<p>India has a long tradition of pilgrimage. There is mention of people going on pilgrimage in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Today, an estimated 15 crore Indians visit pilgrim centres every year. The Kumbha Melas witness the world’s largest peaceful human congregation. Some 220 million pilgrims participate in the Kumbha Melas in Haridwar, Ujjain, Prayag and Nashik. Interesting history, myths, mystery and folklore associated with the religious places always attract pilgrims. When faith moves pilgrims, it creates employment for millions of people across the country.<br /><br />In the past, pilgrims visiting the Lord Jagganath temple in Puri used to buy a piece of pattachitra, a palm leaf carving or an applique work as a custom. Over the years, those handicraft traditions have become popular in craft bazaars. Pilgrims who visit Meenakshi temple in Madurai look for Madurai silk and cotton sarees. They cherish the mouth-watering idli, dosa and special chutney of Madurai.<br /><br />Every pilgrim place has its own famed local delicacies or handmade products. After offering prayer to Lord Panakala Narasimha Swamy at the temple in Mangalgiri in Andhra Pradesh, as a tradition, pilgrims would buy the famous Mangalgiri sarees from weavers. The exotic tastes of local dishes and exclusive handcrafted items fascinate pilgrims.<br /><br />Floriculture thrives on the demand for flowers at pilgrim places. The annual requirement of flowers at the Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati is about six lakh tonnes. An average of 65,000 devotees visit Tirupati every day. The annual demand for flowers at the 10 most important temples in India is more than 40 lakh tonnes, which provides livelihood to thousands of farmers, flower traders and small flower vendors.<br /><br />Pilgrimage tourism triggers sales of many products: journey tickets, apparel, luggage, foodstuffs, footwear, camping material and many more. It boosts road, water and air travel. Domestic tourist visits rose 12% between 2014 and 2016. As per a recent survey, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP is expected to reach $147.96 billion by 2027. Pilgrim-flow creates demand for hotels, restaurants, roadside dhabas, religious artefacts, fruits, sweets, and hundreds of other environment-friendly products.<br /><br />According to the UNWTO, pilgrimage today is recognised as one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry as more than 330 million pilgrims visit key religious sites across the world every year. Recently, European experts on pilgrimage also found it to be the fastest growing sector of the travel industry. The UK Research Project “Pilgrimage and England’s cathedrals” has combined interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies to identify and analyse the core dynamics of pilgrimage and sacred sites in England from the 11th to the 21st centuries.<br /><br />The Saudi government’s “Saudi Arab Plan Vision 2030” aims to diversify its economy with a focus on pilgrimage as the oil sector’s profits have plummeted since 2014. The government said that 2.35 million Haj pilgrims had spent an estimated $5.3 to 6.7 billion in 2017, a 70% increase over the previous year. The country attracted 20% more Haj pilgrims this year.<br /><br />Pilgrim circuits<br />The Indian government has also launched the National Mission for Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation (PRASAD) with an aim to develop 25 religious sites with a budget of $51 million. A Nielsen’s report to the Union ministry of tourism suggested developing Hindu pilgrim circuits linking places in Nepal and other states bordering India. There is an urgent need to identify and study the potential of religious sites within the country.<br /><br />Ramavatar Sharma, a Ramayana scholar has identified 214 sites associated with the epic Ramayana. Those places can be maintained and linked with safe and pleasant roadways. Britain meticulously maintains each and every holy place and links them with green lanes and public footpaths.<br /><br />Preservation of pilgrim sites has become a big challenge. Many important pilgrim places in India are crumbling due to neglect, lack of awareness among people, and government apathy. Hindu kings, Mughal emperors, nobles and religious leaders have left behind many iconic religious structures across the country.<br /><br />Unfortunately, many of those architectural marvels have been distorted, encroached or destroyed by urban authorities in post-Independence India. Hundreds of sculptures and artefacts have been smuggled out of Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 43 idols belonging to 12th to 15th century AD were stolen from temples or excavation sites.<br /><br />Until some 15 years ago, the inner wall of the Puri Jagganath temple had the finest Odissi murals depicting interesting episodes from the Puranas. The temple authority in the name of renovation wiped out the classic mural paintings on the inner walls. Even the murals on the roof were replaced with poor quality paintings. It’s high time the Union government stopped this destruction of our pilgrim centres and evolved a plan to boost pilgrimage tourism after a detailed survey of the sites and the industry.</p>
