Large numbers of tourists, particularly overseas tourists, will visit the famous Buddhist sites at Lalitagiri, Ratnagiri , Udayagiri, Langudi , Kaima , Radhanagar , Brajagiri, Neulapur and other places of Jajpur district  as the Government is determined to highlight these places, said Governor Ganesh Lal while addressing the Budha Mahotsav at Udayagiri on Wednesday.

The famous Buddhist sites in Lalitagiri, Udayagiri and Ratnagiri are fit to get the status of World Heritage Sites like Sun Temple of Konark.  The Government has already prepared an ambitious master plan to develop Buddhist sites in Jajpur district as a tourist hub to attract more foreign and domestic travellers. Jajpur district has a special place on the World Buddhist spots,  added Lal.

The basic objective of the Buddha Mahotsav is to create awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage and to promote tourism. The ancient Buddhist sites of Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh , where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon, Buddhist monastery in Sanchi of Madhya Pradesh , Buddhagaya in Bihar ,Buddhist caves in Ajanta and Ellora find places on Unesco's World Heritage List. The success of the Buddha Mahotsav will pave the way to declare these sites in Odisha as World Heritage Sites, Lal said further.

Addressing the gathering, Barachana MLA Amar Prasad Satapathy termed these areas as treasure houses of history that is just waiting for the arrival of large numbers of tourists. Visitors can travel through this Buddhist Circuit in a very economic package to savour its splendid beauty and great appeal of Buddhism, he said.

The Buddha Mahastova was addressed by Maheswar Bal, Suvendu Bhuyan, Arundhati Devi among others.