Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Global tourism industry ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Indian tourism industry ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Market Size........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Investments ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
Government Initiatives ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Road Ahead ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Growth in number of tourists ............................................................................................................................ 9
Impact of tourism sector on GDP ......................................................................................................................... 10
Components of total contribution to GDP ....................................................................................................... 11
Impact of tourism sector on employment ............................................................................................................ 12
IMPACT OF TOURISM IN INDIA ........................................................................................................................ 12
POSITIVE IMPACTS ...................................................................................................................................... 12
NEGATIVE IMPACTS ..................................................................................................................................... 13
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TOURISM IN INDIA ........................................................................................... 13
Significance of domestic tourism ..................................................................................................................... 15
Capital investment in tourism sector ................................................................................................................... 17
Growth of tourism in India................................................................................................................................... 18
Domestic Tourism ............................................................................................................................................ 19
Employment Opportunities in Tourism:........................................................................................................... 19
Hotel Accommodation: .................................................................................................................................... 20
Growth of tourists in India ............................................................................................................................... 21
Performance of tourism sector in various states of India ..................................................................................... 22
2.1 Northern states in India ............................................................................................................................. 25
Delhi ............................................................................................................................................................ 26
Haryana ....................................................................................................................................................... 26
Himachal Pradesh ........................................................................................................................................ 26
Jammu & Kashmir ....................................................................................................................................... 26
Punjab ......................................................................................................................................................... 27
Rajasthan .................................................................................................................................................... 27
Uttaranchal ................................................................................................................................................. 27
Uttar Pradesh .............................................................................................................................................. 27
2.2.1 Growth of tourists in northern states ................................................................................................. 28
Key tourism circuits in northern states ........................................................................................................ 30
2.2 Southern states in India ............................................................................................................................. 32
1. Andhra Pradesh ....................................................................................................................................... 32
2. Telangana ................................................................................................................................................ 33

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 3. Kerala ...................................................................................................................................................... 34
4. Tamil Nadu .............................................................................................................................................. 37
Thiruvarur ................................................................................................................................................... 40
Tiruchendur ................................................................................................................................................. 40
Tiruchirapalli ............................................................................................................................................... 40
2.3 Eastern states of India ............................................................................................................................... 43
1. Bihar ........................................................................................................................................................ 43
Jharkhand .................................................................................................................................................... 46
ODISHA ....................................................................................................................................................... 49
2.4 Western states of India .............................................................................................................................. 53
Maharashtra................................................................................................................................................ 53
Gujarat ........................................................................................................................................................ 56
Rajasthan .................................................................................................................................................... 57
SWOT ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................................. 59
Hotel Industry.................................................................................................................................................. 59
SWOT Analysis of Hotel Industry ..................................................................................................................... 60
SAFETY AND SECURITY OF TOURISTS ................................................................................................................... 65
CONSUTANCY SERVICES ....................................................................................................................................... 65
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ................................................................................................................. 66
SINGLE WINDOW SYSTEM ................................................................................................................................... 66
TOURISM TRADE FACILITATION ACT .................................................................................................................... 66
Summary ............................................................................................................................................................. 67
Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in India! ......................................................................................... 67
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................................ 71

2
INTRODUCTION
The Indian tourism and hospitality industry has emerged as one of the key drivers of growth among the services
sector in India. Tourism in India is a potential game changer. It is a sun rise industry, an employment generator, a
significant source of foreign exchange for the country and an economic activity that helps local and host
communities.

India is a tourism product which is unparalleled in its beauty, uniqueness, rich culture and history has been
aggressively pursuing the promotion of tourism both internationally as well as in the domestic market.

Indian tourism industry is thriving due to an increase in foreign tourist arrivals and greater number of Indians
travelling to domestic destinations than before. In the past few years the real growth has come from within the
domestic sector as around 30 million Indians travel within the country in a year.

Indias demographic dividend of a younger population compared to developed countries is leading to greater
expenditure on leisure services. Travel and tourism sectors contribution to capital investment is projected to grow
at 6.5 per cent per annum during 2013-2023, above the global average of five per cent.

The Ministry of Tourism promotes the countrys various tourism products through its tactile campaigns under the
Incredible India brand- both for international as well as domestic markets. The budget allocated for the Domestic
Promotion & Publicity and

Overseas Promotion & Publicity including Marketing Development stood at INR 1.1 billion (USD 17.73 million) and
INR 3.5 billion (USD 56.41 million) for the financial year 2013-14.

The ministry has set up a Hospitality Development and Promotion Board, which will monitor and facilitate hotel
project approvals. The allocation for Ministry of Tourism in the Union Budget 2013-14 has been increased by INR
876.6 million (USD 14.13 million) to INR 12,976.6 million (USD 209.30 million).

There is a need to take steps to improve the present scenario of tourism that includes extending facility of visa-on-
arrival to tourists from more countries, simple tax rules and ensuring safety of tourists. There is a need for better
marketing and brand strategies to promote the sector. The cost of obtaining an Indian visa is prohibitive and we
need to take a relook at it. Creation of an enabling environment for the sectors growth would lead to rise in
foreign tourists inflows and foreign exchange earnings, thus, contributing to economic growth. This would also
lead to creation of additional jobs in the sector, which would create opportunities for all sections of the society and
in turn lead to attaining an all-inclusive development.

Set against this backdrop, CII is organising a mega event CII Tourism Fest from 5 to 7 December 2013 in
Chandigarh to bring all critical stakeholders like policy makers, officials of Ministry of Tourism, State Governments,
International Tourism Boards, hoteliers, hospitals, tour operators and travel agents on one platform.

Global tourism industry

The travel and tourism industry is one of the worlds largest industries with a global economic contribution (direct,
indirect and induced) of almost 7.6 trillion U.S. dollars in 2014. The direct economic impact of the industry,
including accommodation, transportation, entertainment and attractions, was approximately 2.36 trillion U.S.
dollars that year. A number of countries, such as France and the United States, are consistently popular tourism
destinations, but other, less well-known countries are quickly emerging in order to reap the economic benefits of
the industry.

Worldwide, the tourism industry has experienced steady growth almost every year. International tourist arrivals
increased from 528 million in 2005 to 1.13 billion in 2014. Figures were forecasted to exceed 1.8 billion by 2030.
Each year, Europe receives the most international tourist arrivals. It also produces the most travelers: with 575
million outbound tourists in 2014, the region had more than double that of the second largest tourist origin, the
Asia Pacific region.

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In 2014, global international tourism revenue reached approximately 1.25 trillion U.S. dollars, having almost
doubled since 2005. That year, China had the largest international tourism expenditure, followed by the United
States and Germany. The leading city in international visitor spending was London, where tourists spent more than
19 billion U.S. dollars in 2014.

4
5
Indian tourism industry
The Indian tourism and hospitality industry has emerged as one of the key drivers of growth among the services
sector in India. The second-largest sub-segment of the services sector comprising trade, repair services, hotels and
restaurants contributed nearly US$ 295.7 billion or 19.2 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015-16,
while growing at 8.9 per cent year-on-year. Tourism in India has significant potential considering the rich cultural
and historical heritage, variety in ecology, terrains and places of natural beauty spread across the country. Tourism
is also a potentially large employment generator besides being a significant source of foreign exchange for the
country.
The industry is expected to generate 13.45 million jobs! across sub-segments such as Restaurants (10.49 million
jobs), Hotels (2.3 million jobs) and Travel Agents/Tour Operators (0.66 million). The Ministry of Tourism plans to
help the industry meet the increasing demand of skilled and trained manpower by providing hospitality education
to students as well as certifying and upgrading skills of existing service providers.
India has moved up 13 positions to 52nd rank from 65th in Tourism & Travel competitive index@. Tourism
Australia expects Indian tourists arrivals in Australia to increase 12 per cent year-on-year to reach 245,000 visitors
during FY 2015-16, thus making India the eighth largest source market for tourism in Australia.
Market Size
Indias rising middle class and increasing disposable incomes has continued to support the growth of domestic and
outbound tourism. Total outbound trips increased by 8.7 per cent to 19.9 million in 2015. Inbound tourist volume
grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.8 per cent during 2010-15.
The number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) has grown at a CAGR of 3.7 per cent to 5.29 lakh year-on-year in May
2016. Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) during the month of May 2016 grew at a rate of 8.2 per cent year-on-year
to Rs 10,285 crore (US$ 1.52 billion).
The number of tourists arriving on e-Tourist Visa during June 2016 reached a total of 36,982 tourists registering a
year-on-year growth of 137.7 per cent.
Online hotel bookings in India are expected to double by 2016 due to the increasing penetration of the internet
and smart phones#.

Market Size
Indias rising middle class and increasing disposable incomes has continued to support the growth of domestic and
outbound tourism. Total outbound trips increased by 8.7 per cent to 19.9 million in 2015. Inbound tourist volume
grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.8 per cent during 2010-15.

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Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India increased 11.8 per cent year-on-year to 670,000 tourists in August 2016,
while Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) from tourism increased 13.1 per cent year-on-year to Rs 12,903 crore (US$
1.92 billion), according to data from the Ministry of Tourism.
Tourist arrivals in India on e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) grew by 196.6 per cent year-on-year to 66,097 tourists in August
2016, attributable to the introduction of e-TV for 150 countries as against the earlier coverage of 113 countries,
according to data from the Ministry of Tourism.
Online hotel bookings in India are expected to double by 2016 due to the increasing penetration of the internet
and smart phones.

Investments
The tourism and hospitality sector is among the top 10 sectors in India to attract the highest Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI). During the period April 2000-March 2016, the hotel and tourism sector attracted around US$
9.23 billion of FDI, according to the data released by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
With the rise in the number of global tourists and realising Indias potential, many companies have invested in the
tourism and hospitality sector. Some of the recent investments in this sector are as follows:
The first Incredible India Tourism Investment Summit 2016, which was organised from September 21-23,
2016, witnessed signing of 86 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth around Rs 15,000 crore (US$
2.24 billion), for the development of tourism and hospitality projects.
The Ministry of Tourism has approved projects worth Rs 450 crore (US$ 67.10 million) under the Swadesh
Darshan scheme, for the improvement and creation of tourism infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim.
AccorHotels, Australia's largest hotel operator has entered into an agreement with the Australia India
Travel & Tourism Council (AITTC) with a view to strengthen and promote tourism between Australia and
India.
Global hospitality major Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which is also the largest foreign hotel brand in India
by number of hotels, plans to increase its total count to 120 hotels in India by 2020.
Marriott International Inc, the US-based hotel chain, is now looking for expanding its operations in North
India, including prominent cities in Uttar Pradesh like Kanpur, Varanasi and Agra.
Steigenberger Hotels, a German luxury hotel company, and MBD Group, a Delhi-based firm which runs 5-
star Radisson Hotels in Noida and Ludhiana, have formed a joint venture to build five luxury hotels and
manage another 15 luxury hotels in India by 2030.
Keys Hotels, a premium brand of Berggruen Hotels, plans to launch three new hotels in India at
Vishakhapatnam, Calicut and Jaipur, and further add up to 10 Keys Hotels in the country by the end of FY
2017.
Stayzilla, a budget hotels and homestays aggregator, has raised over US$ 13 million in Series C round of
funding from Matrix Partners and Nexus Ventures, which will be used to improve product, technology and
marketing initiatives for its alternate stay business.
Travel Tripper, a US-based hotel technology firm, has entered the Indian market by setting up its second
global delivery centre outside the US in Hyderabad, which will serve as a development and client service
centre for the company's worldwide operations.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has partnered with OYO Rooms, India's largest
branded network of hotels, to provide standardised accommodation options to train travellers through its
convenient booking platform.
Ctrip.com, China's largest travel portal, has bought a stake in India's largest travel portal MakeMyTrip for
US$ 180 million via convertible bonds, which allows Ctrip to increase its share in MakeMyTrip up to 26.6
per cent.
Global investment banking major Goldman Sachs has invested Rs 441 crore (US$ 65.76 million) to acquire
an equity stake in Gurgaon-based hotel development and investment start-up SAMHI Hotels which will
help fund SAMHI's expansion plans.
Thai firm Onyx Hospitality and Kingsbridge India hotel asset management firm have set up a joint venture
(JV) to open seven hotels in the country by 2018 for which the JV will raise US$ 100 million.

7
 Goldman Sachs, New-York based multinational investment banking fund, has invested Rs 255 crore (US$
38.02 million) in Vatika Hotels.

Government Initiatives
The Indian government has realised the countrys potential in the tourism industry and has taken several steps to
make India a global tourism hub. Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government of India to give a boost to
the tourism and hospitality sector of India are as follows:
The Union Cabinet has approved a MoU between India and South Africa, aimed at expanding bilateral
cooperation in the tourism sector through exchange of information and data, establishing exchange
programmes and increasing investments in the tourism and hospitality sector.
The Ministry of Tourism plans to revise its guidelines to exempt homestays from service tax or commercial
levies and make their licensing process online, which is expected to encourage people to offer homestays
to tourists.
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of
Tourism of India and the Ministry of Trade Industry and Tourism of Colombia in order to boost
cooperation in the field of tourism between the two countries.
The Central Government has given its approval for signing of a MoU between India and Cambodia for
cooperation in the field of tourism with a view to promote bilateral tourism between the two countries.

The Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) action plans for eight missions cities
including Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer, Dwaraka, Badami, Vellankini, Warangal and Amaravati have been
approved by HRIDAY National Empowered Committee for a total cost of Rs 431 crore (US$ 64.27 million).
Government of India plans to cover 150 countries under e-visa scheme by the end of the year besides
opening an airport in the NCR region in order to ease the pressure on Delhi airport.
Under Project Mausam the Government of India has proposed to establish cross cultural linkages and to
revive historic maritime cultural and economic ties with 39 Indian Ocean countries.

Road Ahead
Indias travel and tourism industry has huge growth potential. The tourism industry is also looking forward to the
expansion of E-visa scheme which is expected to double the tourist inflow to India. Rating agency ICRA ltd
estimates the revenue growth of Indian hotel industry strengthening to 9-11 per cent in 2015-16. India is projected
to be the fastest growing nation in the wellness tourism sector in the next five years, clocking over 20 per cent
gains annually through 2017, according to a study conducted by SRI International.
Exchange Rate Used: INR 1 = US$ 0.0149 as on September 21, 2016

Investments
The tourism and hospitality sector is among the top 10 sectors in India to attract the highest Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI). During the period April 2000-March 2016, the hotel and tourism sector attracted around US$
9.23 billion of FDI, according to the data released by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Government Initiatives
The Indian government has realised the countrys potential in the tourism industry and has taken several steps to
make India a global tourism hub. Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government of India to give a boost to
the tourism and hospitality sector of India are as follows:
The Ministry of Tourism plans to revise its guidelines to exempt homestays from service tax or commercial
levies and make their licensing process online, which is expected to encourage people to offer homestays to
tourists.
ITC Ltd has renewed its 40-year partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to operate 11 luxury hotels in
India, and three more luxury hotels in Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Kolkata which will be completed in the
next four years, thus increasing the total number of hotels to 15.

8
 The e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) scheme has been extended to 37 more countries thereby taking the total count of
countries under the scheme to 150 countries.
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of
Tourism of India and the Ministry of Trade Industry and Tourism of Colombia in order to boost cooperation in
the field of tourism between the two countries.
The Central Government has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between India and Cambodia for cooperation in the field of tourism with a view to promote bilateral tourism
between the two countries.
Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned Rs 844.96 crore (US$ 125.26 million) to States and Union Territories for
developing tourism destinations and circuits during FY 2014-15, which includes projects relating to
Product/Infrastructure Development for Destinations and Circuits (PIDDC), Human Resource Development
(HRD), Fairs and Festivals & Rural Tourism.
The Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) action plans for eight missions cities
including Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer, Dwaraka, Badami, Vellankini, Warangal and Amaravati have been
approved by HRIDAY National Empowered Committee for a total cost of Rs 431 crore (US$ 63.89 million).
Government of India plans to cover 150 countries under e-visa scheme by the end of the year besides opening
an airport in the NCR region in order to ease the pressure on Delhi airport.
Under Project Mausam the Government of India has proposed to establish cross cultural linkages and to
revive historic maritime cultural and economic ties with 39 Indian Ocean countries.

Road Ahead
Indias travel and tourism industry has huge growth potential. The medical tourism market in India is projected to
reach US$ 3.9 billion in size having grown at a CAGR of 27 per cent over the last three years. Also, inflow of medical
tourists is expected to cross 320 million by 2015 compared with 85 million in 2012. The tourism industry is also
looking forward to the expansion of E-visa scheme which is expected to double the tourist inflow to India. Rating
agency ICRA ltd estimates the revenue growth of Indian hotel industry strengthening to 9-11 per cent in 2015-16.

Growth in number of tourists

With the international tourist arrivals in India (pegged at 7.5 million in 2013) expected to witness an annual growth
rate of 6.2 per cent over the next decade, visitor exports (expenditure generated by foreign tourists) are expected
to amount to INR 2958 billion by 2023 growing at 9.6 per cent per annum3 . This growth can mainly be attributed
to the rising income levels and changing lifestyles, diverse tourism offerings and policy & infrastructural support by
the government such as simplification of visa procedures and tax holidays for hotels.

9
Impact of tourism sector on GDP
The major component of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is consumption, which is driven by demand for goods and
services. One effect of tourism on GDP is that tourism affects the economy through the provision of employment.
The main effect of tourism on GDP is the fact that tourism boosts the demand for goods and services. Such an
increase in the consumption level increases the activity on the market and consequently, increases the GDP level.
Not all effects of tourism are positive though, as it can also lead to leakages, especially in smaller areas.
Any area that has a high level of tourist-related activities creates a lot of employment opportunities for the local
population. Hotels, amusement parks, tourist attractions and other such places need people to provide the
necessary services. Since increases and decreases in employment affect GDP levels by influencing the spending
habits of people, the employment provided through tourism has a positive effect on GDP. People who are
employed have the income to spend and an increased level of consumption is a consequence of tourism on GDP.

