11/12/2014
There has been a new hope for religious tourism in Nepal after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said, during the 18th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu last week, the South Asian region can be connected through the Buddhist Circuit. Ethnicities and culture in Nepal are mixed and unique in the world, even though the majority of Nepalis are Hindus. The future of religious tourism is bright for Nepal not just due to that diversity but also for being the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Many want to visit temples and religious sites across the country, but it is not easy to access all of these places. We may not have to depend on European tourists if we can promote the Buddhist Circuit in coordination with India at a time when Buddhism is expanding across the country. The rising influence of Buddhism in Asia can determine the future of Nepali tourism. There are tens of millions of Buddhists even in India and China, and not just Buddhist countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. Every Buddhist across the world wants to visit the birth place of Lord Buddha, Lumbini, and the place where he received enlightenment at least once in a lifetime. There are also a large number of researchers and Buddhists who also want to visit all the places that Lord Buddha travelled to for research. The family deity of Bhutanese resides in eastern Nepal. Nepal must, therefore, focus on religious tourism.
Hundreds of thousands of tourists from India visit Hindu pilgrim sites in Nepal every year. But their pilgrimage currently is limited to Pashupatinath Temple and others in Kathmandu Valley, and Janakpur outside the Valley. There is no dearth of religious places in any part of Nepal, and each temple has its own identity. Indian pilgrims travel to these sites from Pathibhara, Barahakshetra and Halesi of the east, to Muktinath, Swargadwari and Khaptad Badimalika in the west. There is immense potential for religious tourism even in Manakamana, Gadhimai, Palanchowk, Kalnchowk and others. Religious tourism can also contribute to the balanced development in Nepal. The return can be considered attractive, even though huge investment has to be made for promotion of these sites most of which are situated in remote places. Religious tourism will also boost cultural integration and brotherhood as it also promotes domestic tourism. Nepal must, therefore, be able to invest in religious tourism in the coming days and be able to promote that. It is necessary for sustainable development of Nepali tourism.
Access is the most important thing for religious tourism, and cable car networks can become a reliable alternative where roads cannot be constructed. There has not been another cable car system in Nepal after construction of one at Manakamana a decade and a half ago. But the grand success of Manakamana Cable Car shows that it can become the best alternative for a country like Nepal with difficult geographical terrains. Preliminary studies show that construction of one at Swargadwari of Pyuthan and Pathibhara of Taplejung can attract a total of 2.50 million tourists. Construction of many such networks will boost religious tourism in Nepal. The government must address policy complexities arising during construction of cable car networks, and pave the way for construction of one at even other places where study has not been done yet. The government should not fail to capitalize at a time when the private sector is ready to invest in infrastructure development.
Himalayan Alpine Adventure
