New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) Japan will provide financial aid to create better facilities at major Buddhist sites across India that are a major draw for pilgrims and tourists from Asia.
Launching their project for the promotion of Buddhist tourism in India, the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has agreed to extend a loan of Rs. 5.4 billion ($115 million) for infrastructure development at Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh, a major Buddhist pilgrim centre near Varanasi, where the Buddha gave his first sermon.
Although the Buddha was born at Lumbini in Nepal, many sites associated with him are located in India. He attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, in Bihar, while Ajanta-Ellora, in Maharashtra, is home to a string of centuries-old spectacular cave sculptures and frescoes.
The Japanese bank agreed to provide more funds after seeing progress in the infrastructure development project in Uttar Pradesh, said Amitabh Kant, joint secretary, tourism.
"JBIC, which funded us for the Ajanta-Ellora conservation and tourism project, was very happy with our work. The project had also won the best spiritual destination award, beating Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand," Kant told IANS.
JBIC had provided Rs. 3 billion for the Ajanta-Ellora project in Maharashtra.
With a view to maximising the potential of several pilgrim centres of different religions, India has announced new initiatives in the emerging area of spiritual tourism.
The tourism ministry has already organised international conclaves and road shows on spiritual tourism. "It would be our major effort to have an edge in Buddhist tourism as we have several important places," said an official in the ministry.
Buddhist places of importance are mainly spread across eastern Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
"We will see how it works in Uttar Pradesh. After that, we will consult the bank for our future programmes," Kant added.
Officials expect the Buddhist tourism package to attract pilgrims and tourists from other Asian countries like Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Sources in the ministry said the project in Uttar Pradesh would include setting up a chain of low-cost and eco-friendly hotels, a move that was also aimed at providing employment to the locals.
The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, had earlier urged India to take initiatives to promote Buddhist tourism.
India had this year organised a Buddhist conclave attended by 400 Buddhist monks, scholars, teachers and spiritual leaders from 22 countries.
Kant said the spiritual tourism sector had witnessed buoyancy during the last two years.
India’s efforts to bank on Buddhist pilgrim centres for developing the country as a major spiritual tourist attraction received a boost when UNESCO declared the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, Bihar, as a World Heritage Site last year.
(http://www.island.lk/2004/09/14/news16.html)