In the area of tourist expenditure, the effect of tourism on GDP can be seen in the manner in which the demand by
tourists for services affects the GDP level of a stated area. Tourists spend money on plane tickets, cruise ship fares,
restaurants and a wide variety of other services. The impact of tourism is such that some economies are partly
sustained by tourism and its related factors. In these economies, tourist consumption of goods and services make
up a considerable portion of the total annual expenditure.
Effects of tourism are also evident in the way in which new services and goods are constantly added to the existing
ones in order to satisfy tourist demand. For instance, some small industries, especially crafts, are a direct result of
tourist demand for souvenirs and other memorabilia or keepsakes. Some of these industries would not survive
without the patronage of tourists who buy such artifacts and items to take with them when they return home. In
some areas where the tourist trade is seasonal, these industries may only function for the period when tourism is
fully active. As such, the souvenir makers may have other sources of income and only depend on the tourist trade
as a part-time source of income.

One negative effect of tourism on GDP is in the area of leakages, as is common in smaller, underdeveloped
countries. This usually occurs when the majority of the tourist facilities are owned and managed by foreigners.
Examples of such facilities include airlines, accommodations and other services. In these instances, the leakages
refer to the fact that the money earned from tourism is usually transferred to external bank accounts and does not
significantly boost the local economy or GDP.

10
While Figure 1.3 reflects the direct contribution of the travel and tourism sector, the total contribution is expected
to be much higher. In addition to the impact of economic activities directly related to the sector such as
accommodation, transportation and entertainment, the total contribution of the sector also takes into account the
indirect impacts of investment or supply chain activities and induced income impacts resulting from spending by
employees directly or indirectly related to the sector. For details on components of total contribution, please refer
to Box 1. Such indirect and induced contribution of the industry results in a multiplier5 impact on the overall
economy. Applying this multiplier impact, the total contribution of travel and tourism amounted to INR 6385
billion in 2012 , around 3.3 times its direct contribution. This implies that for every rupee of direct contribution of
tourism to GDP, additional 2.3 rupees is contributed to the economy when the indirect and induced effects of
tourism are considered. In the year 2012, indirect and induced contributions amounted to INR 3500 billion and INR
966 billion respectively. The total GDP contribution is forecasted to rise at a CAGR of 12 per cent over the next
decade with indirect and induced contributions forecasted to amount to INR 12939 billion and INR 3263 billion
respectively by 2023.

Components of total contribution to GDP

1. Direct contribution: The direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP is calculated from total internal
spending by netting out the purchases made by different tourism sectors such as hotels, airlines, airports, travel
agents and leisure and recreation services that deal directly with tourists. Internal spending is total spending within
a particular country on travel and tourism by residents and nonresidents for business and leisure purposes as well
as government spending on travel and tourism services, directly linked to visitors such as cultural or recreational
services.

2. Indirect contribution: It consists of the GDP supported by investment activities in travel and tourism sector such
as purchase of new aircrafts and construction of new hotels; government collective spending in the sector on areas
like tourism marketing and promotion, aviation, administration, security services, resort area security services,
resort area sanitation services etc. and domestic purchases of goods and services by the sectors dealing directly
with tourists such as purchase of food and cleaning services by hotels, of fuel and catering services by airlines, and
IT services by travel agents.

3. Induced contribution: It consists of the GDP supported by the spending of those who are directly or indirectly
employed by the travel and tourism industry.

11
Impact of tourism sector on employment
The Indian tourism and hospitality industry has emerged as one of the key drivers of growth among the services
sector in India. Tourism in India is a potential game changer. It is a sun rise industry, an employment generator, a
significant source of foreign exchange for the country and an economic activity that helps local and host
communities. India is a tourism product which is unparalleled in its beauty, uniqueness, rich culture and history has
been aggressively pursuing the promotion of tourism both internationally as well as in the domestic market. Indian
tourism industry is thriving due to an increase in foreign tourist arrivals and greater number of Indians travelling to
domestic destinations than before. In the past few years the real growth has come from within the domestic sector
as around 30 million Indians travel within the country in a year. Indias demographic dividend of a younger
population compared to developed countries is leading to greater expenditure on leisure services. Travel and
tourism sectors contribution to capital investment is projected to grow at 6.5 per cent per annum during 2013-
2023, above the global average of five per cent.

There is a need to take steps to improve the present scenario of tourism that includes extending facility of visa-on-
arrival to tourists from more countries, simple tax rules and ensuring safety of tourists. There is a need for better
marketing and brand strategies to promote the sector. The cost of obtaining an Indian visa is prohibitive and we
need to take a relook at it. Creation of an enabling environment for the sectors growth would lead to rise in
foreign tourists inflows and foreign exchange earnings, thus, contributing to economic growth. This would also
lead to creation of additional jobs in the sector, which would create opportunities for all sections of the society and
in turn lead to attaining an all-inclusive development.

IMPACT OF TOURISM IN INDIA

Tourism industry in India has several positive and negative impacts on the economy and society. These impacts are
highlighted below.
POSITIVE IMPACTS
1. Generating Income and Employment: Tourism in India has emerged as an instrument of income and
employment generation, poverty alleviation and sustainable human development. It contributes 6.23% to the
national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. Almost 20 million people are now working in the Indias
tourism industry.
3. Source of Foreign Exchange Earnings: Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange earnings in India. This
has favourable impact on the balance of payment of the country. The tourism industry in India generated about
US$100 billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate.
4. Preservation of National Heritage and Environment: Tourism helps preserve several places which are of
historical importance by declaring them as heritage sites. For instance, the Taj Mahal, the Qutab Minar, Ajanta and
Ellora temples, etc, would have been decayed and destroyed had it not been for the efforts taken by Tourism
Department to preserve them. Likewise, tourism also helps in conserving the natural habitats of many endangered
species.
5. Developing Infrastructure: Tourism tends to encourage the development of multiple-use infrastructure that
benefits the host community, including various means of transports, health care facilities, and sports centers, in
addition to the hotels and high-end restaurants that cater to foreign visitors. The development of infrastructure
has in turn induced the development of other directly productive activities.
6. Promoting Peace and Stability: Honey and Gilpin (2009) suggests that the tourism industry can also help
promote peace and stability in developing country like India by providing jobs, generating income, diversifying the
economy, protecting the environment, and promoting cross-cultural awareness. However, key challenges like
adoption of regulatory frameworks, mechanisms to reduce crime and corruption, etc, must be addressed if peace-
enhancing benefits from this industry are to be realized.

12
NEGATIVE IMPACTS
1. Undesirable Social and Cultural Change: Tourism sometimes led to the destruction of the social fabric of a
community. The more tourists coming into a place, the more the perceived risk of that place losing its identity. A
good example is Goa. From the late 60's to the early 80's when the Hippy culture was at its height, Goa was a
haven for such hippies. Here they came in thousands and changed the whole culture of the state leading to a rise
in the use of drugs, prostitution and human trafficking. This had a ripple effect on the country.
2. Increase Tension and Hostility: Tourism can increase tension, hostility, and suspicion between the tourists and
the local communities when there is no respect and understanding for each others culture and way of life. This
may further lead to violence and other crimes committed against the tourists. The recent crime committed against
Russian tourist in Goa is a case in point.
3. Creating a Sense of Antipathy: Tourism brought little benefit to the local community. In most all-inclusive
package tours more than 80% of travelers fees go to the airlines, hotels and other international companies, not to
local businessmen and workers. Moreover, large hotel chain restaurants often import food to satisfy foreign
visitors and rarely employ local staff for senior management positions, preventing local farmers and workers from
reaping the benefit of their presence. This has often created a sense of antipathy towards the tourists and the
government.
4. Adverse Effects on Environment and Ecology: One of the most important adverse effects of tourism on the
environment is increased pressure on the carrying capacity of the ecosystem in each tourist locality. Increased
transport and construction activities led to large scale deforestation and destabilisation of natural landforms, while
increased tourist flow led to increase in solid waste dumping as well as depletion of water and fuel resources. Flow
of tourists to ecologically sensitive areas resulted in destruction of rare and endangered species due to trampling,
killing, disturbance of breeding habitats. Noise pollution from vehicles and public address systems, water pollution,
vehicular emissions, untreated sewage, etc. also have direct effects on bio-diversity, ambient environment and
general profile of tourist spots.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TOURISM IN INDIA
The tourism industry in India can have several positive and negative impact on the environment which are discuss
below.
POSITIVE IMPACTS
1. Direct Financial Contributions
Tourism can contribute directly to the conservation of sensitive areas and habitat. Revenue from park-entrance
fees and similar sources can be allocated specifically to pay for the protection and management of environmentally
sensitive areas. Special fees for park operations or conservation activities can be collected from tourists or tour
operators.
2. Contributions to Government Revenues
The Indian government through the tourism department also collect money in more far-reaching and indirect ways
that are not linked to specific parks or conservation areas. User fees, income taxes, taxes on sales or rental of
recreation equipment, and license fees for activities such as rafting and fishing can provide governments with the
funds needed to manage natural resources. Such funds can be used for overall conservation programs and
activities, such as park ranger salaries and park maintenance.
3. Improved Environmental Management and Planning
Sound environmental management of tourism facilities and especially hotels can increase the benefits to natural
environment. By planning early for tourism development, damaging and expensive mistakes can be prevented,
avoiding the gradual deterioration of environmental assets significant to tourism. The development of tourism has
moved the Indian government towards this direction leading to improved environmental management.
4. Raising Environmental Awareness

13
Tourism has the potential to increase public appreciation of the environment and to spread awareness of
environmental problems when it brings people into closer contact with nature and the environment. This
confrontation heightens awareness of the value of nature among the community and lead to environmentally
conscious behavior and activities to preserve the environment.

5. Protection and Preservation of Environment

Tourism can significantly contribute to environmental protection, conservation and restoration of biological
diversity and sustainable use of natural resources. Because of their attractiveness, pristine sites and natural areas
are identified as valuable and the need to keep the attraction alive can lead to creation of national parks and
wildlife parks.
In India, new laws and regulations have been enacted to preserve the forest and to protect native species. The
coral reefs around the coastal areas and the marine life that depend on them for survival are also protected.
Negative Impacts
1. Depletion of Natural Resources: Tourism development can put pressure on natural resources when it increases
consumption in areas where resources are already scarce.
(i) Water resources: Water, especially fresh water, is one of the most critical natural resources. The tourism
industry generally overuses water resources for hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and personal use of water by
tourists. This can result in water shortages and degradation of water supplies, as well as generating a greater
volume of waste water. In dryer regions like Rajasthan, the issue of water scarcity is of particular concern.
(ii) Local resources: Tourism can create great pressure on local resources like energy, food, and other raw
materials that may already be in short supply. Greater extraction and transport of these resources exacerbates the
physical impacts associated with their exploitation. Because of the seasonal character of the industry, many
destinations have ten times more inhabitants in the high season as in the low season. A high demand is placed
upon these resources to meet the high expectations tourists often have (proper heating, hot water, etc.).
(iii) Land degradation: Important land resources include minerals, fossil fuels, fertile soil, forests, wetland and
wildlife. Increased construction of tourism and recreational facilities has increased the pressure on these resources
and on scenic landscapes. Direct impact on natural resources, both renewable and nonrenewable, in the provision
of tourist facilities is caused by the use of land for accommodation and other infrastructure provision, and the use
of building materials
Forests often suffer negative impacts of tourism in the form of deforestation caused by fuel wood collection and
land clearing e.g. the trekking in the Himalayan region, Sikkim and Assam.
2. Pollution
Tourism can cause the same forms of pollution as any other industry: air emissions, noise, solid waste and littering,
releases of sewage, oil and chemicals, even architectural/visual pollution.
(i) Air and Noise Pollution: Transport by air, road, and rail is continuously increasing in response to the rising
number of tourist activities in India. Transport emissions and emissions from energy production and use are linked
to acid rain, global warming and photochemical pollution. Air pollution from tourist transportation has impacts on
the global level, especially from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions related to transportation energy use. And it can
contribute to severe local air pollution. Some of these impacts are quite specific to tourist activities where the sites
are in remote areas like Ajanta and Ellora temples. For example, tour buses often leave their motors running for
hours while the tourists go out for an excursion because they want to return to a comfortably air-conditioned bus.
Noise pollution from airplanes, cars, and buses, as well as recreational vehicles is an ever-growing problem of
modern life. In addition to causing annoyance, stress, and even hearing loss for humans, it causes distress to
wildlife, especially in sensitive areas.

14
(ii) Solid waste and littering: In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural
attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem and improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural
environment - rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides.
In mountain areas of the Himalayas and Darjeeling, trekking tourists generate a great deal of waste. Tourists on
expedition leave behind their garbage, oxygen cylinders and even camping equipment. Such practices degrade the
environment particularly in remote areas because they have few garbage collection or disposal facilities.
(iii) Sewage: Construction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increased sewage pollution.
Wastewater has polluted seas and lakes surrounding tourist attractions, damaging the flora and fauna. Sewage
runoff causes serious damage to coral reefs because it stimulates the growth of algae, which cover the filter-
feeding corals, hindering their ability to survive. Changes in salinity and siltation can have wide-ranging impacts on
coastal environments. And sewage pollution can threaten the health of humans and animals. Examples of such
pollution can be seen in the coastal states of Goa, Kerela, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, etc.
3. Destruction and Alteration of Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a geographic area including all the living organisms (people, plants, animals, and micro-
organisms), their physical surroundings (such as soil, water, and air), and the natural cycles that sustain them.
Attractive landscape sites, such as sandy beaches in Goa, Maharashtra, Kerela, Tamil Nadu; lakes, riversides, and
mountain tops and slopes, are often transitional zones, characterized by species-rich ecosystems. The threats to
and pressures on these ecosystems are often severe because such places are very attractive to both tourists and
developers. Examples may be cited fromKrushedei Island near Rameswaram. What was once called paradise for
marine biologists has been abandoned due to massive destruction of coral and other marine life. Another area of
concern which emerged at Jaisalmer is regarding the deterioration of the desert ecology due to increased tourist
activities in the desert.
Moreover, habitat can be degraded by tourism leisure activities. For example, wildlife viewing can bring about
stress for the animals and alter their natural behavior when tourists come too close. Safaris and wildlife watching
activities have a degrading effect on habitat as they often are accompanied by the noise and commotion created
by tourists.
Significance of domestic tourism
Tourism has been a major social phenomenon from time immemorial. Motivated by the natural urge of every
human being for new experiences, adventure, education and entertainment, these also include social, cultural and
business interests.

Travel for pilgrimage and learning has been an integral part of Indian culture and thus several centuries of learning
and religious worship developed all over the country. This gave further impetus to the mass movement of people
from one place to another. Development of traditional industries and trade created yet another stream of
travellers. Several trading routes were established and traders started frequenting the centres of trade from
distant places. The ancient rulers gave due consideration to these travellers and created many wayside facilities
like inns, sarais, dharamsalas and caravans for their benefit. Thus, India has been experiencing a massive
movement of domestic tourists for several decades.

A few centuries ago the Moghul rulers introduced pleasure tourism by building luxurious palaces and gardens in
places of natural scenic attraction, including many in the beautiful valley of Kashmir. It was, however, during the
British rule in India, that domestic tourism received new direction and meaning. Several hill stations were also
developed during the period, which became the core of the Indian leisure tourism.

15
 The emergence of a large 'urban middle class'
coupled with better transport and
communication facilities has created a new class
of holiday and leisure tourists in contemporary
India. Millions of pilgrims and devotees now
travelling from one part of the country to another
make an effort to understand the spirit and
mystique of India and take pride in its ancient
cultural traditions and ethos.

Domestic tourism is also one of the most vibrant

expressions of Indian heritage. It is the single
unifying force, which helps in achieving
understanding between various linguistic,
religious and communal groups living in different
parts of the country. In the contemporary India, the phenomenon of domestic tourism with its vibrant and
changing dimensions can be expected to make an even greater contribution toward strengthening the fabric of the
unity of India.

Despite its great significance in the national integration and development, domestic tourism has not received
adequate attention in the process of development planning. However, there has been the almost unobtrusive and
yet inexorable rise of domestic tourism in the Indian paradigm. From approximately 270 million domestic visits in
2003, the number rose to almost 432 million in 2006. The ministry of tourism's vision is to achieve a level of 760
million domestic tourist visits by the year 2011, the end of the 11th Plan at an annual average growth of 12 per
cent.

The average Indian is also an avid sightseer and can travel thousands of miles to different environments. A
significant pointer to this is travel during the summer months, a time when most foreign tourists avoid India. The
bulk of the affluent middle class, however, flock to the tourist stations of the Himalayas and test the carrying
capacity of these resorts to the maximum. Even in winter, the Indian traveller is on the move, targeting seaside
resorts, forests sanctuaries, desert safaris and historical monuments for special attention. Domestic tourism is also
fuelled by business travel to various parts of the country, as also by agriculture demands.

Hitherto, domestic tourism was confined to lower spectrum of spending and so did not figure in hotel and
restaurant receipts. Now the domestic tourist demand is shifting to expansive tourist resorts, hotels and resorts.

As the rich domestic tourist will look after himself, there is a need to make domestic tourism reach within the
capacity of the lower middle class and millions of pilgrims and devotees. It should be the job of the Central and
state governments, travel agencies and tour operators and other agencies to work out packages which they could
conveniently afford.

Since accommodation is the core of the tourism industry, efforts need to be made to provide the domestic visitors
economy accommodation. There are a large number of dharamsalas, sarais, choultries, agarshalas etc., which were
built round the places of worship only during ancient times through the efforts of private individuals, institutions
and rulers. The British administration then built a number of circuit houses, dak bungalows and rest houses and hill
resorts. Most of the dharamsalas and sarais are today in a dilapidated condition. These could be made fit for
staying with a small expenditure.

Dharamasalas and sarias at the pilgrimage and religious places should be improved and provided with more
facilities. Some of our pilgrim places woefully lack even basic hygienic amenities. During the festival days, millions
of pilgrims and devotees visit the shrines, a large majority of them sleeping in the open with hardly any sanitary
facilities. Basic facilities at these places including camping sites and budget hotels, which the ordinary travellers

16
could afford should be developed not only at the pilgrimage and religious places but at other places of interest.
Presently, tariffs of hotels run by the tourism corporations in northern India are beyond the reach of average
domestic traveller.

Former tourism minister, Jagmohan had rightly said that domestic tourism must be the backbone for international
tourism. It is the base on which the pyramid of international tourism is built. He said that tourism was more of a
civilisational issue and thus a total change in mindset was needed to usher in a tourism friendly atmosphere. Ours
is a vast and a varied country, pluralistic in food, language, custom and religion. Tourism contributes significantly to
our ethos of unity in diversity and integration. Hence the primary importance of domestic tourism, which needs
more importance than it has received. Today in pilgrim tourism alone, there are more than 150 million people
travelling within the country in each year. This class of tourists requires special attention. National Tourism Policy
also focuses on domestic tourism as a major driver of tourism growth.