<p>India has a long tradition of pilgrimage. There is mention of people going on pilgrimage in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Today, an estimated 15 crore Indians visit pilgrim centres every year. The Kumbha Melas witness the world’s largest peaceful human congregation. Some 220 million pilgrims participate in the Kumbha Melas in Haridwar, Ujjain, Prayag and Nashik. Interesting history, myths, mystery and folklore associated with the religious places always attract pilgrims. When faith moves pilgrims, it creates employment for millions of people across the country.<br /><br />In the past, pilgrims visiting the Lord Jagganath temple in Puri used to buy a piece of pattachitra, a palm leaf carving or an applique work as a custom. Over the years, those handicraft traditions have become popular in craft bazaars. Pilgrims who visit Meenakshi temple in Madurai look for Madurai silk and cotton sarees. They cherish the mouth-watering idli, dosa and special chutney of Madurai.<br /><br />Every pilgrim place has its own famed local delicacies or handmade products. After offering prayer to Lord Panakala Narasimha Swamy at the temple in Mangalgiri in Andhra Pradesh, as a tradition, pilgrims would buy the famous Mangalgiri sarees from weavers. The exotic tastes of local dishes and exclusive handcrafted items fascinate pilgrims.<br /><br />Floriculture thrives on the demand for flowers at pilgrim places. The annual requirement of flowers at the Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati is about six lakh tonnes. An average of 65,000 devotees visit Tirupati every day. The annual demand for flowers at the 10 most important temples in India is more than 40 lakh tonnes, which provides livelihood to thousands of farmers, flower traders and small flower vendors.<br /><br />Pilgrimage tourism triggers sales of many products: journey tickets, apparel, luggage, foodstuffs, footwear, camping material and many more. It boosts road, water and air travel. Domestic tourist visits rose 12% between 2014 and 2016. As per a recent survey, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP is expected to reach $147.96 billion by 2027. Pilgrim-flow creates demand for hotels, restaurants, roadside dhabas, religious artefacts, fruits, sweets, and hundreds of other environment-friendly products.<br /><br />According to the UNWTO, pilgrimage today is recognised as one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry as more than 330 million pilgrims visit key religious sites across the world every year. Recently, European experts on pilgrimage also found it to be the fastest growing sector of the travel industry. The UK Research Project “Pilgrimage and England’s cathedrals” has combined interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies to identify and analyse the core dynamics of pilgrimage and sacred sites in England from the 11th to the 21st centuries.<br /><br />The Saudi government’s “Saudi Arab Plan Vision 2030” aims to diversify its economy with a focus on pilgrimage as the oil sector’s profits have plummeted since 2014. The government said that 2.35 million Haj pilgrims had spent an estimated $5.3 to 6.7 billion in 2017, a 70% increase over the previous year. The country attracted 20% more Haj pilgrims this year.<br /><br />Pilgrim circuits<br />The Indian government has also launched the National Mission for Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation (PRASAD) with an aim to develop 25 religious sites with a budget of $51 million. A Nielsen’s report to the Union ministry of tourism suggested developing Hindu pilgrim circuits linking places in Nepal and other states bordering India. There is an urgent need to identify and study the potential of religious sites within the country.<br /><br />Ramavatar Sharma, a Ramayana scholar has identified 214 sites associated with the epic Ramayana. Those places can be maintained and linked with safe and pleasant roadways. Britain meticulously maintains each and every holy place and links them with green lanes and public footpaths.<br /><br />Preservation of pilgrim sites has become a big challenge. Many important pilgrim places in India are crumbling due to neglect, lack of awareness among people, and government apathy. Hindu kings, Mughal emperors, nobles and religious leaders have left behind many iconic religious structures across the country.<br /><br />Unfortunately, many of those architectural marvels have been distorted, encroached or destroyed by urban authorities in post-Independence India. Hundreds of sculptures and artefacts have been smuggled out of Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 43 idols belonging to 12th to 15th century AD were stolen from temples or excavation sites.<br /><br />Until some 15 years ago, the inner wall of the Puri Jagganath temple had the finest Odissi murals depicting interesting episodes from the Puranas. The temple authority in the name of renovation wiped out the classic mural paintings on the inner walls. Even the murals on the roof were replaced with poor quality paintings. It’s high time the Union government stopped this destruction of our pilgrim centres and evolved a plan to boost pilgrimage tourism after a detailed survey of the sites and the industry.</p>
