Yogi government to promote 6 Buddhist destinations to challenge Mayawati's claim over Buddha

The Yogi Adityanath government will promote six of its Buddhist attractions like Sarnath and Kaushambi as a package to visitors and link this Buddhist circuit to Bodh Gaya in Bihar, a move that has political connotations too as it is Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which has so far associated itself closely with Lord Buddha.

The UP Government, in a proposal to hire a consultant for this task, has said this will be a change in its tourism strategy so far which focussed on individual destinations like the Taj Mahal or Varanasi, that happens to be the Prime Minister's constituency. "Given the rich and diverse tourism assets of UP, till date, the State has primarily focused on promoting tourist attractions such as Taj Mahal or individual destinations like Varanasi. It has yet to develop a thematic route or circuit, which includes various sites and activities as part of an integrated tourism experience that entices tourists to allocate more of their time
and expenditure across the state. The state government would like to test such approach by developing its Buddhist heritage and sites as part of a larger thematic route, moving from promoting sites to enabling a more active journey through the footsteps of the Buddha in its multiple sites as cultural and pilgrimage route," says the proposal.

Mayawati' party has so far laid claim on Lord Buddha so far, with new districts like Siddharthnagar and Gautam Budh Nagar being carved out in her regime as Chief Minister. The Yogi government is now proposing developing six Buddhist destinations - Sarnath, Kushinagar, Sravasti, Sankisa, Kaushambi and Kapilvastu - as a circuit as well as their linkage with Bodhgaya in Bihar for "unifying it as a cultural and pilgrimage route and tourist product." The UP government has also handed over a large tract of land to take forward the work to build a very large bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha in Kushinagar. The six destinations in UP are spread over as many districts, namely Varanasi, Kushinagar, Kaushambi, Siddharth Nagar, Sravasti and Farrukhabad. "The Buddhist sites in UPare currently promoted in isolation. There is a need to develop it in a way that brings together various historical sites and activities, besides meditation and prayer. Even within the spiritual realm, the Buddhist sites in the state lack a narrative, this draws upon Buddha’s journey and self-discovery," the proposal mentions.

The consultant will prepare a Comprehensive Tourism Development Master Plan for the Buddhist Circuit which will mainly include improved infrastructure like upgradation/new construction of stay facilities and basic amenities (toilet, drinking water, electricity, waste management) for the benefit of tourists and local communities alike. Improved transportation services like air, train, bus, taxi for the benefit of tourists and local communities and improved protection and interpretation of the destinations’ main monuments and sites as well as natural landscape and assets is on the state's priority list.