Talking about the importance of domestic tourism, Jafar Jafri says that " In order to attract foreign exchange and
promote understanding across the boundaries, perhaps, each country should first look within and develop its
domestic tourism industry for internal bridges of understanding and stronger economic structure. Then the
country can more surely receive international tourists for foreign exchange and promote cross-cultural
communication for a global communication".

With exposure to their countries past heritage and resources, contemporary efforts, and future aspirations, the
people travelling within their own country, can witness the dynamism of their own country at work, and see and
learn about their own nation. Consequently, the country, with its problems and prospects in sight will become a
more real rather than a national country. Domestic tourists repeatedly zigzagging the country further reinforce the
many cultural themes with national characteristics or potentials.

Apart from the cultural benefits, domestic more than international tourism, help in the development of local
products including handicrafts and cottage industry products which the visitors take back as souvenirs and gifts for
their relatives and friends. The economically backward regions also get benefited on account of the visit of the
domestic tourists from creation of employment and income opportunities.

Often the local infrastructure and standards are more readily acceptable to domestic than to international tourists.
As the demand for international tourism depends upon many external factors such as international economic
prospects, international political climate, air accessibility, and seasonal oscillations, domestic tourism is more
stable. Northern Indian states would do well to promote domestic tourism by providing them reasonably priced
facilities and design inter state packages.

Capital investment in tourism sector

Capital investments in the tourism sector include spending by all sectors directly involved in the travel and tourism
industry. Spending by other industries on specific tourism assets such as new visitor accommodation and
passenger transport equipment, as well as restaurants and leisure facilities for specific tourism use also form part
of capital investments. Such investments lead to social development of an economy as infrastructure created for
tourism purposes in areas of transportation, accommodation etc. can also be utilised by the community in general.

17
Capital investment in the travel and tourism sector in 2012 was estimated at INR 1761.4 billion amounting to
approximately 6.2 per cent of total investment in the Indian economy. It is expected to increase by 14.2 per cent in
2013, and witness further annual growth rate of 10.5 per cent by 2023 amounting to INR 5459 billion.

Growth of tourism in India

The root of tourism in India can be traced to pilgrimage. Places of pilgrimage provided a firm ground to tourism in
the beginning and still continue to be one of the most effective factors of promoting tourism in India. It is
interesting to note that in the early stages, pilgrimage based tourism was only of domestic nature but during
recent years, an increasingly large number of foreign tourists have also started visiting places of pilgrimage.

With other attractions gradually gaining ground, one can notice detectable changes in the character of Indian
tourism, with a tilt from pilgrimage to pleasure trips. Today, the majority of the tourists feel that travelling for
sheer pleasure offers much wider scope than that offered by pilgrimage and thus the former is always more
colourful, lively, intimate, soothing to mind and body and hence, more enjoyable. Sometimes, people combine
pilgrimage with pleasure trips to draw the benefit of both.

Organised tourism in India began in the 1950s with the genesis of planned development. Over the years, Indian
tourism has grown considerably as is indicated by the arrival of foreign tourists. This shows that the number of
foreign tourists visiting India has increased substantially after the beginning of the planned era.

18
Domestic Tourism
Domestic tourism is an important segment of the overall tourist scenario although no reliable data are available in
this regard. It is relatively easy to keep record of foreign tourists as they are registered at entry points like
international airports which are not possible in case of domestic tourists.

It may be emphasised here that domestic tourism is no less pronounced than the foreign tourism. In fact, domestic
tourists far outnumber foreign tourists. This is by far the largest segment of market with a potential of 20 crore
local tourists travelling annually.

It is domestic tourism which fosters a sense of unity in the otherwise diverse environment of the country and
contributes to national integration. Even if 10 per cent of the population travels outside the native state, it involves
a massive movement of over 10 crore people who develop the feeling that they are travelling within their own
country.

Domestic tourism has increased considerably during the last couple of decades. The improved economy and
greater exposure through mass media have developed increasing awareness among the people about tourism; a
new dimension to their life style.

Larger income, longer holidays coupled with certain incentives given by public and private organisations to their
workers, have contributed a lot in infusing interest among the hitherto stay-at-home people to look around for a
place for an annual or biannual visit with family members.

Employment Opportunities in Tourism:

Tourism in India has vast employment potential, much of which still awaits exploitation. At present about 20.44
million persons are directly employed by hospitality services. This is about 5.6 per cent of the total work force of

19
the country. By 2015, it would provide 25 million jobs. In addition, the industry provides indirect employment to
about 40 million persons.

Further, it is interesting to note that the employment generation in proportion to investment is very high in tourist
industry. According to one estimate, an investment of Rs.10 lakh creates 89 jobs in hotel and restaurant sector as
against 44.7 jobs in agriculture and 12.6 in manufacturing industries.

The ratio further increases if one takes into account the ancillary services associated with hotels and restaurants.
Another important aspect of employment in tourism is that it employs a large number of women, educated and
uneducated, as well as skilled and unskilled. In fact, women are greater in number than men in hotels, airline
services, travel agencies, handicraft making and cultural activities, etc.

Tourism is a labour-intensive industry and is likely to offer more jobs in the coming years. And since most of the
natural beauty and wildlife are to be found in non-urban areas, rural people could find employment as guides and
transporters; with proper training. More jobs in rural areas would also help reduce continuous migration of people
to towns.

Hotel Accommodation:
The hotel sector forms the key segment of tourism industry. Most of the foreign exchange earned by tourist
industry is accounted for by hotel segment. Realising the importance of hotel segment, the Government has taken
initiatives to encourage hotel industry by providing tax benefits and other incentives. The Industrial Policy has now
placed the hotels and tourism related activities as a priority industry. Foreign investment and collaborations are
now facilitated under the new economic policy.

The Department of Tourism classifies functioning hotels under the star system into various categories from one to
five-star deluxe and Heritage (Heritage Classic, Grand and Heritage Renaissance) and Apartment Hotels from three
stars to five star deluxe.

The Department also reclassified these hotels after every five years to ensure that requisite standards are
maintained by them. Heritage hotels have been introduced to cover functioning hotels in palaces, have lies,
castles, forts and residences built prior to 1950. Since foreign tourists are crazy about Indian culture and heritage,
care has been taken to preserve the original form of the buildings while developing them as heritage hotels.

So far, 32 properties have been classified in heritage hotel category providing a room capacity of 972 rooms.
Another 38 heritage hotels projects comprising of 710 rooms are in the pipeline. The hotel industry has shown a
spectacular growth during the last one decade.

Industrial Policy has now placed hotels and tourism related activities as a priority industry. Foreign investment and
collaborations are now facilitated under the new economic policy. Automatic approval is available for foreign
direct investment (FDI) upto 100 per cent in hotel and tourism sector.

20
Growth of tourists in India
Tourism in India has a strong relevance to economic development, cultural growth and national integration. As
mentioned earlier, India is a vast country of great beauty and diversity and her tourist potential is equally vast.
With her rich cultural heritage as superbly manifest in many of the architectural wonders (palaces, temples,
mosques, forts, etc), caves and prehistoric wall paintings, her widely varied topography ranging from the
monotonous plains to the loftiest mountains of the world, her large climatic variations ranging from some of the
wettest and the driest as well as from the hottest and the coldest parts of the world, beautiful long beaches on the
sea coast, vast stretches of sands, gregarious tropical forests and above all, the great variety of the life-style, India
offers an unending choice for the tourist.

No. of Foreign Tourists to India:

Area/Regio 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 1999 2000 2001 2002
n
North 3,628 33,268 62,027 107,410 153,502 334,869 432,305 417,747 441,780
America
Central & 63 1,833 3,441 11,157 11,819 37,988 23,131 31,413 18,591
South
America
Africa 268 17,701 24,716 45,278 62,127 136,595 94,523 104,106 84,892
Australia 247 2,903 13,931 26,993 30,535 101,237 67,567 66,336 63,617
Western 8,088 18,552 104,08 331,326 514,541 807,885 875,908 821,112 730,466
Europe 1
Eastern 170 5,482 7,912 27,855 46,073 59,893 49,764 42,568 41,197
Europe
West Asia 111 4,766 9,822 93,036 118,530 110,806 95,580 99,051 93,341
South Asia 1,711 18,027 27,999 539,846 590,621 624,945 673,917 672,133 630,653
Southeast 1,146 12,431 31,788 65,179 78,966 142,358 148,513 142,614 150,302
Asia
East Asia 768 4,841 13,885 35,267 67,793 125,108 147,674 130,809 116,053
Stateless 38 1,393 863 3,001 244 8,912 9,393 13,487
Total 16,82 139,80 300,99 1,279,21 1,677,50 2,481,92 2,617,79 2,537,28 2,384,36
9 4 5 0 8 8 4 2 4
The tourist arrivals increased from an insignificant of 16.8 thousand in 1951 to 2.6 million in 2000. However a
marginal decline had been observed thereafter. This is a serious trend and must be checked at all costs. Strenuous
efforts are required to encourage the inflow of foreign tourists so that precious foreign exchange could be earned
in good measure.

21
Foreign tourist arrival and Forex earning in India:
Year Foreign tourist arrivals Foreign exchange earnings (Rs. crore)
2002 23,84364 12,600.56
2003 24,06,943 16,429.00
2004 29,83,453 19362.02

No of Hotels in different categories Category wise break up of hotels across different zones has been indicated
below.

There is wide variation in the number of hotels in different categories. The maximum number of hotels is in the
Licensed category comprising 55% of the total share of accommodation units in the surveyed 54 locations. This is
followed by approved/ unclassified hotels which comprise 27% of the total accommodation units in those
locations. The mid-segment hotels (Budget Hotels) i.e. 3 star, 2 star and 1 star comprise 14% of the total share. The
heritage, 5 star deluxe, 5 star and 4 star hotels (Premium Segment) together comprise only 5% of the total share. It
is evident from the percentage break up of accommodation units that at present the luxury category of hotels
comprise only a minor share in the hospitality industry with middle and lower segment of hotels comprising the
majority of available accommodation units for the tourists

Performance of tourism sector in various states of India

India represents one of the most potential tourism markets in the world. It has expanded rapidly over the past few
years and underpinned by the government support, rising income level and various international sports events.
The Indian tourism industry will continue to grow at the fastest pace in the coming years. However, the industry
may have to cope up with several challenges which will limit its growth. The growth in Indias tourism market is
expected to serve as a boon, driving the growth of several associated industries, including hotel industry, medical
tourism industry and aviation industry. India currently has a market share of about 0.6% of the world tourism
market. Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Rajasthan are the leading tourism destinations
in India in terms of total tourist arrivals.

compares the states of India on the basis of their market share.

22
 State Rank in likely
state
visits (2008- improvement (INR
2012
expenditure
(mn) in 2012) (2008- mn)
2012)
2012 2011-12
Andhra 1 207 12% - 106 0.02%
Pradesh
Tamil Nadu 2 188 17% 1 307 0.13%
Uttar Pradesh 3 170 8% (1) 261 0.06%
Karnataka 4 95 64% 6 2400 0.63%
Maharashtra 5 71 33% - 4855 1.16%
Madhya 6 53 24% - 727 0.32%
Pradesh
Rajasthan 7 30 0.2% (3) 281 0.10%
Uttarakhand 8 27 7% (1) 1111 1.42%
Gujarat 9 25 12% - 2691 0.71%
West Bengal 10 24 4% (2) 430 0.19%
Bihar 11 23 17% - 304 0.14%
Delhi 12 21 47% 4 155 0.10%
Jharkhand 13 20 36% - 250 0.20%
Punjab 14 19 147% 3 224 0.19%
Himachal 15 16 13% (3) 174 0.52%
Pradesh
Chhattisgarh 16 15 141% 3 479 0.29%
Jammu & 17 13 13% 1 1392 2.11%
Kashmir
Kerala 1 11 7% (5) 1530 1.27%
All India - 1057 16% - 23991 0.49%

Andhra Pradesh has consistently stayed on top of the list during 2008-2012 even with a low level of state
expenditure spend towards tourism sector. Being a major pilgrimage destination, it witnessed the highest number
of tourist visits in 2012. Availability of good quality infrastructure further supports the growth of tourism. Tamil
Nadu is another major pilgrimage destination in the south with major tourist attractions as Chennai, Madurai and
Rameshwaram.

Karnataka witnessed the largest increase in rank with increased spend towards tourism sector at 0.63 per cent of
the overall likely state expenditure during 2011-12. The effectiveness of its marketing campaign is evident from the
fact that its website popularity improved by 7 ranks from 13 in 2009 to 6 in 2011.

Delhi being a key commercial and leisure destination in the country enjoys the necessary infrastructure and high
number of tourist visits

23
 Maharashtra, a key commercial and business destination scores well on all infrastructural, economic and
demographic parameters with fifth largest number of branded rooms per sq km of area, fifth largest GDP per
capita in the country and 83 per cent state literacy rate

Gujarat with 0.71 per cent of state expenditure allocated for the tourism sector witnessed a considerable
increase in its budgetary allocation proportion. With the success of the Gujarat tourism campaign with the brand
ambassador as Amitabh Bachchan and other marketing and promotional activities, Gujarat has improved upon its
tourism appeal many fold.

Marketing and promotional campaigns such as Bioscope : Hindustan Ka Dil Dekho in 2006, Eyes Campaign and
advertisements with hand shadowgraphy with the theme as MP ajab hai, sabse gajab hai in 2010 helped Madhya
Pradesh gain position amongst the top 10 tourist states of India. New ad campaigns based on the idea of
presenting the state through beautiful, vivid colours in 2013 are expected to further augment the tourism potential
of the state2

Rajasthan, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Kerala are states that have witnessed decline in
their positions as preferred tourist destinations. While an increase in funds allocated towards tourism sector in
these states is required, effective implementation of the funds may require careful assessment of the impact of
marketing and promotion activities in the state. Other areas requiring consideration are improvements in overall
state infrastructure

While Kerala scores highest on literacy levels, low GDP per capita and low urbanisation levels have had a
negative effect on the tourism appeal. However, adequate infrastructure in areas of accommodation and
passenger transportation along with the governments focused marketing and promotion activities are expected to
help Kerala regain its lost position.

24
Northern states in India
The North India, strategically most important part of India, has moulded astonishingly the course of India's
historical and cultural evolution over the last 3500 years. The three main religions - Hinduism, Buddhism and
Jainism; the origin of sacred river Ganga, Yamuna and sources of many other important rivers are in Northern
India. The mighty Himalayas from Himachal Pradesh to Kanyakumari safeguarding the country are also part of the

25
Northern India. Delhi, the glorious capital of India has seen the battle between many Hindu and Muslim rulers and
has been ruled by them from time to time. Some of the exceptional monuments like, Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar,
and Humayuns Tomb were built by Mughal Emperors during their regime. Rajasthan is the most exotic and
historical part of North India, one of the most colourful and vivacious state of India. Rajasthan is one of the most
sought after tourist destinations among the tourist: known for splendid Forts and Palaces, historical monuments,
heritage hotels, wildlife, rural culture and traditions, Rajasthan's Thar Desert and Cattle Fairs are no less
interesting. Uttar Pradesh, the highly populated state in the country has beautiful monuments like Taj Mahal;
wildlife sanctuaries and is correlated with holey river Ganges as her starting place of origin from Gaumukh in the
Himalayas.

The various tourist attractions of North India are tempting, shrouds our heart with pleasure, you should experience
the joy of unparalleled divine creations in all major tourist destination of India, plan your holidays to see the true
colour of North India. We provide North India tourism information and give you perfect itinerary to plan out your
North India tour with most exotic tourist destinations.

Delhi
Delhi is the blend of beauty, charm, complexities, contradictions, and dynamism - where the historical past exists
with the present. Over 1000 years, it has enthralled plunderers, wooed rulers and tried historians with facts today;
the capital preserves an enviable heritage, always on the toe. Delhi remains the center of power, starting with
royal influence to colonial power. Today its emerging as a significant center for corporate power too. However the
city is now can be called truly a cosmopolitan and modern city.

Haryana
Haryana has a proud history going back to the Vedic age. The state was the home of the legendary Bharata
dynasty. Haryana is immortalized in the great epic Mahabharata. Kurukshetra, the scene of the epic battle
between the Kaurvas and the Pandavas, is situated in Haryana. The state continued to play a leading role in the
history of India till the advent of Muslims and the rise of Delhi as the imperial capital of India.

Himachal Pradesh
Himachal, nestled in the Himalayas in North India, the world's mightiest mountain ranges, Himachal is called
Abode of Snow; the state is surrounded by Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and the
Chinese territory of Tibet.

This beautiful state is blessed with some of the most picturesque and amazing landscape anywhere, it is tourists
paradise- high snow peaks of great Himalaya, lush green valleys, deep gorges, fast flowing rivers, misty woods,
enchanting lakes and flower filled meadows. Its high mountains and valleys are connected by winding roads and
high altitude passes. While the splendid valleys of Kullu and Kangra are a riot of colours, in marked contrast the
stark and barren terrains of Lahaul-and-Spiti at altitude of 6500m. Lahaul and Spiti have stunning lunar and scape
like beauty. For centuries, the place has been called 'Devabhoomi' means Abode of God.

Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir, the most fascinating state of Northern India. Jammu and Kashmir are divided into 3 different
regions. The state was ruled by Hindu King Dogra around 100 years, one of the most developing and constructive
period in the history of Jammu and Kashmir valley. It is also referred as Switzerland of Asia. Jammu the whole city
of is sprinkled with temples, so much so it is often called the city of temples. Kashmir is an emerald valley, cradled
in the Himalayas, under crystalline blue skies, and against the backdrop of snow capped mountains. Kashmirs
capital city, Srinagar offers delightful holidays on the lakes with their shikaras and houseboats.

Jammu and Kashmir has been famous for its natural beauty since time immemorial and has been aptly described
as "heaven on earth". The state has some of the best tourist spots in the entire country. Tourists from not only
India but also the world over come to enjoy the scenic beauty of the state. The tourism industry has greatly

26
benefited the state economy. Some of the major tourist attractions in the state are Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Leh,
Patnitop, and Ladakh. The city of Jammu is popularly known as the City of temples. Srinagar is famous for its lakes
and houseboats while Kashmir, known for its scenic natural beauty and rich cuisine is quite popular among
tourists. The Dal Lake houseboats are one of the major attractions of Kashmir. Another major tourist attraction is
the Mughal Gardens of Srinagar.

