Buddhist Circuits to be developed in the country on the lines of world’s Buddhist places to attract 50 crore Buddhists around the world

Only 0.005% of the world’s Buddhists population visits Buddhist religious places in India

(A ‘Buddhist Circuit’ is a route connecting all the places visited by Gautam Buddha)

New Delhi – Although Gautam Buddha’s religious and spiritual work had been primarily within India, only 0.005% of the 50 crore Buddhists around the world come to India to visit their religious sites. Hence, the Ministry of Tourism plans to change its policy to attract Buddhist visitors. In line with this, ‘Buddhist Circuits’ will be developed in the country on the lines of world’s Buddhist sites.

1. Under this scheme, direct air services and premium railway services will be started to enable people from Buddhist-majority countries like China, Thailand, Japan and Myanmar to visit the ‘Buddha Circuit’ in India.

(Credit : Financial Express)

2. Boards displaying information at all the Buddhist monuments, temples, inscriptions and pillars will be in Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and Thai script.

3. It is also planned to sign agreements with banks in China, Japan and Thailand to start ATMs at the Buddhist sites.

(Credit : IRCTC)

4. Lumbini, Gautam Buddha’s birth place, is in Nepal. Apart from that, all the Buddhist pilgrimage sites related to his life are located in India. Buddha’s place of enlightenment ‘Bodh Gaya’ (Bihar), place of first discourse ‘Sarnath’ (Kashi, Uttar Pradesh), place of parinirvana ‘Kushinagar’ (Uttar Pradesh), place where he preached Buddhist teachings for a long duration ‘Sravasti’ (Uttar Pradesh), as well as ‘Rajgir’ and ‘Vaishali’ (Bihar) are in India.