The government of Nepal has said it has formally started work to develop the Greater Lumbini Buddhist Circuit, with the aim of increasing Buddhist-related tourism to the country. It intends to improve facilities and infrastructure on the circuit for pilgrims and tourists, both to boost visitor numbers and to encourage longer stays.
Temple marking the the birthplace of the Buddha in Lumbini. From wikivoyage.org
The government views Lumbini as a potential world-class tourist destination for 500 million Buddhists in Asia. Lumbini is home to the birthplace of the Buddha and more than 100 related archaeological sites within a 50-km radius.
Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said that the planned 160-km Buddhist Circuit would incorporate 10 major Buddhist sites, including Kapilvastu, believed to be the site of the Buddha’s childhood home; Devadaha, birthplace of the Buddha’s mother; and Ramgram, home to the Ramagrama stupa, a Buddhist pilgrimage site.
Under the Greater Lumbini Buddhist Circuit project, Nepal aims to link the region with the Buddhist Circuit in India and other destinations in Nepal, such as Chitwan, Pokhara, Bardiya National Park, and the country’s mountainous northwest. “[The] necessary budget for the project has been allocated and the work has formally begun,” said Rajendra Sigdel, under-secretary at the ministry. (eknatipur.com)
The World Peace Pagoda, Lumbini. From Wikimedia Commons
The lack of basic tourism infrastructure meant that most visitors only made very short visits to Lumbini, he added, noting that the government aimed to increase the average length of stay there to at least five days.
Nepal’s government recently approved a 10-year master plan to transform Lumbini into a world-class tourism and pilgrimage hub. The Greater Lumbini Buddhist Circuit is a major component of this plan.
The Asian Development Bank has pledged to assist Nepal in the development project, Mr. Sigdel said.
The government has also earmarked Rs1.01 billion (US$9.7 million) for the reconstruction of heritage sites and places of cultural significance, and for tourism promotional activities. Funds have been allocated for development of Lumbini and Janakpur. “The Greater Lumbini master plan will be executed and initial works on developing the Buddhist Circuit will be started in the coming fiscal year,” said Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat. (Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal)
Ramagrama stupa. From Lumbini Development Trust
Under the master plan, Nepal is targeting 2.98 million visitors by the end of 2024, with 596,661 visitors from countries other than India, 408,978 Indian visitors, and 1.97 million domestic visitors. In 2013, Lumbini received 849,273 visitors, with 125,492 from countries other than India, 150,252 from India, and 573,529 domestic visitors. The plan also targets US$133.67 million in annual tourism revenue, compared with a baseline of US$34.34 million in 2013.
The government has estimated that Rs5 billion will be needed to implement the plan. The figure does not include the cost of large-scale infrastructure projects, such as an airport, road construction, large-scale building construction, and proposed investment projects from the private sector.
India has also given top priority to the promotion of its own Buddhist Circuit, and the country is cooperating with China to attract Chinese travelers.
“We are exploring the possibility of a Buddhist circuit with Indian officials,” said Huang Xilian, deputy director general of Asian affairs in China’s Foreign Ministry. (The Economic Times)
The Buddhist circuit is a culturally and historically important route for millions of Buddhists around the word, following the life of the Buddha across Nepal and India from Lumbini, where he was born, to Bodhgaya, where he attained enlightenment, and to Kushinagar, where the Buddha entered parinirvana.