Punjab
The major city in the Punjab is Amritsar, the holy city of the Sikhs. Chandigarh, a new planned city, was conceived
and built in the 1950s to serve as the capital of the new Punjab. In 1966, Punjab underwent another split. It was
divided into the predominantly Sikh and Punjabi- speaking state of Punjab and the state of Haryana. At the same
time some of the northern parts of the Punjab were hived off to Himachal Pradesh. Chandigarh on the border of
Punjab and Haryana, remains the capital of the two states, yet is administered as a union territory from Delhi.

Punjab, the chief wheat producing area of the country, is the overland entry point into India. The state is also
known for its production of sports and hosiery goods.

Rajasthan
Rajasthan, quite popular among the tourists for historical monuments, old havelis, palaces, forts, wildlife, desert
sand dunes, village life, hill stations, lakes, Rajasthan is perfect amalgamation of ages old traditional culture,
modern luxury and comforts. Rajasthan spells bounded as you explore it more & more. The most exotic tourist
destinations of Rajasthan are: Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Pushkar, all the destinations are
wellconnected by road and railway lines. Rajasthan also nearby other historical and most sought-after tourist
cities: Agra, Varanasi and Khajuraho. This is said the Indian mythology, the Rajputs of Rajasthan were the
descendants of the Kshatriyas or warriors of Vedic India.

Uttaranchal
Uttaranchal (Uttarakhand) is a state of natural beauty is carved out of Uttar Pradesh and formed as the 27th state
of the Indian Union bordered by Tibet to the north, Nepal to the east, and the states of Himachal Pradesh and
Uttar Pradesh in the west and south respectively. Uttarakhand is a stunningly beautiful state in the Himalayan
North of India. It is broken up into a western part, named "Garhwal", and an eastern part named "Kumaon".
Garhwal is more easily accessed. A picturesque state, with a breathtaking panoramic view of Himalayas,
Uttaranchal promises its tourists a visit full of fun and unforgettable moments. Comprising of eight hill districts and
an area and population that equals the state of Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal is an expression of divinity,
austerity, meditation, penance and attainment, Uttarakhand has been blessed by nature with magnificent glaciers,
majestic snow-clad mountains, gigantic and ecstatic peaks, valley of flowers, skiing slopes and dense forests.

Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh, the heartland of Hindu religion, aura of golden past, rich heritage monuments, vibrant, colourful,
vigorous, cosmopolitan, and modern look of India, dominating democratic india by the charm of culture, religions,
politics, languages, traditions. Uttar Pradesh is the most charismatic state of India.

Uttar Pradesh, the heartland of Hindu religion, aura of golden past, rich heritage monuments, vibrant, colourful,
vigorous, cosmopolitan, and modern look of India, dominating democratic india by the charm of culture, religions,
politics, languages, traditions. Uttar Pradesh is the most charismatic state of India. Where Lucknow is the princely
city of Navabs of India and Varanasi is oldest Hindu city of India.Uttar Pradesh in history known as Avadh is
situated in Northern part of India and is surrounded by Nepal and Tibet & in the North, Madhya Pradesh in the
South, Bihar in the East, Delhi, Harayana and Rajasthan in the West. Uttar Pradesh has been one of the most
dominant and important state of India. Uttar Pradesh has also been the home to a lot of great icons, thinkers, and
philosophers, musicians, poets and writers, artistes and artisans, leaders and politicians and intellectuals. Each city
of Uttar Pradesh tells its own story and treasured history that keeps on mesmerizing not only Indian,also the
tourists from various countries.

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Growth of tourists in northern states
Various important projects have been initiated/announced for the development of different sectors in the states
of the northern region, to be taken forward in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. In addition to the central
government projects, there are several projects and other initiatives undertaken by the state governments. Some
state governments are working towards announcing long term measures (reforms), such as instituting single
window clearance mechanism. Few others are proactively holding bilateral discussions with domestic and
international investors. Almost all the states have demarcated industrial areas to ease investment.

The report provides a detailed account across the northern Indian states with an overview of demographics,
identifies key sectors and investments, describes the state of infrastructure, highlights advantages of ease of doing
business, and illustrates key initiatives and projects being performed across these states.

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29
Key tourism circuits in northern states
A tourist Circuit is defined as a route on which at least three major tourist destinations are located such that none
of these are in the same town, village or city. At the same time they are not separated by a long distance. It should
have well defined entry and exit points. A tourist who enters at the entry point should get motivated to visit all the
places identified on the circuit. The objective of having a tourist circuit is to increase the total number of visits to
all the destinations on the circuit on the one hand and to provide to the tourist the attractions of all the
destinations located on the circuit.

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Key Marketing/Circuit Linkages

Delhi is the gateway for international and most domestic travel.

Uttar Pradesh itself doesnt have any significant entry or exit points.
Agra and Varanasi are considered unique in the world, with no effective competitors.
Agra is the most dominant attraction with primary linkage to Jaipur.
Varanasi and Jhansi are important linkages to the Bundelkhand region namely Khajuraho and Orchha.

Seamless travel

Seamless travel indicates a so-called free-from-disturbance' journey. Travelling brings along several processes
and aspects as a result of which travellers might consider it a stressful experience.

Offering an easy, unconcerned travel and airport experience is therefore the goal of the seamless travel
program. This theme considers projects which examine possible solutions and ideas regarding the delivery of a
perfect seamless travel for the passenger- from the moment they leave home until their departure, and vice
versa.

Seamless travel has two main aspects: technology and infrastructure. Infrastructure provides the different
modalities of transportation, and technologies connect the different modes of transportation. The
infrastructure component of seamless travel provides the bones and the technological component provides
the connective tissue necessary to facilitate the logistics of the journey. The importance of seamless travel has
long been recognised in the field of transport economics, with its emphasis on considering the generalised
cost of travel.

Benefits of seamless travel

Last mile connectivity catering to smooth and seamless travel is increasingly being recognised as an important
prerequisite for boosting tourism globally. It holds special relevance for India which has been witnessing
steady growth in the sector over the past few years. The current public transport system suffers from lack of
intermodal linkage between operations of various traffic modes causing a stressful experience to travellers.
Disparate fares, complex tax levies, longer travel times, unintegrated information services and lack of an
integrated management of transportation systems and operations, lack of wayside amenities such as petrol
pumps, clean drinking water kiosks & sanitation facilities, road signages etc. are some of the challenges that
tourists face due to lack of a seamless transportation system. Seamless travel requires smooth and intelligent
connections between different modes of transportation offering multiple advantages:

Physical continuity: Availability of an integrated transport system encompassing various modes of

transportation in the country

Reduced time requirements: Significant time savings in transfer, access and waiting times through
rationalization of operation schedules

Cost savings: Establishment of a competitive transport fare inclusive of applied discounts, seasonal passes,
discounted fare policies etc. help save money for the tourists

Information availability: User convenience is enhanced with provision of real time information on transport
modes, facilities and transfer stations.

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 A seamless transportation system aids in enhancing the overall administrative systems and procedures. It
benefits the economy in the form of reduced demand for high cost investments in individual facilities and
leads to preference for public transportation networks over private passenger cars thus being in line with the
global agenda of green and sustainable growth.

Southern states in India

Southern India has five states on the mainland:

1. Andhra Pradesh
The state's many temples and shrines, mosques, and churches attract many pilgrims. Most of the temples
were built during the reign ofVijayanagar empire. A number of festivals are organized with thousands of
tourists visiting them. Some famous temples are:

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in the town of Tirumala in Tirupati in Chittoor district is an important
pilgrimage site for Hindusthroughout India. It is one of the richest pilgrimage temple of any religious faith
in the world. It is the abode of Lord Venkateswara.

Ranganayakula swami Temple in Nellore it is only Temple in world..

Penchalakona Lakshmi narasimha swami Temple in Nellore district..

.
Mallikarjuna Swamy temple situated at Srisailam in the Nallamala Hills of Kurnool district, is the abode of
lord Mallikarjuna Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines in India. Lord Rama himself installed
the Sahasralinga, while the Pandavas lodged thePanchapandava lingas in the temple courtyard.
The Vijayanagara Empire built a number of monuments, including the Srisailam and Lepakshi temples.

Kanaka Durga Temple of the goddess Durga is situated on the Indrakeeladri Hill in the city
of Vijayawada on the banks of Krishna River. A large number of pilgrims attend the colourful celebrations
of Tepotsavam and for a holy dip in the Krishna river during the festival of Dusshera.

Simhachalam, located on a hill 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Visakhapatnam city centre, is another
popular pilgrimage site of national importance. Simhachalam is said to be the abode of the savior-
god Narasimha.

The five ancient Hindu temples of Lord Shiva, known as Pancharama Kshetras, are located
at Amararama, Draksharama, Somarama,Ksheerarama and Kumararama. Other religious places
include Srikalahasti temple in Srikalahasti in the Chittoor district, Raghavendra Swami Mutt
in Mantralayam of Kurnool district, Lord Venkateswara temple in Dwaraka Tirumala of West Godavari
District, Annavaramtemple in East Godavari and Arasavalli Surya temple in Srikakulam District are also located
in the state.

Religious sites in Anantapur District include Prashanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi, the home of Sathya Sai Baba, as
well as Lepakshi, home of a famous temple and statue of the Nandi bull.

Islam is also popular religion, with a number of mosques built during the reigns of Muslim rulers. One of the
famous is Shahi jamia masjidin Adoni of Kurnool district. There are many famous churches constructed
centuries ago with historical significance. One of them is the Gunadala Church at Vijayawada.

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 The state has numerous Buddhist centres at Amaravati, Nagarjuna
Konda, Bhattiprolu, Ghantasala, Nelakondapalli, Dhulikatta, Bavikonda, Thotlakonda, Shalihundam,
Pavuralakonda, Bojjannakonda (Sankaram), Phanigiri and Kolanpaka.

2. Telangana
The following is a list of temples in Telangana:

Yadagirigutta: Lord Vishnu (whose reincarnation is Lord Narasimha). The main deity is Lakshmi Narasimha
Swamy. Located in Nalgonda District. Bhadrachalam Lord Sree Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple in
Bhadrachalam, Khammam District.

Raja Rajeswara temple, Vemulawada : Notable for the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple complex, a site
of pilgrimage for both Hindu and Muslim worshippers.

Basara: Gnana Saraswati Temple (Goddess of Knowledge) is located on the banks of the river Godavari in
Adilabad District.

Kaleswaram: Kaleswaram Temple is located in Kaleshwaram is a village in Mahadevpur Mandal in

Karimnagar district in the Indian state of Telangana.

Dharmapuri: Dharmapuri attained religious importance owing to the existence of the shrine dedicated to
Narasimha Swamy.

Kondagattu: Lord Hanuman Temple. According to the folklore, the temple was constructed by a cowherd
some 300 years ago.Located in Karimnagar District.

Alampur: Jogulamba temple is located in the South-East corner of the village beside Tungabhadra river.
The idols of Jogulamba and her two shaktis Chandi, Mundi were protected from them and placed in Bala
brahmeswara swammy temple until 2005. The new temple constructed in the same place and the
goddess was relocated. As per the local people Jogulamba is an Ugra rupa and the water pool nearby it
makes the atmosphere cool.The Yogamba (Jogulamba) temple is regarded as a Shakti Peetha where Sati
Devi's upper teeth fell.

Sammakka Saralamma Jatara or Medaram Jatara is a tribal festival of honouring the goddesses celebrated
in the state of Telangana, India.The Jatra begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district.

Hemachala Lakshmi Narsimha Swamy Temple is the most ancient architectural divine ensemble which is
located on the Mallur Ghat in the Mangapeta mandal of Warangal district.

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2
Birla Mandir: Built on a 280 feet (85 m) high hillock called Naubath Pahad on a 13 acres (53,000 m ) plot in
Hyderabad

Chilkur Balaji Temple is popularly known as Visa Balaji Temple is an ancient Hindu temple of Lord Balaji on
the banks of Osman Sagar Lake near Hyderabad, India. It is 17 km from Mehedipatnam. It is one of the
oldest temples in Hyderabad built during the time ofMadanna and Akkanna, the uncles of Bhakta
Ramadas.

Ramappa Temple: A Shiva temple located in the temple town of Palampet, near Warangal.

Thousand Pillars Temple: A Shiva temple at Hanmakonda, in Warangal.

Bhadrakali Temple, Warangal known to be one of the oldest temples for Goddess Bhadrakali, located
in Warangal.

Komrelly Mallanna Temple: Komuravelli Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple (Lord Shiva) located in Komuravelly
Village, Cheriyal Mandal, Warangal District.

Wargal Saraswati Temple: Sri Vidya Saraswati Temple located in Wargal, 47 km from Secunderabad
(JBS), Medak District.

Sanghi Temple: Lord Venkateswara Temple located in Sanghi Nagar, Near Ramoji Film City, Ranga Reddy
District.

3. Kerala
Kerala has a number of pilgrimage places and famous pilgrim centres consisting of ancient temples and
shrines, remote places of worship in villages and on hillocks as well as popular and crowded pilgrim centres
spread across the length and breadth of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, is known as
the city of temples. There are hundreds of sacred temples in Thiruvananthapuram alone.

Kerala provides a pure and pristine atmosphere where you can spend your pilgrimage tours in divine
prayer,invoking the Almighty by participating in devotional songs, temple festivals and other temple
activities.Various fairs and festivals are celebrated all year round in these pigrimage places,with special sets of
religious rituals characteristic to specific festivals.Elephants have a special place in the hearts of the people of
Kerala and they play an important role in religious ceremonies at the temples and other sacred places of
Kerala.

Kerala has a number of pilgrimage centres of importance to Hindus, Muslims, Jains and Christians alike.Some
of the popular destinations comprising temples,churches and mosques are
Guruvayoor,Sabarimala,Chottanikkara,Attukal,Bharananganam,Malayattoor,Maramon,Parappanangadi,etc
where thousands throng to worship their deities and pay obeissance.Kerala also houses some ancient Jewish
synagogues in the island town of Fort Kochi.

Temples in Kerala:

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Churches in Kerala:

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As a colonial-era state, Kerala has several historical churches. Tourists can attend Sunday services at oldest of
these, the St. Francis Church. It was the first European church in India built way back in 1503. The Portuguese
certainly left their mark on this part of India, with the grand St Francis Church. It is believed to be the oldest
European church in India.

Gurudwara in Kerala:

In Kerala, Kochi has the maximum number of Sikhs. Hence, this is the only place in Kerala where a Gurudwara
is situated. Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Peumannor is quite close to Thevara, hardly three kilometres
away from the heart of Kochi City. Established in the year 1955, the Gurudwara is architecturally a blend of
Hindu and Muslim styles. Anybody can walk into a Gurudwara, irrespective of their caste, colour and financial
status, barefoot and head covered.

There is a big eating hall in the Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha where many pilgrims come to eat after paying
a visit to the main shrine. There is neither an idol nor a priest in the Gurudwara. Here Sikhs worship Sri Guru
Granth Sahib, the holy text installed on a platform, which they consider as the visual form of the ten Sikh
Gurus. Sikh pilgrims flock here at all hours, and devotional songs waft over the compound, adding to the
contemplative mood.

Mosques in Kerala:

Mosques are mostly found in the Northern part of Kerala. Cheraman Juma Masjid is the oldest mosque in
Kerala. Located 2 km from Kodungalloor town, this mosque resembles a Hindu temple in appearance. Built in
AD 629, this is the first mosque in India and the second in the world where Juma prayers were started. Madayi

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 Mosque is yet another ancient mosque in Kerala. The mosque at Madayi, about 25 km from Kannur, is
believed to have been constructed by one of the followers of Malik Ibn Dinar. The white marble used in this
mosque is believed to have been brought from Mecca.

From vast, unique, crowded temple complexes to small churches, the shines of Kerala offer a fascinating
experience of a rich and thriving culture. Immerse yourself in India's religious heritage and humanitarian
culture on a spiritual tour to Kerala.

4. Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu has the credit of having 34000 Hindu temples which are several centuries Old. The cities in ancient
Tamil Nadu is believed to have revolved around the magnificent temples built by the Pallava, Chola and
Pandya empires and therefore most of the cities in the state have a lot of religious significance and contain a
no. of temples and shrines in and around their limits. Temple towns like Madurai and Kanchipuram are
thronged by visitors throughout the year.

Chidambaram

Chidambaram is the seat of the cosmic dancer Lord Nataraja (Ananda Tandava pose ; the Cosmic Dance of
bliss). It is one of the Pancha Bhutasthalas. The Chidambaram Temple dedicated to Lord Natraja built in the
9th century has an unusual hut-like sanctum with a gold-plated roof and four towering gopuras. Many Chola
kings were crowned here in the presence of the deity. Nearby a sculptural temple is Melakadambur, with its
distinct architecture that makes it resemble a chariot.

Ervadi

Erwadi is a small town in Ramanathapuram district which houses the 840-year-old shrine and the graves of
Hazrat Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed badusha and the graves of a few thousands of His friends, family and
followers who came from Saudi Arabia in the mid 12th century. The site is well known for its spiritual healing
for mental and magical diseases.Kattupalli, Meesal, Natham (Keelakarai), Sundaramudayan, Thachu oorani,
Vaippar and Valinokkam are some notable shrines within the district and near by. The Annual Santhanakoodu
festival held during the Islamic month of Dhul Qidah is very well recognized and witnessed by more than 1
million people from different region and of all faiths.

Kancheepuram

One of the most visited destinations in the state, Kanchipuram was the capital of the ancient Pallava Kingdom
and is considered one of the seven holiest cities to the Hindus of India. Hundreds of ancient temples are
located in this town, though most of them are in ruins, there are a few prominent ones which attract a large
number of devotees every year.

The Kailashnathar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is the oldest temple of Kanchi. It reflects the grandeur and
the splendor of the early Dravidian style of temple architecture built by the Pallava king Rayasimha. This
temple was constructed in the late seventh century AD and the eighth century remains of murals within the
temple are an indication of the magnificence of the original temple that was supposed to exist much before
than the temple today. The Ekambareswarar Temple built by the Pallavas and extended by the Cholas is
another popular temple in the town sprawling over a large area of 12 hectares.

The Kamakshi Amman Temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati is the main pilgrimage center in the town and one
of the three temples of worship of Goddess Parvati in Tamil Nadu.

