The ‘Travel by Train’ programme of the Union Ministry of Tourism (MoT) to promote tourism in the Buddhist circuits has eluded Odisha despite the State being famous for its Buddhist sites.
The State has for four key Buddhist sites, Ratnagiri, Dhauligiri, Udayagiri and Langudi, where Ashokan-era rock edicts are found.
But the “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train” drive does not include these places, said a senior officer of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which is coordinating the train service. The Buddhist tourist train covers all the places which had a significant impact on Buddha’s life and teachings. The MoT organised a webinar titled “Exploring Buddhist Circuit by Train” on Saturday as part of the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ Webinar series for showcasing the rich Buddhist heritage in India. The webinar highlighted the major destinations visited by Buddha personally across the country besides showcasing the Buddhist heritage left behind by his disciples including the modern monasteries. The webinar also focused on providing first-hand information to the viewers on arrangements for travel (especially by train) and accommodation to the Buddhist sites in India.
Notably, Buddhist tourism has tremendous potential to draw a 500 million Buddhists across the world to “India -The Land of Buddha”.