the event. Union Tourism Minister Shripad Naik announced that the AC train that will run in the Buddhist circuit form 2015 will have a separate kitchen for foreign tourists to cook and eat food of their own country. Also, Rs 1,000 crore has already been sanctioned for the development of Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar are important Buddhist sites which remains occupied by foreign tourists during winter season. But to draw foreign tourist arrival in summer also, promotion about these sites will be held in monasteries of different countries.