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The Varadharaja Perumal Temple, the Devarajswmi Temple and the Pandava Thoothar Perumal Temple are
the other major temples in the environs.

Kanniyakumari

The southernmost tip of the subcontinent, Kanniyakumari is known for the Hazrat Peer Mohammed waliyullah
Dargah, Kumari Amman Temple and the Thanumalayan Temple. Other religious sites include the Mondaicaud
Bhagavathi Temple, Sri Adikesavaperumal Temple, St. Xavier's Church, devasahayam mount, St. Therese of
Infant Jesus church and the St. Arockiya Nathar Church within the district..

Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam, 40 km from Thanjavur, has about 188 temples within its municipal limits. Apart from these a
thousand more are estimated to be nearby. The Adi Kumbeswarar Temple is the biggest Saivite temples in the
region and has a huge complex covering an area of 30,181 sq ft having three gopurams in the Northern,
Eastern and Western entrances of the temple.

After the Adi Kumbeshwara Temple, the second most important landmark s the Ramaswamy Temple
dedicated to Lord Rama from the epic of Ramayana and has a no. of intricate crvings within its pillars depicting
the various scenes of the epic.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple here is another example of ancient Dravidian architecture in the region. The
tank of the temple contains the waters of the 9 holy rivers in Hindu mythology namely Ganga, Yamuna,
Narmada, Saraswati, Kaveri, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Krishna and Sarayu and a no. of pilgrims visit this temple
on the Mahamaham festival once in 12 years to bathe in the waters of the tank which they believe would
purify them from their sins.

The Sarangapani Temple is one of the five most important Vaishanavaite pilgrimage centres in South India and
had the tallest Gopuram in the region before the Temple town of Srirangam was built. To the south of the
temple is the Someswar Temple another flagship of Dravidian architecture.

Madurai

Madurai also called as "Temple city" . Madurai consists of major temples. Madurai being one of the world's
oldest inhabited cities is the home to several temples built by the Pandyan and Nayak kings with the most
famous being the Meenakshi Amman Temple which dates back to 2000 years. The city and the life of its
inhabitants revolve around the temple which is one of the largest Hindu temples by size and enclosure. Every
year, hundreds of thousands of tourists visit this temple and the surroundings.

The Mariamman Theppakulam built in 1636 is a huge tank at the eastern end of the city and is almost equal in
area to that of the Meenakshi Amman temple. To its side is a temple dedicated to Parvati, and every year a
local festival celebrating Goddess Meenakshi's wedding is held in the month of January/February.

Madurai is also situated close to the Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple and Pazhamudircholai, two of the
Six Abodes of Lord Subramanya.

Nagore

Nagore, a town north of Nagapattinam, is the home to the tomb of Meeran Sahib Abdul Qadir Shahul Hamid
Badshah also known as the Nagore Durgah a spiritual place for all faiths. The Durgah as it stands now was built

38
by devotees whose wishes were fulfilled by praying Shahul. It is believed that 60 percent of the shrines were
built by Hindus and there are other shrines built in his honour in Penang(Malaysia) and Singapore. The urs
festival celebrated every year draws Hindus and Muslims from all over the world.

Palani

The largest pilgrimage center in Tamil Nadu and the second largest in South India after Tirupati, Palani is the
most famous of the Six Abodes of Murugan (Arupadai Veedu Temple Tour). During the Thai Poosam festival,
the temple attracts over 7 million devotees, many of whom do a lot of penances and acts such as shaving their
heads, walking barefoot all the way from their homes etc. to show their devotion. A cable-car service ferries
devotees to the top of the hill. Palani is also a base for hikes in the surrounding hills. A railway station links the
town to Coimbatore and Madurai.

Rameshwaram

Situated at the tip of the Pamban Island and 50 km from the coast of Sri Lanka, is considered to be as sacred as
Varanasi and is a bustling pilgrimage center. Named after Lord Rama who according to the Legend embarked
his journey to Sri Lanka from this town, Rameshwaram is a place of wide religious significance. The city is one
of the holiest Hindu Char Dham shrines that has to be visited in one's lifetime and this island Temple is
connected by the scenic Pamban Bridge over the sea for 2.3 km.

The Ramanathaswamy Temple, the most important of them all is believed to be constructed at the spot where
Lord Rama had offered his prayers to Shiva. The construction of the temple as it stands today, was started in
the 12th century and ended in the 19th century. The most interesting feature in the temple is the 1,220m long
corridor (the longest in India) with the beautiful carvings on the pillars, walls and ceiling.

The Kothandaramaswamy Temple situated on the shore of Dhanushkodi is supposed to be the place where
Vibishena the brother of Raavana, had met Rama's army and joined hands. The temple miracously survived
the 1964 Cyclone that destroyed most of the region and receives a good amount of visitors.

The village of Devipatinam 20 km from Ramnathapuram has a temple dedicated to Lord Jagannatha and about
hundred yards in the sea are naturally existing nine blocks of stone, supposed to be the Navagrahas, the nine
planets.

Srirangam

Srirangam another example of classic temple town, houses the Ranganathaswamy Temple a major pilgrimage
destination for the Vaishnava community. It is the biggest functioning Hindu temple in the world (156 acres)
and the temple tower measuring 60 m (196 ft) is the tallest Hindu temple tower in the world.

East of the Rangnathasamy temple is the 17th-century temple town of Jambukeshvar Temple, in the town of
Tiruvanaikka an important destination for worshipers of Lord Shiva.

Thiruvannamalai

In Arunachaleshwara Temple of Thiruvannamalai, Siva is worshipped in the form of fire. The temple town of
Thiruvannamalai is one of the most ancient heritage sites of India and is a centre of the Saiva religion. The
Arunachala hill and its environs have been held in great regard by the Tamils for centuries. The temple is grand
in conception and architecture and is rich in tradition, history and festivals. The main Deepam festival attracts

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 devotees from far and wide throughout South India. A number of spiritual centres are also located in the
region:

Sri Seshadri Swamigal Ashram:It was created by the Mahan Sri Seshadri Swamigal lived in the late 20th
Century.. People from all over the world visit this Ashram, which is situated near the Sri Ramana Ashram.

Sri Ramana Ashram: Mahan Ramana Maharshi lived in Thiruvannamalai town. Sri Ramana Ashram is one
the holy places in this town. People from throughout the globe visit this Ashram. He attained mukthi in
the year 1950.

Yogi Ram Surathkumar Ashram: Yogi Ram Surathkumar Ashram, also known as Visiri Samiyar Ashram, is
one of the beautiful place in the town. It is situated near the Ramana Ashram. He attained
mukthi/salvation in the year of 2000.

Thiruvarur
Sri Thyagaraja Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Thyagaraja located in the town of Tiruvarur in Tamil
Nadu, India. The temple is revered by the Thevaram hymns of Saiva nayanars, 7th century Tamil saint poets and
classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam. The temples complex occupies an area of around 33 acres with the
Kamalalayam tank to its west. There are numerous shrines and mandapas(halls) in the three spacious
enclosures(prakaram). The two main shrines of the temple are for Valmikinathar(Lord Siva) and Thyagarajar. Of the
two, the former is the most ancient, and derives its name from tha anthill(putru), which takes the place of linga in
the main shrine. Appart, the 7th-century poet saint, refers to the main deity in his hymn as puttritrukondan (one
who resides in the ant hill). The Stala vriksham (temple tree) is patiri (trumpet flower tree). The principles and
practises of tree-worship and ophilotary are ancient bases whereupon a later date linga worship seems to have
been established. Here all the 9 Navagrahams located towards south in straight line also located in northwest
corner of 1st (prakaram). This temple hold the record of having maximum sannithis in India. The temple hosts the
annual car festival in March for ten days. Animated crowd push and pull the largest temple car of Tamil Nadu and
its smaller cars on the laborious path around the surrounding streets.
Tiruchendur
Another of the Six Abodes, the Thiruchendur Murugan Temple located here attracts hundreds of thousands of
devotees. The temple is situated so close to the sea that waves from the Gulf of Mannar lap at the eastern
perimeter wall of the temple. The temple however had no damage done by the 2004 tsunami.
The other temples in the town and its neighbourhood are:
Sri Ponvandu Aiyanar temple, at the hamlet called Nainarpattu.
Sri Karkuvel Aiyanar temple, at the hamlet called Theri Kudiirruppu near Kayamozhi.
A temple to Arunchunai Kattha Aiyanar Swami is located at a nearby natural spring called "Sunai".
Nallur Thirunageshwaramudayar with the Aramvalartha Nayagi Sivan temple. An old temple, the Santhana
Mariyamman temple, is also nearby. This Ambal is a fertility shrine.
A thousand-year-old Sri Somanatha temple is situated at Authoor, 18 km from Thiruchendur.
Kulasekaranpatinam, a village 13 km away, is known for its Dasara festival. The village has the only temple
where Muthu Aara Amman / Muthu Maalai Amman (Aaram and Maalai means garland in Tamil language) is
shown with his consort.
Located about 10 km from Thiruchendur, the village of Melaputhukudi is considered a holy place because of
its ancestral Aiyanar temple, which includes a thalamboo grove, which is popular as a picnic
Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirapalli,it is also a known temple city of Tamil Nadu. Tiruchirappalli (Trichy, in short) is nicknamed as "ROCK
FORT CITY". Trichy has many temples in and around the city. The 'Ucchi Pillayar' shrine located at the top of the
prominent ruins of the Rock Fort is the popular temple in the city. Tiruchirapalli is also very close to the Parvati
temple inSamayanallur and the temple towns of Srirangam and Tiruvanaikkaval.

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Srirangam is famous for its Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, a major pilgrimage destination for Hindus (especially
Srivaishnavites) and the largest temple complex in India.
Srirangam is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (Swayam Vyakta Kshetras) of Lord Vishnu. It is also
considered the first, foremost and the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples (Divyadesams). This temple
is also known as Thiruvaranga Tirupati, Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam, Bhogamandabam. In the Vaishnava
parlance the term "KOIL" signifies this temple only. The temple is enormous in size. The temple complex is 156
acres (0.63 km2) in extent. It has seven prakaras or enclosures. These enclosures are formed by thick and huge
rampart walls which run round the sanctum. There are 21 magnificent towers in all prakaras providing a unique
sight to any visitor. The temple town lies on an islet formed by the twin rivers Cauvery and Coleroon.

The Srirangam temple complex is composed of 7 concentric walled sections and 21 towers gopuram.
The gopuram of the temple is called the Rajagopuram and is 236 feet (72 m) tall, the tallest in Asia.

The temple has seven prakaras (elevated enclosures) with gopurams articulating the axial path, the highest at the
outermost prakara and the lowest at the innermost. In historic times, just after the construction of this temple, the
city of Srirangam lived completely within the walls of this temple and hence is quoted as an example of Hindu
religious utopia - during its peak of existence.

Velankanni

Velankanni is located 12 km south of Nagapattinam on

the Eastern coast. The town is home to a significant
Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to Our lady of Good
Health. Virgin Mary is believed to have miraculous
healing powers. In 1560, Virgin Mary is said to have
appeared to a shepherd, asking him for milk to quench
the thirst of baby Jesus. When the shepherd returned
to his master, after performing the good deed, his
pitcher kept filling up with milk. Consequently, a small
thatched chapel was built at the site. At the end of the
16th century, Virgin Mary appeared again in front of a
lame boy, who regained the use of his limbs. The actual
church was constructed after the incident. Thousands
of pilgrims belonging to various castes and communities flock daily to this 'Lourdes of the East'.

5. Karnataka

Karnataka has contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic (Karnataka Music)
and Hindustani traditions. Tourists get to see scenic parks, historical forts and palaces, calm backwaters and
modern technological hubs. The famous cities in the state are Bangalore (Bengaluru), Mysore, Mangalore etc.
Places to visit are Sri Lakshmi Narayana Swamy Temple, Mysore Palace, Mysore Dusshera, Bangalore Palace,
Bandipur National Park etc.

41
Karnataka since ages has fostered people of all religion, making it a culturally diverse state. It is possession of
some of the best pilgrim sites of the country. Be it Hinduism, Islam, Christianity or Jainism, every pilgrim is
welcomed in Karnataka. The rock cut cave temples and the architectural monuments built by the Chalukyas,
Cholas and the Hoysalas form an important religious attractions of Karnataka.

The pilgrimage tours of Karnataka is a mus for all those who want to cherish the holy places that lies bedecked
in Karnataka. Visit the heritage sites of Hampi or Pattadakal that showcases unique temple ruins. Bijapur is
overwhelmed with Muslim architecture while churches form an integral part of many cites of Karnataka.

Karnataka a culturally rich country wherein religious spots of almost all the religions fine their home. However,
due to its lineage of Hindu history, it becomes an inevitable fact that Hindu temples will be dominating the list
of pilgrim sites in Karnataka. Visit the heritage destination of Mysore and Somnathpur to see some of the
exquisite temples. The rock cut cave temples of Badami are the finest example of the Chalukyan architecture.
Udupi also offers great religious tours in Karnataka. Udupi, 60 Kms from Mangalore, is where Madhwacharya,
the profounder of Wraith philosophy, lived and taught 700 years ago. The 'Paryaya' festival held once in two
years when the management of the temple changes hands is a colourful spectacle drawing thousands of
devotees from all over the country.

One should visit the town of Moodabidri, 391 kms from Bangalore. This rural towm is famous for its 1000
pillared Jain shrine. Another Jain pilgrimage is Karkala, 376 kms, known for its 12.8m high monolith of
Gomateshwara. Melkote (155 kms) is a sacred pilgrim centre known for the Vairamudi Festival held during
March and April.

Other pilgrim destinations of Karnataka includes the Kukke Subramanya, which is one of auspicious place
located amidst hills of Western ghats. Lord Subramanya is the deity worshiped here in the temple of Kukke
Subramanya. 128 ks from Mangalore, Kollur is a major pilgrim spot in Karnataka renowned for Mookambika
temple located on a spur of the Kodachadri peak. Gokarna, Dharamsthala and Katil are other places of
religious interest.

There are also three union territories:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands located off the eastern coast of India, a remote group of gorgeous tropical
islands closer to Thailand than mainland India, almost equidistant from the city of Chennai, Kolkata and Vizag

Lakshadweep Islands located off the west coast of India, the rarely visited northern end of the Maldives
chain

Pondicherry a group of enclaves, former French territories, within Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh

Here are nine of the most notable cities.

1 Bangalore (Bengaluru) Garden City, Pub City and "Silicon Valley of India"

2 Chennai (Madras) largest city in the region, city of temples and the base of Dravidian art and culture.
"Detroit of India", a major auto hub of Asia

3 Coimbatore "Manchester of South India", a major textile, industrial and educational hub

4 Hyderabad pearl city of India and part of Silicon Plateau

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 5 Kochi (Cochin) "Queen of the Arabian Sea", one of the largest port city with a strong air of colonial
European cultures

6 Madurai historical city famous for its Meenakshi Amman Temple, the seat of Pandyas

7 Mysore royal city with its palaces and gardens

8 Pondicherry former French enclave in India

9 Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) southernmost city of India with large temples, palaces and beaches

Eastern states of India

1. Bihar

Pilgrimage tourism in Bihar is well known for its pilgrimage centers comprised of Hindu, Muslims and Buddhist
monasteries, temples and mosques. As far as pilgrimage centers are concerned most popular of these is Gaya. This
place is considered a sacred place for worship by the Hindus. Lord Vishnu (Lord Vishnu in Rig Veda) is said to have
conferred upon Gaya the power to cleanse one of one's sins. Devotees flock here to perform ceremonies to clear
their dead of the burden of sin they might have carried over to the next world. They take a holy dip in the Phalgu
River and lay offerings of pindas (sweets) and ritual rice cakes on the ghats along the river, before entering
the Vishnupada Mandir (closed to non-Hindus) built by the Maharani of Indore in Madhya Pradesh in 1787 over
the footprint Lord Vishnu is believed to have left on a stone. Within the grounds of the temple stands a banyan
tree which is said to be the one under which Lord Buddha spent six years meditating.

Haramandir, a Gurudwara in old Patna, is one of the holiest places for the Sikhs. Guru Govind Singh, the tenth and
last Sikh Guru, was born and died here. it was built in the 19th century around the room where the Guru was born
and stands at the centre of Patna's Sikh district. It is a tall building in white marble, housing a museum of the Sikh
religion. Apart from this Patna houses some of the most interesting Mughal religious buildings. At Maner, 18 miles
away from Patna, are two mausoleums: Choti Dargah, in a small Muslim cemetery, is the grave of Maneri, a
Muslim ascetic of the 17th century. Bari Dargah, on the high bank of an artificial pond, was built around 1620 by
Ibrahim Khan, Governor of Bihar under Jahangir, as a mausoleum for Shah Daula, his religious preceptor.

43
At Sasaram there are some large monuments belonging to the era of Sher Shah Suri in North India. The Tomb of
Sher Shah built in the 16th century in the middle of a square; a wide tank, and the mausoleums of Hassan Sur
Khan, Sher Shah Suri's father, Alawal Khan, the officer in charge of building the mausoleum and the uncompleted
one of Salim Shah, Sher Shah's son.

Religious places belonging to the Buddhists are scattered throughout Bihar. Foremost amongst these is the place
where Buddha attained enlightenment. It is located in Bodhgaya, 12 km south of Gaya, along the Phalgu River. It
was actually King Ashokawho erected a shrine near the Bodhi tree under which Gautama Buddha received
enlightenment. This was replaced in the 2nd century by the present Mahabodhi Temple with a 177-ft spire. Under
the tree is the Vajrasana, the Diamond Throne, a stone slab marking where the Buddha was sitting when he
attained enlightenment.

A nearby Buddhist temple has been taken over by the Hindus as the Buddha is considered an avatar of Vishnu and
it is now managed by a joint Buddhist-Hindu committee. Inside it a one will come across a gilded statue of the
Buddha, sitting cross-legged, with his right hand touching the ground. Around the temple are votive stupas.

Excavations in Nalanda have yielded nine levels of occupation, six temples (chaityas) and 11 monasteries {viharas),
all built in redbrick. The monasteries are on the eastern side. The main ones are Vihara: 1 founded in the 9th
century by King Balaputradeva of Sumatra, and Viharas 4 and 5, built by King Kumar Gupta in the 1st century AD,
with later additions by kings Harshavardhanaand Devapala. The viharas show remains of student cells, lecture
halls, bathrooms, kitchens, libraries, storage rooms and wells.

