Central Government Initiatives and Strategies in Temple Tourism in India: A Critical Analysis

Temple tourism is driving India’s economy forward and making nation a popular travel destination. The country offers numerous opportunities to expand its spiritual travel experiences. Recognizing this potential, the Indian government has actively promoted lesser-known locations with Central Government Welfare Schemes such as the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) Scheme, Dekho Apna Desh, and Swadesh Darshan (SD) 2.0. To establish a more balanced tourism ecosystem, a huge amount is spent to promote the discovery and growth of India’s less developed tourist destinations. Under Swadesh Darshan Scheme 2.0, 76 projects had a total of Rs 6121.69 crore approved for 29 states and 2 Union Territories. Under the SD Scheme, 15 theme-based circuits like Buddhist, Himalayan, Krishna, Ramayana, Spiritual, Sufi, and Tirthankar have been designated for development. Of these 76 projects, 59 had already been completed. Twenty-five states received an approval for Rs 1586.10 crore under the PRASHAD Scheme. Forty-five holy sites like Amaravati and Srisailam, Kamakhya Temple, Patna and Gaya, Dwarka and Somnath, Varanasi and Mathura, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, Ajmer, etc. are selected. The goals of both schemes include encouraging community-based development and pro-poor tourism as well as generating employment and entrepreneurial opportunities through the active participation of local communities. According to Ministry of Tourism, revenue from religious tourism locations nearly doubled to Rs1,34,543 crores in 2022 from Rs 65,070 crore in 2021. Both tourists and the local community will benefit from improved facilities and a more qualified workforce. The Central and State Governments, along with the responsible behavior of the local community, can aid in the sustainable and inclusive growth of India’s tourist sector. Many holy places are situated in areas with weak economic infrastructure, which makes it challenging for the local population to gain from the increase in tourists. To solve this problem, there is a need to first investigate sustainable tourist programs and then put the local economy (Mukherjee, Subhadeep and Bhattacharjee, Soumendra and Singha, Seema [2000]). This can involve promoting small companies in the area, offering opportunities for cross-cultural learning and skill development, and implementing responsible tourism policies to reduce adverse effects on the environment and customs. By maintaining a balance between safeguarding cultural heritage and economically enabling local communities, there is a need to develop a more inclusive and sustainable temple tourism sector that is advantageous to all stakeholders. Through this study, the researcher hopes to shed light on how the massive investments made by the central government under various initiatives to boost temple tourism have affected local employment, entrepreneurial opportunities, and the nation’s overall income. The researcher also mentioned a few challenges in the promotion of temple tourism that must be overcome to provide better facilities to tourists.