Odisha govt plans big to attract Buddhist Tourists

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 13:

The Odisha government has chalked out big plans to attract Buddhist tourists to the state.

“We are organizing a three day long ‘International Buddhist Conference’ at Panthnivas in Bhubaneswar from February 6, which will be attended by the Ambassador of Thailand, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka and many other dignitaries along with tour operators from New Delhi and senior executives from hotel groups to draw a plan to attract tourists to the state,” said Secretary of Tourism and Culture Arvind Padhee.

These visiting members will be taken on a tour of Buddhist sites in the state on Feb 7, following which the visiting tour operators and hotel executives will work on a strategy to attract the tourists with their counterparts from the state.

Also, Odisha government has written to Air India to start regular flight operations from Bodhgaya and Benaras to Bhubaneswar. The government, in its letter, has cited that this route would be profitable given the set of steps being taken to attract tourists.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is planning a museum in Lalitgiri which will feature the tooth of Buddha. The government will spend Rs 9 crores for this.  Secretary Padhee and ASI DG Rakesh Tiwary have already discussed the matter and work would start soon, sources said.

The project report of a mega circuit plan of Rs 50 crores for the upkeep of the Buddhist Heritage in the state has been completed and has been sent to the Union Government for approval. Work would start once it is approved, they said.

“We are also planning to erect the largest ever statue of Buddha in Langudi-Neulapur and have included Sathipur of Jajpur district in the ‘Jajabara Scheme’ for the tourists,” said Padhee.