To the west are the temples. The most imposing is the Sariputra Stupa, built by Ashoka in honour of Ananada, the
Buddha's first disciple, who was born and died at Nalanda. It is a three-level structure, partly covered with stucco
figures of Lord Buddha teaching at Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Sarnath and Vaishali, and surrounded by stupas
erected to the memory of students who died during their studies, that could then last a whole lifetime.

North of Nalanda, a monument in the shape of a Chinese temple has been built to commemorate the memory of
Hsuan Tsang, the Chinese traveler who studied at Nalanda in the 7th century.

Leaving Nalanda for Rajgir, the road passes a small Chinese temple, the Nava Nalanda Mahavira Research Centre
on Buddhism andPali Literature, set up by the Bihar Government, and Wat Thai Nalanda, a small Thai temple of

44
recent construction.

Chanka Ramana in Bodh Gaya is a platform built in the 1st century BC which marks the place where the Buddha
walked in meditation. Carved stone lotuses indicate the spots where the lotuses sprung from his feet. South of the
temple a statue of the Buddha protected by a cobra stands in the middle of a large lotus pond.

Buddhist communities from all over Asia have built monasteries in Bodhgaya. Each one is a technology centre and
most accept foreign students.

On the way back to Patna, Pawapuri, 20 miles (32 km) to the southeast, is a holy place for Jains. It was here
that Lord Mahavira attained salvation in 477 BC. A white marble temple, the Jalmandir in the middle of a lotus
pond, marks the place where he was cremated. There are five more Jain temples around the pond.

Rajgir, or Rajgriha, the "royal palace" was the capital of the Magadha empire in the 6th century BC. It is a holy
place for both Jains and Buddhists. Lord Mahavira taught here for 14 rainy seasons; Muni Suvrata, the 20th Jain
Tirthankara, was born here and all of Lord Mahavira's earliest disciples died here. A monastery built by Mauryan
king, Bimbisara, is set in a bamboo park. The First Buddhist Council, six months after the Buddha's death, was held
at Rajgir.

Immediately to the south of Venuvana in Rajgir, at the foot of Vaibhara Hill are Jain and Hindu temples built
around 22 hot springs. Public baths have been set up where one can relax in hot emerald-green waters. Further
up, past the Pippla Cave and the Jarasandha-ki-Baithak, a monastery built out of large blocks of stone, is the
Saptaparni cave where the First Buddhist Council was held. Further south, Manyar Math, a cylindrical stone
structure, is a former temple to Maninaga, a serpent demi-god, referred to in the Mahabharata. Turning left the
road passes Jivakamhavana, the site of the mango grove presented to the Buddha by Jivaka, Bimbisara' s physician,
and reaches Maddakuchchi from where one has to walk to Gridhrakuta Hill, probably the holiest place in Rajgir,
where the Buddha delivered most of his sermons. From Maddakuchchi, an aerial ropeway chairlift leads to the top
of Ratna Giri, a hill at the top of which Japanese Buddhists have built the Vishwa Shanti Stupa, a huge white
structure visible from miles around. Four golden statues, one on each side, represent Buddha' s birth,
enlightenment, teachings and death.
Most of the events in the Hindu epic of Ramayana took place in Bihar. As a result a lot of places situated in Bihar,
such as, Vaishali,Buxar, Darbhanga District, Munger District, Gaya, Bhojpur District and other cities are worth a
visit. Collectively these have been termed by the state tourism as the Ramayana circuit.

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Jharkhand
Ranchi Pilgrimage includes visiting the capital city of Jharkhand, which encompasses many temples and religious
places. During Ranchi Pilgrimage, people visit these temples, many of which are more than a thousand years old.

DEOGHAR

Home to a complex of 22 temples of which the biggest and the tallest at 72-ft is the Temple of Baidyanath that
houses one of the 12 revered jyotirlingas in the country , Deoghar is the most sacred place in Jharkhand. It holds
great sanctity among Hindus because it is believed to be the only
kamana lingam - a lingam that has the power to fulfil all dreams.
Every year, in the month of Shravan (July-August), devotees
undertake an arduous 107 km trek from Ajgaibinath (Sultanganj) to
Baidyanath Dham. The pilgrimage ends at Basukhinath, a hilly, scenic
town about 43km from Deoghar. At the Deoghar complex, also visit
the temples associated with tantric practices and Shakti worship like
Ma Sandhya, Mansa, Ma Bagla and Ma Kamakhya. Before leaving
don't forget to make an offering of meetha dahi to Lord Baidyanath.
Naulakha Temple is situated 1.5km from the Baidyanath Temple. The
yoga centre (Ashram) at Rikhia is worth a visit and is situated about
8Km from Deoghar.

RAJRAPPA TEMPLE

Rajrappa Mandir Ramgarh is located at a distance of 65

km from the capital city of the state of Jharkhand. The
deity of Chinnamasta or Goddess Kali is worshipped in
this temple. Here goddess Kali is also known as
Prachanda Chandi. There is a waterfall at Rajarappa in
Ramgarh, which is located at a distance of 48 km from
Hazaribagh and 43 km from the city center of Ranchi.
Rajrappa Mandir at Ramgarh is placed over the National
Highway number 33, midway between the towns of
Ranchi and Hazaribagh. Apart from the temple of
Chinnamasta, at Rajrappa there are also temples of
deities like Dakshin Kali and Astamatrika. Tourists can

easily reach the Rajrappa Mandir Ramgarh via roadways

from major cities of the region.

JAGANNATHPUR TEMPLE

Jagannathpur Temple is located in Ranchi which is the

capital city of Jharkhand.
Jagannathpur Temple serves as
the most important and attractive
tourist destinations at Ranchi,
apart from being its famous
pilgrimage center. The Jagannathpur Temple in Ranchi is located at a distance of 10
kilometers from the Albert Ekka or the Firayalal Chowk through the HEC colony.

46
 BHADRAKALI TEMPLE

It is a very famous religious place.it comes into one of

the sakti piths. It is located 1.5 kms away from Itkhori
Block in Bhaduli Village. It is situated at Chatra
Chouparan path. This place is surrounded by three sides
from Buxa River which looks like U-shaped. The premise
of Maa Bhadrakali Temple is surrounded with green
forests, falls. It has great importance in History of India
because of the black colour statues(specially constructed
in Shak, Gupta and Vardhan period 1500 to 1800 years
ago)those were found in excavation. Today it is one of
the great holly place as well as tourist place of Hindus
and others. In Buddha period, Buddha came here and
stayed for some time. In the meantime his relatives
came here searching him and found him but Buddha
ignored them to identify as a relative. His relative told Itkhoi Yahi kho diya, since then its name became
ITKHORI.

ANGRABARI (Amreshwar Dham)

Baba Amreshwar Dham is located at Angrabadi which is

around 10 km from Khunti in Jharkhand. The temple is
dedicated to Hindu God Shiva. The Shivling worshipped in
the temple is Swayambhu appeared on its own.The
deity worshipped in the temple is known as Baba
Amreshwar because the Shivling worshipped in the
temple is near a Mango tree. There is no roof above the
main Shivling in the temple. Currently the main Shivling is
under a Banyan Tree. The huge temple complex is located
in 8 acres of land. There are temples of Ma Parvati, Durga,
Ganesha, Sri Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman. There is
also a Radha Krishna Temple in the complex.There is also unique minar-shaped temple in the complex. Baba
Amreshwar is popular as a wish fulfilling deity. Lots of devotees arrive at the temple to get their wish fulfilled.

TRIKUTI DHAM

It is situated 13 km away from Deoghar on the way to Dumka. There are

three main peaks on the hill which is why it is called Trikutachal. The
height of this hill is 2,470 feet (750 m). There is also a temple of Shiva at
this place known as Trikutachal Mahadeva Temple. It is the mouth of river
Mayurakshi. Here we also find an altar of the goddess of Trishuli. It is an
attractive place with a cool stream flowing. Now this have Jharkhand's
first ropeway. On the top of three hills situated here, popularly known as
Trikuti, many a sage attained salvation. The hill consisted of huge
boulders. On the right is a small temple where Parvati is worshipped.
Close to her lies a Shivalinga. People flock here from far and wide during
Shivaratri.

BASUKINATH DHAM

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Basukinath is located in Dumka District of Jharkhand. It lies on the
Deoghar Dumka state highway and is around 25 km northwest of
Dumka. It is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus. Basukinath Temple is the
main attraction here.It is situated on Jasidih Dumka New Railway line and
Basukinath Railway Station is the nearest railheads hence can be accessed
by trains too. Ranchi Airport is the nearest airport. It is situated at
Jarmundi Block on Dumka Deoghar State Highway at a distance of 24 km
from the Distrcit Headquarters Dumka. In a year lacs and lacs people from
different parts of country come here to worship Lord Shiva. In the month
of Shravan people of several country also come here to worship Lord
Shiva.

MAHADEVSAL (Saranda)

The famous temple of Mahadev Sal (Lord Shiva) is located in Goelkera deep inside the forest. The Mumbai-Howrah
railway line passes through this place. A very beautiful temple of Indo-Aryan architectural style has been built here,
which later famed as Mahadev Sal. In the month of Shravan every year a large number of tourists visit this place
from every nook of the country to worship Lord Shiva. In the month of Shravan every Passenger and Express train
stops at this place.

MAA GIRI RAJESHWARI TEMPLE

The temple of Maa Giri Rajeshwari is located about 10kms from Kiriburu in Saranda. It is a very famous temple
built in the Indo-Aryan architectural style. A large number of devotees visit this place especially during Navaratra
when the site witnesses special festivity.

KULBONGA MAHADEV

Kulbonga Mahadev is located about 15 kms from Manoharpur in Saranda. Actually it is a very big Shiva Linga in the
village Kulbonga and for this reason it is famed as Kulbonga Mahadev. A large number of devotees visit this place
to worship Lord Shiva. A special fair is organised here during Shivaratri.

DEORI MANDIR (Tamar)

A temple of Solha Bhuji Goddess Durga,is located on right side Ranchi-Tata

highway(NH33) at 60 kms from Ranchi. It is the only temple in Jharkhand
where the religious rituals are performed by the Pahans(tribal priests)
along with conventional Brahmins.

THE SUN TEMPLE

The Sun Temple in Ranchi is located on the Tata Road near Bundu which
serves as one of the highlights of the city in Jharkhand.The Sun Temple is very
much a newly built monument in
Jharkhand. It is built around the
sacred pond favouring the
Chhathavratis in the Chhota Nagpur
Plateau region. The structure of
temple has been designed with

48
elegance.

A unique feature of this shrine is that it is designed in the form of a huge chariot with richly decorated 18 wheels
(nine on each side) and seven life-like horses in the model of ready to take off. There is a pond in the temple
premises, which serves as a sacred place for Chhathavratis (devotees taking part in the festival of Chhath.) The
temple is ideally being constructed away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded and noisy city amidst the
beauty of nature. Even the route to reach the Sun Temple in Jharkhand through Ranchi is very beautiful. The route
which leads to the temple offers some of the finest picturesque locales of Chhota Nagpur Plateau region.

SHAKTIPITH MAA CHANCHALA DEVI TEMPLE

The beautiful temple of Maa Chanchala Devi is situated above a hill close
to the Koderma - Giridih highway around 33 kms from the district
headquarters.The deity worshipped here is in the form of Goddess Durga.
This temple is situated 400 ft above the sea level. Close to the temple is a
cave that houses many cave paintings of the four forms of the goddess.
Entering the cave is difficult as it is very narrow. A large number of
devotees visit the temple on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Prasad or the holy
food used is a special kind of rice that is sweetened with rock sugar or
crystallized sugar lumps called mishri. Women who visit the temple are
prohibited from donning the red vermillon or sindur as it is called. The
devotees to the temple believe in taking a ritual bath before entering the
temple premises. It is believed if one enters the temple without taking a bath is punished by the deity by getting
bitten by insects. The temple is gathering place for marriages and other Hindu rituals that are generally solemnized
before the goddess.

DHWAJADHARI HILLS

Few kilometres from the Tilaiya dam is Jharkhand State tourism Development's Tourist Complex at 'Urwan', where
one can consider spending time by the side of the dam, where one can enjoy boating and other water sports.
Interested tourists can follow the main road and drive to Hari Har Dham at Bagodar which is famous for the 52 feet
high Shiv Ling which took 30 years to complete and is believed to be the tallest in the world.

ODISHA
Odisha is Dotted with temples and architectural wonders, the holy land of Odisha (Orissa) is flocked round the year
by the pilgrims. Along with being the world heritage site of the Sun Temple at Konark, Odisha (Orissa) is also
referred to as the seat of Lord Jagannath at times.

With a glorious history dating back to 2000 BC, the pilgrimage sites at Odisha (Orissa) attract the pilgrims from all
over the world on the occasion of Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity at Puri. To add another plume
to the colorful feather of pilgrim destinations of Odisha (Orissa), the magnificent Lingaraj and exquisitely carved
Mukteswar temples also attract hoards of pilgrims.

A place sacred to all, the Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, Odisha (Orissa) is a much revered pilgrimage point for
devotees. Despite the world famous pilgrim centers, Odisha (Orissa) also has the following Hindu Temples namely
Ananta Vasudeva, Baladevajew, Bharateswar, Bhaskareswar, Bharatimath, Brahma, Brahmeswar, Papanasini, Puri
Jagannath , Rajarani, Rameswar, Satrughaneswar, Subarneswar, Swarnajaleswar, Taleswar, Tirtheswar,
Uttareswar, Vaital and Vimaleswar / Gaurisankar temple.

Jagannath Temple Puri

49
 Jagannath Temple in Odisha (Orissa) consists of four entrance gates. They are named as Singhadwara,
Ashwadwara, Hathidwara and Vyaghradwara and these names refer to lion, horse, elephant and tiger. Each
day, the Lord at the Jagannath Temple is offered 'bhoga' six times and it is dispensed among the worshippers
close to Ratnavedi.

Sun Temple of Konark

A culmination of Oriya architecture, the temple is a wonderful place as the language of stone defeats the
human language here. Built in 13th century by King Narasimhadeva, the temple is designed in the shape of a
colossal chariot with seven horses and twelve wheels, carrying the sun god, Surya, across heavens.

50
Temples in Bhubaneshwar

One of the oldest temples (late 8th century), its striking feature is the shape of its sanctuary tower. The semi
cylindrical shape of its roof, a leading example of khakhara order of temples, bears an affinity to the Dravidian
gopuram of the South India temples.

The plan of the deul is oblong and the jagamohana is a rectangular structure, but embedded in each angle is a
small subsidiary shrine. Vaital Deul boasts some figures, although executed in relief, are characterized by delicacy
of features and perfect equipoise.

The outer walls are encrusted with panels of Hindu deities, mostly Shiva and his consort Parvati in her Shakti form,
hunting processions, capturing of wild elephants and the occasional erotic couples.

The facade of the deul above the left of the jagamohana is dominated by two chaitya windows, the lower one
having a beautifully carved figure of sun gold Surya noted for its facial expression, with Usha (Dawn) and Pratyusha
shooting arrows on either side and with Aruna in front driving a chariot of seven horses.
The medallion in the upper Chaitya-window houses a 10-armed Nataraja or dancing Shiva. In front of the flat
roofed jagamohana is a stone post relieved with two Buddha like figures seated in dharma-chakra-pravartana
mudra.
Another striking feature is the temple's tantric associations, marked by eerie carvings in the sanctum and the
image enshrined in the central niche, eight armed Chamunda, locally known as Kapalini, is the terrifying form of
goddess Durga. Thus, Vaital Deul is a Sakta shrine.
The presiding deity, Chamunda or Mahishasuramardini, sits on a corpse flanked by a jackal and an owl and
decorated with a garland of skulls. She holds a snake, bow, shield, sword, trident, thunderbolt and an arrow, and is
piercing the neck of the demon. The niche is capped by a chaitya window containing seated figures of Shiva and
Parvati.
The Chamunda is surrounded by a host of other smaller size allied deities carved in the lower parts of the walls,
each within a niche separate by a pilaster. The figure on the east wall, to the fight of the door, is a skeleton form of
Bhairava forming the counter part of Chamunda.

The other, carved on the north wall, rises from ground, having filled his skull-cup with the blood of a person whose
severed head lies on the right; on the pedestal is an offering of two more heads on a tray resting on a tripod,
flanked by a jackal feasting on the decapitated body on the right and a woman holding a head on the left.
The tantric character of the temple is also marked by the stone post, to which sacrificial offerings were tethered,
just in front of the jagamohana.

West Bengal

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The divine seems to come alive when visiting the magnificent temples of West Bengal. They have stood witness to
intense history of religion of people in the state. West Bengal is home to many important Hindu temples like
Dakshineswar Temple and Kalighat Kali Temple that have made Bengal the a must visit for Hindu pilgrims. Not only
are these temples visited by pilgrims; tourists too come here to experience the beauty of their architectural
splendor. West Bengal is truly a secular state and tolerates many religion. You will find centuries old churches and
mosques that have grown alongside the many Hindu Temples. Kolkata is the best example of unity in diversity as
far as religion is concerned. The city is dotted with uncountable number of temples, big and small, famous and not
so famous, all lending an air of divine and spirituality to the capital city. It is also the city where you get to see
revered St. Paul's Cathedral and Armenian Church. West Bengal is probably the most important destination for all
Lord Krishna devotees as this is the state where the world headquarters of ISCKON (International Society For
Krishna Consciousness) is situated. It is in the famous town of Mayapur.

Dakshineswar Temple

Dedicated to Goddess Bhavatarini, an aspect of Goddess Kali, Dakshineswar Temple is situated on the eastern side
of River Hooghly in Dakshineswar locality of Kolkata. The construction of the temple was started in the year 1847
by Queen Rasmani and was completed in 1855. It was consecrated in the same year. Covering nearly 25 acres of
land, Dakshineswar Temple is one of the largest temples in Kolkata. There are 9 spired main temples dedicated to
Goddess Kali and 12 shrines along the boundary wall dedicated to Lord Shiva. Along the riverfront, there is a
temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radha. According to the legend, Goddess Kali came in the dreams of Queen
Rasmani prior to the day when she was to leave for a pilgrimage to Benaras. Goddess advised the queen not to go
to Benaras and build a temple on the banks of River Ganges there itself. She would manifest the image and accept
worships. It was then the land was bought and the temple was built. It is also said that it was here the great Saint
Ramakrishna attained his spiritual vision.

