With the increasing expansion of modern travel facilities around the world, the tourism sector has emerged as one of the most visible sources of economic activities. Heritage and historical monuments sites are great assets which can be used for economic activities for locals. The historical and natural advantage of different locations of a State can be developed to attract different kinds of tourists, including heritage and religious tourists of different faiths. Odisha as the ancient land of Buddha has such tremendous potentials to promote Buddhist heritage tourism which can attract lakhs of tourists from all over the world, especially from countries with Buddhist believers of South-East, and East Asia.
Buddhism has historically played a role in promoting tourism among South–East Asian countries. Globally, countries such as France, Spain, USA, China, Italy, Turkey, Mexico, Germany, Thailand, UK and Japan were the most visited countries of international tourists.
Coming home India Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, UP, Delhi, WB, Rajasthan, Kerala, Punjab, Bihar and Goa were the top ten States in receiving more number of international tourists. Bihar’s Bodh Gaya and Nalanda are the most attractive destination of international visitors. Bihar has 3.5 crore tourists of both domestic and foreign tourists in the year 2019. India receives less than two percent of the global tourists.
However, India is among top ten countries having largest Buddhist population while the others include China, Thailand, Japan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, and Malaysia. Despite potentialities, Odisha has not yet fully utilised its vast treasure of tourist potentials specially its Buddhist heritage.
The plan of the Government of India in collaboration the World Bank and Japanese Government for building a Buddhist Circuit to promote places connected to Buddha and Buddhist heritage has not included Odisha in its plan. The Chief Minister of Odisha has requested the Centre to be part of the plan. Tourism as a subject must be placed in Concurrent List by which both the State and Centre can jointly execute the plans. The heritage assets will boost the travel and hospitality segment in a big way. It also helps in revisiting and reviving our inspiring past memories of the region that was once well connected to other parts in the globe through maritime trade and Buddhism.
The visit of Buddhist scholars, believers and many others in large numbers will have wider impact over the progressively changing social-cultural life and quality of living of the people.
The multi-cultural values and international exposure will strengthen our age old secular ethos and pave the way for access to the scope of education, trade and other economic linkage with most advanced Buddhist countries. The heritage tourism includes visit to sites of remains of Buddha’s tombs, Puspagri University, Kalinga war field in Dhauli, and many more structures which have been excavated. Historians and archeologists have traced that Odisha has a written history of some 2300 years from the days of Kalinga war in 261 BC.
Kalinga was thickly populated and early forms of people’s democracy were from of governance of the communities. There were Janapadas, the People’s Republic .Buddha’s Dhhama/teachings were the belief of the people of the land.
Though late but the Archeological Survey of India’s excavation work has explored hundreds of Buddhist sites from different parts of the State. It is told that during the period from 6th century BC to 15th-16th century AD various sects of Buddhism prevailed here as evident from the archeological and historical findings. In the past, Kalinga played a major role in spread of Buddhism in the South-East Asia. It is found that from Baleswar to Ganjam in coast and in central-west Odisha including Dambarugada of Boudh, Subarnapur, Ganiapali, Bargarh, Parimalgiri, Balangir, and Sambalpur besides in a number of other places, the remains and structures of Buddhists are available.
The places include Khadipada ,Soro in Baleswar ,Kupari in Bhadrak, Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and Lalitgiri in Jajpur and Tarpur and Naraj in Cuttack district, Kuruma near Konark of Puri and Banpur in Khurda district etc.
The most interesting site at Ratnagiri was discovered in 1905 and later around 1960 the three places Lalitgiri, Udayagiri and Ratnagiri excavation revealed many new areas of spread of Bhddhism in the area. These three sites form the diamond triangle. Rantagiri has a well built archaeological museum. The past heritage sites can also be connected to present modern Buddhist places of tourist interest such as the Dhauli Peace Pagoda and Jirang monastery in Mohana of Gajapati. These important places need well connectivity through road, railway and air services and most necessary is making available of hospitality infrastructure to take care of the comfort of the visitors.
These places must be ideally most peaceful from the security point of view of the visitors. The law and order of the locality and public behaviour must be conducive to visitors. The best of the local quality foods, cultural events and art and craft should be made available to visitors. There is also a demand for qualified well mannered tourist guides having
proficiency in English and other languages which can properly explain things and help the visitors. They can be attached to hotels and tour operators. It is also highly required to give much emphasis on the preservation, restoration and maintenance of these heritage assets of our human civilisation. The State’s universities must undertake research and documentation work to link with the heritage that will attract scholars from all over the world and make Odisha a knowledge centre.
The State Government must invest in building infrastructure and inviting private and public investors including FDI to promote travel agencies, good hotel and restaurants in the locality while building good roads, railway line and international airport connectivity on priority.
Odisha’s Buddhist sites must be linked to other States in north India having more number of heritage sites. The Government of Odisha must act first to use its possibilities in removing its persistent backwardness in all aspects including tourism.