Kalighat Kali Temple

Kalighat Kali Temple is one of the most important temples in India dedicated to Hindu Goddess Maa Kali. It is one
of the 51 Shakti Peethas scattered in many parts of India and adjoining countries. Shakti Peethas are the spots
where various parts of Goddess Sati's body fell on the earth. It is said that the right toe of Goddess Sati fell hear in
Kalighat. The name of the city Calcutta is also said to have been coined after Kalighat. The reference of the temple
have been found in 15th century composition Mansar Bhasan and 17th century composition Kavi Kankan Chandi.
However, the present form of the temple is known to be only 200 years old. The earliest structure of the temple
was a small hut built by King Manasingha and the present temple was built by Sabarna Roy Chowdhury family,
completed in the year 1809. The image of Goddess Kali inside the main temple is unlike any other Goddess Kali
image anywhere. There is another temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radha and different spots like Natmondir,
Jor-Bangla, Sosthi Tala and Harkath Tala. The temple sees huge crowd of pilgrims visit throughout the year.

Mayapur

Mayapur has always been an important pilgrim destination for followers of Vaishnavism; as this is the birth place
of Chatanya Mahaprabhu who is considered to be the reincarnation of Lord Krishna and Radha. However, Mayapur
came to be known on world stage when the world headquarters of ISCKON (International Society For Krishna
Consciousness) was set up here in 1970. It is also home to Gaudiya Math which is another organization following
Vaishnavism. Today, Mayapur receives more than a million pilgrims every year. Mayapur is situated on the banks
of River Ganges, nearly 130 km north of Kolkata, There is regular bus service connecting Kolkata to Mayapur.

Tarakeshwar

Situated nearly 80 Km from Kolkata, Tarakeshwar is a small village famous for its temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The temple, dating back to 18th century, was built by Raja Bharamalla. The legend has it that the temple is built on

52
a spot where cows of the village used to empty their udders of milk. On probing into the mystery, a Shivalingam
was discovered on the spot, believed to be manifestation of Tarakeshwar (Lord Shiva of Dreams). Although,
pilgrims visit the temple throughout the year, the highest crowd is seen during the huge fair organized during the
Hindu month of Shravana and during Shivratri. The fair during Shivratri lasts for five days and ends on the last day
of Chaitra month.

Western states of India

West India is a region in the western part of India. It includes the states Gujarat, Maharashtra Rajasthan and Goa.
It also houses the Union Territory Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu. Regional languages like marathi,
rajasthani, gujarati are widely spoken here. The famous muslim pilgrimage Dargah Sharif in Ajmer is situated in this
region. Nasik is the famous hindu pilgrimage center. Folk dances like the Ghoomar of rajasthan, garba of gujarat is
famous all over the india. Pohay, Shrikhand, Pav Bhaji, Vada Pav are good examples of Maharashtrian cuisine.

Maharashtra
Nasik

Nasik is the famous hindu pilgrimage center. Folk dances like the Ghoomar of rajasthan, garba of gujarat is famous
all over the india. Pohay, Shrikhand, Pav Bhaji, Vada Pav are good examples of Maharashtrian cuisine.

Kumbh Mela

Nasik is a land of rich cultural heritage, which magnificently reflects in its ancient and beautiful temples. The sacred
town of Nasik also serves as the venue for the world famous fair, Kumbh Mela. Kumbh Mela is an important Hindu
pilgrimage drawing millions of visitors from across the world. Kumbh Mela is held four times every twelve years,
once at each of these four placesAllahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik. The Mela is the largest gathering in the
world, which stretches for several days. On the day of Kumbha Mela devotees take a ritual bath on the banks of
the river Godavari. Devotional songs are also sung by the devotees, holy men, and women, and the poor are
offered food. It is believed that a bath in any of the sacred river rids one of his/her sins.

Panchavati

It encompasses the northern part of Nasik. It is the place where Lord Rama, Goddess Sita and Laxman(Rama's
brother) lived for some time. There are five banyan(Vad) trees here, which give the place its name.

Sita Gumpha(cave)

It is a beautiful cave located near the five banyan trees in Panchavati. The cave houses the beautiful idols of Lord
Rama, goddess Sita and Laxman.

Sundarnarayan Temple

Constructed in the year 1756 by Gangadhar Yashwant Chandrachud, Sundarnarayan Temple is dedicated to lord
Vishnu.

Modakeshwar Ganesh Temple

Attracting a lot of devotees, Modakeshwar Ganesh Temple houses an idol, which is self- manifested. Dedicated to
lord Ganesha, the temple derived its name from the 'Modak', a special Maharashtrian dish prepared from coconut
and jaggery. It is believed that lord Ganesha loves this dish.

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Ramkund

Ramkund is located in the holy river Godavari. This kund is referred to as the 'Ganges of the South'. According to
the legend Lord Rama took a bath in this Kund during his stay in Nasik. Devotees from across the country come
here to take a holy dip.

Kalaram Temple

It is a fascinating temple as it was built with black stones in the year 1794. Its architectural beauty deserves
mention.

There are several other temples in Nasik, which are both beautiful and famous.

Shirdi

Shirdi is a holy place where the revered saint Sai Baba lived and performed numerous miracles. The very name
Shirdi symbolizes the power of faith in the almighty that resides in the hearts of human beings. The town of Shiridi
is located in Rahata Tahasil in Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra. The town also houses a temple dedicated to
Sai Baba. The temple has a beautiful idol and the samadhi of Sai Baba, which is visited by devotees in great
numbers. Shiridi is an important pilgrimage center of the Hindus and is visited by tourists from across the world.

Shri Khandoba Mandir

It is a beautiful temple where Sai Baba was welcomed when he came to Shirdi for the second time.

Shri Gurusthan Mandir

It is a holy place where Sai Baba was seen when he came to Shiridi for the first time. This place is believed to be the
gurusthan(seat of a teacher)of Sai Baba. It is believed that no prayer goes unanswered at Shri Gurusthan Mandir.

Dwarkamai(Masjid)

Dwarkamai used to be the abode of Sai Baba when he came to Shiridi for the second time. It is located adjacent to
the temple. Here you can see the shila(stone) on which Sai Baba used to sit.

Lendi Bagh

It is the wonderful garden where Sai Baba used to spend a lot of time. He used to water the plants and used to rest
under the Neem tree. During the times when Baba was alive there used to be a pit in the garden where Baba used
to light a diya. Now the pit has been converted into a marble deepgriha(lighthouse) with a glass box in which the
deep incessantly burns.

There are three other temples here, which are dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Shani devta and Lord Mahadev
respectively. The beauty of these temple is notable.

Mahabaleshwar

The holiness and the natural beauty of Mahabaleshwar offer a rewarding experience to visitors. Mahabaleshwar is
a land of beautiful temples. It got its name from the famous Mahabali temple located in old Mahabaleshwar,

54
around four km from the the main city. The five sacred rivers namely Krishna, Venna, Koyana, Savitri and Gayatri
originate from Mahabaleshwar only.

Mahabaleshwar Temple

The old Mahabaleshwar Temple is one of the main attractions of Mahabaleshwar. Visited by thousands of
devotees every year, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The hill station Mahabaleshwar derives its name from
this temple. The temple enshrines the self-manifested Shivling. The temple is the must-visit destination of
Mahabaleshwar.

Panchganga Mandir

Panchganga Mandir is a beautiful temple ideally located at the place where the five holy rivers, Krishna, Venna,
Koyana, Savitri and Gayatri, meet. It is a great site to visit.

Wonderful Points

Abounding in scenic beauty, Mahabaleshwar boasts of several points, which offer breathtaking views of nature.
Some of the points are the Hunter Point, Kate's Point, Wilson Pint, Malcolm Point, Echo Point and Marjorie Point.

Adventure

Apart from offering peace and tranquility in plenty, Mahabaleshwar also entertains its tourists with rejuvenating
activities like boating, fishing, horse riding and trekking. You can also enjoy the royal game golf in Mahabaleshwar.

Nanded

Nanded is a famous Sikh pilgrimage site where devotees come from all parts of the world. This holy city attracts
devotees in great numbers during the celebration of the birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh in the month of
December every year. The Sachkhanda Gurudwara serves as the venue for the celebration and is also a great
attraction of Nanded. The town also has several other Gurudwaras. Situated on the banks of the Godavari river in
Marathwada region of Maharashtra, Nanded is a destination worth a visit.

Nanded has also enjoyed being an important center of Vedant studies, dramas, classical music, literature and arts.

Sachkand Gurudwara

Sachkand Gurudwara is one of the most important attractions of Nanded. It is also one of the five Takhats, which is
visited by many a devotee from far and wide. The Gurudwara houses the holy book Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Masjid of Biloli

Also know as the Nawab Sarfaraz Masjid, the Masjid of Biloli occupies an important place in the hearts of the
Muslims. It was built by Sarfaraz Khan in the 17th century.

Shrikshetra Mahurgadh

Perched on a hill, Shrikshetra Mahurgadh is a temple offering amazing views of nature. It was built by the Yadav
rulers during their reign in the 11th century.

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Unkeshvar

Do visit this beautiful village on you tour to Nanded. It boasts of hot water springs and its picturesque location on
the banks of the river Penganga. It is believed that the natural springs are endowed with skin rejuvenating
chemicals.

Kandhar Fort

Almost in ruins, Kandhar Fort was once famous for its architecture. It was constructed by the king of Malkhed for
security purposes.

Nanded Fort

Take a stroll in the beautiful gardens of Nanded Fort, which offers mesmerizing views of the river Godavari. The
fort is in ruins but still has a charm of its own.

Siddeshwara Temple

Reflecting the fabulous art and architecture of the Chalukya dynasty, Siddeshwara Temple is a wonderful temple.

Gujarat
Palitana

Palitana is famed for its architectural marvels- The Jain Temples. Palitana is an important pilgrimage center of the
Jains who come here from far and wide. The holy place Palitana is located in the state of Gujarat. Palitana is dotted
with numerous Jain temples, which are simply arresting.

Shatrunjaya Hills

The fascinating Shatrunjaya hills, located only one km from Palitana, is dotted with around 900 temples, each
having its own beauty and charm. The height of human creativity can be clearly seen in these beautiful temples.
The Shetrunjaya hills are the sacred sites where all the tirthankars, except Neminath, attained nirvana. It is also
believed that the three Pandavas, Yudhishthir, Bheem and Arjun attained Nirvana on the Shatrunjaya Hills. This
place also has a connection with Rishabhdev, the first tirthankar. The temples here are known for their exquisite
carvings, beautiful idols and images, decorated statues and intricate toranas. These Hills also offer great views of
sunrise.

Temples Of Palitana

Meticulously carved in marble, the temples in Palitan are famous for their architectural beauty. Out of all the
temples here, the temple dedicated to the first teerthankara, Sri Adishwar, is the most famous one. The
architectural motifs of this temple are notable. The history of the temples of Palitana dates back to the period
between 11th and the 20th century. Other famous temples here are the Kumarpal, Vimalshah and Sampriti Raja.

The Digamber Jain Temple is one of the most famous temples of Palitana. The temple complex has nine shrines
where the idols of all the Tirthankaras have been enshrined. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple has the idol of
the Bhagwan Shantinath in padmasana posture.

Apart from the temples, the scenic beauty of Palitana is its other remarkable attraction.

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Dwarka

Dwarka is a sacred city visited by the devotees of Lord Krishna in large numbers throughout the year. Located on
the western coast of Gujarat state, Dwarka is deeply associated with Lord Krishna and it is believed that it was
once the kingdom of the Lord. It is an ancient city and one of the most important pilgrimage sites of the Hindus.
Tourists from India and abroad come to Dwarka to experience its peaceful aura, which has a charm beyond
description. During the ancient times the city was called Swarna Dwarka(golden Dwarka) as it was a prosperous
city. The city of Dwarka also finds mention in the great Hindu Epic Mahabharata.

Dwarkadhish Temple

Famous for its exquisite carvings, Dwarkadish Temple is a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. Also known
as the Jagad Mandir, Dwarkadhish Temple offers arresting views of the river Gomati. Devotees coming to the city
of Dwarka do pay a visit to this temple. Carved out of limestone and sand, the temple is around 170 feet height. It
is a five-storied establishment with around 60 pillars. The temple has only two doors which have been named as
the Swarga Dwara and the Moksha Dwara. The top of the temple has been adorned by a flag which symbolizes the
majesty of the Lord Krishna.

Tourists can also visit the other temples in Dwarka such as the Trikamji temple, the Kalyanrai temple, the Patrani
temple and the Durvas temple. Also visit Darukvan, the Jyotirlinga.

Rajasthan
Rajasthan the land of splendour is a visual delight of shrines, palaces, forts, mansions, fairs, festivals, culture and
traditions. Some of renowned and spiritual pilgrimage places of India are found in Rajasthan. The fascinating
pilgrimage places of Rajasthan attract huge number of pilgrims and devotees towards them all around the year.
And apart from being a pilgrim destination these places are appealing to tourists as well, as they have various
other attractions in them.

Brahma Temple, Pushkar

Pushkar is famous for housing the only Brahma temple in the world. Located on the banks of Pushkar Lake this
temple is dedicated to Lord Brahma "the creator god", who is believed to have performed penance here for 60,000
years to have a glimpse of Lord Radha Krishna. Steps of marble lead you to the interior of the temple where a silver
turtle lies embossed in the floor and around it are hundreds of silver coins embedded in the floor only. This temple
holds an important place in the Hindu religion and is visited by hundreds of devotees every year. Pushkar also has
various other temples that can be visited such as Varah Temple, Mahadeva Temple, Gayatri Temple and Raghunath
Temple etc.

Jain Temple, Ranakpur

Ranakpur the city holding a huge respect in the Jain community as it is one of the five main religious places of
Jains. The city has incredibly carved Jain Temples in India. Well known for its magnificent white marble temples
created in 15th century during the reign of Rana Kumbha and enclosed within a wall. The main temple is
"Chaumukha Temple" which is dedicated to Lord Adinath and is a four faced temple. The breathtaking
architectural style of the Temple is distinct and unique. There are 29 halls and 80 domes standing on the 1444
pillars of which amazingly no two are alike and has its own interesting carving. Ranakpur is undoubtedly one of the
main religious destinations in Rajasthan.

Dargah Sharif, Ajmer

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The city of Ajmer on Ana Sagar Lake is one of India's most important pilgrimage sites for Muslims. It attracts its fair
share of pilgrims and tourists from all over. Dargah Sharif is one of the most sacred Muslim shrines in India and is
venerated by both Hindus and Muslims. Situated at the foot of a hill, this is the tomb of a Sufi saint, Khwaja
Moinuddin Chishti who had come to Ajmer from Persia in 1192 and devoted his life to the upliftment of the poor.
Millions of pilgrims come to Ajmer for the saint's annual Urs or death anniversary in October.

Dilwara Temples, Mt Abu

Mt. Abu the only hill station in Rajasthan is known for various facts and the extraordinary Jain Dilwara Temples is
one of them. The temples here are counted among India's finest temple architecture with intricate carving that
showcases the brilliant work of the artisans. The oldest temple in this complex is "Vimal Vasahi" which is dedicated
to the first tirthankar, Adinath and took 14 years to build which was started in 1031. The "Luna Vasahi" is
dedicated to Neminath the 22nd tirthankar and took 15 years to build which was started in 1230. The other three
temples in the complex are "Bhimashah Pittalhar", "Mahaveerswami" and "Khartar Vasahi".

Karni Mata Temple, Deshnok

Deshnok is a small village in Rajasthan located just 30kms from Udaipur, is known for Karni Mata Temple which is
dedicated to Karni Mata, an incarnation of goddess Durga. It is one of the most visited temples in Rajasthan and
attracts large number of pilgrims to attend the annual Karni Mata Fair. It is a magnificent temple with huge silver
gates and carved marbles. One strange feature of the temple that amuses everyone who comes here is that the
temple is house to huge number of brown rats that wander all over the place without any hindrance and seeing
the rats is believed to be auspicious.

Eklingji Temple, Udaipur

Located 22kms from Udaipur on the banks of Indersagar Lake, Eklingji Temple is a huge temple complex consisting
of 108 temples. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva with a 50ft high black stone statue with four faces depicting
his four forms. The east-facing part is recognized as Surya, the west-facing part is Lord Brahma, the north-facing
part is Lord Vishnu and the south-facing part is Rudra i.e. Lord Shiva himself. The other deities that are worshipped
here include Parvati, Ganesha, Kartikeya and Saraswati. During the festival of Shivratri the entire temple complex
and deities are beautifully decorated and attracts a large number of devotees.

Shrinathji Temple, Nathdwara

Nathdwara located just 48kms from Udaipur, is a holy town and known for housing Shrinathji Temple dedicated to
Lord Krishna. The idol of this temple is carved out from a single piece of black marble and according to history the
statue was being moved to Mewar kingdom from Mathura during the reign of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. But
the chariot in which the statue was being shifted got stuck here and did not moved further; hence a shrine was
established at Nathdwara.

Govind Devji Temple, Jaipur

The temple is a vital part of the City Palace complex - Govind Dev Ji Temple. It is one of the prominent temples of
Rajasthan and situated in Jaipur it is visited by many people annually. Dedicated to Lord Krishna and has been well
preserved by the earlier royal family. And the image was brought from Vrindavan, installed here by Sawai Jai Singh;
Govind Devji is an incarnation of Lord Krishna. It is visited by many pilgrim and devotees along with tourists who
visit the City Palace.

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SWOT ANALYSIS
The specific strength and weakness of the product in relation to the market segments identified are analyzed
along with the existing opportunities and threats. A typical SWOT analysis matrix in case of India in reaction to
competitive destinations is as under:-

There are various environmental forces influence the tourism industry. The other aspect of this industry is that it is
heavily dependant on a set of other industries who are in turn dependant on the tourist flow for their business.
This combination of various industries has to work as one to increase the tourists traffic of the country. This set of
industries takes care of the activities that support tourism industry are:

The Hotel Industry

Airlines
The Railways
Road Networks
The Tour Operators
The Government
These facilities decide the status of a place in a tourists portfolio. They on one hand attract tourists to a particular
destination and on the other act as a major demotivating factor if they are unable to fulfill the expectations of the
visitors. So the major bottlenecks to this industry are to be found here. In the subsequent pages an attempt to
SWOT analyse some of these services and detect areas that need attention.

Hotel Industry
Hotels form one of the most important support service that affect the arrival of tourist to a country. The major
players in the industry are Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL)operating under the Taj brand, the Oberoi, Welcome
Group of Hotels, Hotel Leela Venture and the Ashoka chain of hotels, owned and operated by the Indian Tourism
Development Corporation (ITDC).

There are around 1000 classified hotels and the total room availability is pegged at 60,000 rooms. Hotels are
classified into six categories according to the star rating assigned by the Department of Tourism. These range from
one star to Five star deluxe depending upon size and amenities. About 30% of the rooms fall under the 5-star
deluxe categories.

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To find our the present status of this industry we have done a strength, weakness opportunity and threat (SWOT)
analysis. This will help us in understanding this industry and also identify the weak spots.

SWOT Analysis of Hotel Industry

Strengths

1. A very wide variety of hotels is present in the country that can fulfill the demand of the tourists.

2. There are international players in the market such as Taj and Oberoi. Thus, the needs of the international
tourists travellers are seen to while they are on a visit to India.

3. Manpower costs in the Indian hotel industry is one of the lowest in the world. This provides better margins for
Indian hotel industry.

4. India offers a readymade tourist destination with the resources it has. Thus the magnet to pull customers
already exists.

Weaknesses

1. The cost of land in India is high at 50% of total project cost as against 15% abroad. This acts as a major deterrent
to the Indian hotel industry.

2. The hotel industry in India is heavily staffed. This can be gauged from the facts that while Indian hotel
companies have a staff to room ratio of 3:1, this ratio is 1:1 for international hotel companies.

3. High tax structure in the industry makes the industry worse off than its international equivalent. In India the
expenditure tax, luxury tax and sales tax inflate the hotel bill by over 30%. Effective tax in the South East Asian
countries works out to only 4-5%.

4. Only 58,000 hotel rooms are available in India today, which is less than the Bangkok hotel capacity.

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5. The services currently offered by the hotels in India are only limited value added services. It is not comparable to
the existing world standards.

Opportunities

1. Demand between the national and the inbound tourists can be easily managed due to difference in the period
of holidays. For international tourists the peak season for arrival is between September to March when the
climatic conditions are suitable where as the national tourist waits for school holidays, generally the summer
months.

2. In the long-term the hotel industry in India has latent potential for growth. This is because India is an ideal
destination for tourists as it is the only country with the most diverse topography. For India, the inbound tourists
are a mere 0.4% of the global figures. This number is expected to increase at a phenomenal rate thus pushing up
the demand for the hotel industry.

Threats

1. Guest houses replace the hotels. This is a growing trend in the west and is now catching up in India also, thus
diverting the hotel traffic.

2. Political turbulence in the area reduces tourist traffic and thus the business of the hotels. In India examples of
the same are Insurgency in Jammu Kashmir and the Kargil war.

3. Changing trends in the west demand similar changes in India, which here are difficult to implement due to high
project costs.

4. The economic conditions of a country have a direct impact on the earnings in hotel industry. We can see that
the present economic slowdown in India has let to a 51.6% fall in the industry average net profits for the second
quarter of the current financial year, 2000.

Transport Facilities

A well knit and coordinated system of transport plays an important role in the sustained economic growth of the
country. The present transport system of the country comprises of several modes of transport including rail, road,
air transport etc. Tourism industry is also affected by the performance of these services.

Airline Industry

Airports are the primary infrastructure facility that a country has to offer to the international tourists. It would be
surprising to note that renowned tourists destinations like Jaipur and Goa do not have an international airport.
Foreign guests, who constitute more than 60% of the tourists destined for these cities, currently have to travel via
Mumbai, unless they are ready to charter a flight. This makes things cumbersome and time consuming, thus
discouraging many time conscious tourists from visiting these places.

Similar is the case of cities like Agra, Udaipur and Varanasi where foreign tourists account for approximately 50%
of the total tourists arrival.

SWOT Analysis of Airlines Industry

Strengths

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1. Airlines is the most preferred mode of transportation by the foreign tourists as the convenience provided by the
airlines is higher.

2. The savings in time that this mode of transport offers is immense.

Weaknesses

1. Inefficiency of the domestic airlines there are number of instances of flight being cancelled or delayed.
Secondly frequent strikes by the pilots and maintenance problems are a major cause of concern. This is one of the
reasons that make a tourist disheartened.

2. Lack of basic facilities at the airport. When international airports offer such services like free transportation
facilities, private lounge facilities at airports, food etc, it sometimes become impossible to find a usable toilet in
our international airports.

3. Government does not allow the capacity of existing airports to increase and private and foreign operators are
not given clearances to operate in the country.

Opportunity

1. As the tourism industry expands the airline industry is also in for a boom.

2. Development and upgradation of the present airports Indias geographic location makes it an ideal location to
serve as a link between the East and the West.

Threat

1. Domestic airlines (Air India and Indian Airlines) face major competition from other transnational airlines.

Road and Railways Network

Airports being a weak links in Indian tourism, tourists are forced to use roads. More than 80% of the tourists have
to use road network but the deplorable road conditions in India do not make the travelling easier. The major factor
that hampers the development of road sector is the government control over all the road properties.
Internationally, all the major cities within the country are connected with six lane highways. But in India, even the
four metros are not well connected. Thus, the basic infrastructure to support the tourism industry is missing.

SWOT Analysis of Road and Railway Network

Strength

1. India has one of the largest road networks in the world. The countrys total road length was 30, 15,299 km in
1994-95 .13

2. Trains like Palace on Wheels provide a feel of Indian majesty of the days gone by.

Weakness

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1. The road condition in India is very bad. The roller coaster ride is not what is expected while travelling by the
tourists.

Opportunities

1. The smaller places that cannot be accessed by the air, road and railways are the next best options.

Threat

1. There are no major threats to this industry as there is no substitute at present. Airlines are the only threat,
which will take time to develop to come up to have such extensive distribution as rail or roadways.

Travel agents and tour operators

Travel agents and tour operators form the backbone of the industry. They play an important role in promoting the
country as a tourist destination.

An example, City Cross Travels Private Limited, Mumbai is promoting tourism in Jammu and Kashmir despite the
violence that took place some time ago. Similarly other travel agencies are also trying to project a peaceful picture
of India abroad. The travel agencies provide package tours that lure the foreign tourists towards our country.
These packaged tour extract the best our of places and gives a foreign tourist a feel of the rich cultural diversity of
our country.

Strengths

1. Travel agents are moving from being mere ticket issuers to travel consultants taking complete responsibility for
the consumers needs.

2. Travel agencies not only provide the picture of the country to the interested parties but also lure them to visit a
country by the attractive packages.

Weakness

1. Travel agents are most affected by the taxes that are part of the industry.

Opportunity

1. As the number of tourist is increasing, there is a need to identify their requirements and the travel agencies can
tap this segment.

Threat

1. With the advent of internet the role of travel agents is changing and the whole industry faces a threat of
extinction unless they change to meet the need of tourists.

THE BOTTLENECKS

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The analysis in the previous pages has very clearly shown us the reasons, which are responsible for the lack of
growth in the tourism industry. In this section we attempt to list the factors that are responsible for this state of
affairs.

The role of Government: the plethora of taxes and procedural complications

Poor infrastructure

Inadequate world class accommodation and Untrained personnel manning key facilities.

Unfocussed marketing of the Indian tourism product package (a recent example being Andaman Nicobar islands
which was going to be the first place in the world to officially herald the coming of the new millennium but we
could not utilise it to our interest)

Apprehensions about the law and order situations Some of these bottlenecks have been discussed detail in the
subsequent sections.

Government

One of the most glaring reasons that the study has brought out is the lacuna in the Governments policies towards
the industry. The Government is the most important player in this industry and all the other players have to follow
the lead taken by it. However, the actions of the government have not been proactive. Rather it has been late in
rising to the opportunity that the tourism industry offers. There are not enough incentives been offered to the
other players like Hotels and the travel agencies. There is no incentives for the hospitality industry to set up shop
in area, as is the case with other industries. The government should be taking the lead and attracting the industry
to places that have vast tourist potential but have still not fully developed. Incentives like tax holiday or a reduced
rate of duties would go a long way in the promotion of the places. Secondly, the various restrictions those are in
place in areas like Sikkim and the North-East should be relaxed so that more people can visit those places.

Even when the Government is in charge of maintaining the sites of historical importance, it has been greatly
hampered due to resource crunch. The sites that are under the Archaeological Survey of India are in pathetic
condition, as the agency does not have enough manpower or the money to look after all of them. This has lead to
the gradual decay and destruction of many important sites both by nature as well as because of vandalism. There
have been cases where whole temples have been systematically stripped and completely dismantled without the
agencies in charge being aware of them.

Poor Infrastructure

The infrastructure has been a major reason why the international tourist has been skipping the country. Delayed or
absence of connectivity to different locations, lack of proper accommodation facilities, bad roads and no
communication facilities are some of the factors that are stopping people from visiting many places.

Unless the infrastructure is properly developed, a large majority of tourists will give the country a skip. Again this is
linked to the above bottleneck. The lack of a Government that is proactive. Unless the government sanctions the
infrastructure projects there will be no improvements in the situation. A very recent example that has been in the
news is the airport project in Bangalore. Although the proposal has been lying with the government for three
years, still now it has not been implemented. There is an acute lack of proper accommodation facilities for the
tourist. So more hotels have to be built. Even now there are some places that are not properly connected by even
good and navigable roads.

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These also need to be developed. Apprehensions about the law and order situations The lack of security that is
faced by a lot of international tourist is also a major cause for concern. There have been many instances where
tourist have been physically assaulted, robbed and sexually harassed. Any such incident reflects badly on the
country and creates a negative image in the country from which the tourist has come. In the mid nineties, when
insurgency was thought to be on a decline in Jammu and Kashmir, five foreign tourists were kidnapped. This lead
to a lot of clamour and the State Department of the USA issued a specific warning to its citizens not to visit Jammu
and Kashmir. Although the notice was only for J&K still then it affected the total inflow of tourist into the country.
Similarly French national/ Japanese National were sexually assaulted in New Delhi and that too had attracted
international attention. Apart from these, there are hundreds of other incidents like cheating to murder that
tarnish the image of the country. Socio-religious problems (Riots etc) have become a regular affair and the country
is not perceived as a peaceful destination.

All these concerns have to be seriously looked into by the concerned agencies.

SAFETY AND SECURITY OF TOURISTS

Foolproof safety and security of tourists in the State is an extremely important and as a
sensitive factor for the growth of tourism. The State Government accords highest
priority to safety and security of tourists for which no stone will be left unturned by the
government.

In order to prevent any inconvenience to the tourists, a Tourist Security Force (TSF) is
being set up by the State Government in accordance with the directives received from
the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. This Tourist Security Force would
comprise of the ex-service men, who would be imparted hospitality, co artery and other
relevant training, so as to inculcate confidence and sense of security amongst the
tourists. Such security force would be deployed at all the places of public convergence,
such as bus stands, railway stations, airports and at various tourist destinations.

To augment the strength of the Tourist Security Force (TSF), a cadre of local youth
would be selected, trained and deployed by the Department at various tourist
destinations in the State. These local youths would be selected from the adjoining
villages in and around such tourist destinations so as to instill a sense of belongingness,
care and affection among the local inhabitants regarding such tourist destinations.

In addition, local youths, would also be selected to provide various other maintenance-
management facilities and services, such as gardening, keeping, guide, life savings,
technicians, musical group catering etc.

A 24-hour Tourist Help Line would be set up at the Department of Tourism so as to

provide rescue and assistance services to tourists in distress, which includes medical
services, transport services, navigation services, security services etc.

A Central Control Room at the Headquarters of the Department of Tourism would be set
up to monitor the arrival, travel and the stay of the tourists at various destinations and
to provide them assistance, wherever and whenever required.
CONSUTANCY SERVICES

To ensure world class infrastructure for tourism promotion and development, services
of reputed, experienced and competent consultants would be procured. The State
Government intends to utilize the services of such consultants in promotion and

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 development of tourism infrastructure, conducting necessary techno-economic
feasibility studies, carrying out market research, preparation of DPR's, etc.

Consultancy services would also be utilized for professionalisation and modernization of
Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation and the Department of Tourism by
reforming the procedures and processes, adopting the latest tools and techniques of
tourism management, introducing latest concepts and technology, technological up-
gradation, skill improvement etc.
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

To ensure a focused, systematic, professional and time-bound tourism development of a

place or tourism zone, the Government would set up Tourism Development Authority(s)
for such zones/specific various places under the chairmanship of the concerned Deputy
Commissioner. Such Authority(s) would have representatives of hotel associations, travel
agents associations, NGOs and non-official members having outstanding contribution or
expertise in the field of development and promotion of tourism industry. Financial
assistance as grants-in-aid, etc would be provided to all such authorities set up in this
regard.

Such tourism development authorities would systematically execute and get executed
various tourism development projects within their jurisdiction and would also maintain all
tourism related activities in such areas and undertake all such initiatives and actions to
promote Tourism.
SINGLE WINDOW SYSTEM

Efforts would be made to facilitate smooth flow of institutional finance for improving,
strengthening and augmenting the tourism infrastructure in the state.

A special cell to facilitate and to assist entrepreneurs interested in setting up tourism

related projects in the state would be created is a Department of Tourism. A simple,
professional and transparent mechanism would be evolved for processing loan
applications from investors in tourism sectors at such single window, where officers
from other relevant Government Department, Banks, Financial Institutions, etc would
be available, so as to provide all assistance and smooth financing of such tourism
infrastructure promotion ventures.
TOURISM TRADE FACILITATION ACT

To prevent exploitation of tourists by various service providers, a legislation for

facilitating tourism trade would be enacted by the Government.

The Department of Tourism would be empowered to license and inspect such

establishments, which are engaged in providing various services to the tourists. Any
inspection made with malafide intention shall be dealt with very seriously and shall
invite strict disciplinary action by the department.

Complaints received from the tourists will be redressed on priority basis. Strict action
and strong steps would be taken against such service providers, who play foul or exploit
the tourists.

Efforts would be made to educate the road side line hotels, which caters to way side
tourists/travellers about maintenance of hygiene, service manners, quality of food and
regulate them with such facilitation act.

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Summary
India is a vast country, with diverse cultures and ancient civilization. There are a number of religious groups
residing in India. In India we find the oldest pilgrimage tradition in the whole world. The practice of pilgrimage in
India is so deeply embedded in the cultural psyche and the number of pilgrimage sites is so large that the entire
subcontinent may actually be regarded as one grand and continuous sacred place. The earliest sources of
information on the matter of sacred space come from the Rig Veda and the Atharva Veda.

Following the Vedic period the practice of pilgrimage seems to have become quite common, as is evident from
sections of the great epic, the Mahabharata (350 BC), which mentions more than 300 sacred sites spanning the
sub-continent. By the time of the Puranas, the number of sacred sites had grown considerably, reflecting both the
ongoing assimilation of aboriginal sacred places and the increased importance of pilgrimage as a customary
religious practice.

Hindus call the sacred places tirthas and the action of going on a pilgrimage is called tirtha-yatra. The word tirtha
means river ford, steps to a river, or place of pilgrimage. In Vedic times the word may have concerned only those
sacred places associated with water, but by the time of the Mahabharata, tirtha had come to denote any holy
place, be it a lake, mountain, forest, or cave. Tirthas are more than physical locations, however. Pious Hindus
believe them to be spiritual fords, the meeting place of heaven and earth, the locations where one crosses the
endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth to reach the shore of liberation.

India should be a tourist powerhouse. The country has all the right ingredients - good food, rich culture, beautiful
historic monuments, spirituality, and diversity - to lure travellers from all over the world. Yet India lags behind
Asian tourist hubs like Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and China.

While tourism in India continues to increase, with 6.65 million tourists visiting the country in 2012, it grew just 5%
over 2011. Bhutan and Sri Lanka -- from the same south Asian region -- recorded over 17% growth in the same
year.

Thee reasons for Indias struggle to attract visitors are many, say tourism experts, ranging from infrastructure to
formalities and security concerns, among others.

According to global hospitality consultancy, HVS, India is expected to bolster its hotel room capacity by 54,000 over
the next three to four years.

The government's report of the Working Group on Tourism, under the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017) set up by
the Planning Commission stated that the country requires an additional 1,90,108 hotels rooms by 2016 to meet a
projected 12% growth in tourism.

To encourage the growth of budget hotels, the government also put in place incentives -- some of which are a five
year tax holiday for two, three and four star category hotels located in all UNESCO declared World Heritage sites
(except Mumbai and Delhi), extension of investment linked tax incentives under Section 35 AD of the Income Tax
Act to new hotels of 2-Star category and above anywhere in India, Hotel and Tourism related industry being
declared a high priority industry and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of up to 100% being allowed under the
automatic route.

Problems and Prospects of Tourism Industry in India!

Although India has progressed a lot since 1950s with respect to tourism, she is still way behind the developed or
even the developing countries. Indias share in the tourist arrival has been growing at a snails pace from 0.23 per
cent in 1975 to 0.28 per cent in 1980 and 0.42 per cent in 2004.

This small percentage comes under sharp focus when we see that in 2004, India received only 2.9 million foreign
tourists. Compared with this, the foreign tourist arrivals were 6.5 million in Singapore, 9.6 million in Thailand, 10.0
million in Malaysia, 13.1 million in Hong Kong and 31.2 million in China.

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Even the diminutives like Maldives and Bhutan present an appreciable model of sustainable tourism by integrating
environment and tourism. In the year 2004, while tourism in Malaysia (ranked third in terms of real growth) and
China (ranked 11th) grew by 17 and 13.5 per cent respectively, India (ranked 50th) grew at just 10 per cent.

In India, tourism provides 5.6 per cent of the total jobs, China that just pulled its iron curtain, is doing better with 7
per cent. Tom apart by civil war Sri Lanka still has 7.4 per cent of its jobs coming from the tourism sector. Travel is
a happening business in Thailand, generating 11.2 per cent of the total jobs.

Still there are large areas which are untapped from the tourist point of view. Traditionally a popular destination,
North India still draws about 49 per cent of the tourists; whereas only 4 per cent go to east.

West is doing better getting 29 per cent of the tourist inflow. South, despite its beaches, temples, hills, etc. gets
only 18 per cent of foreign and domestic tourists. Thus there is great potential for development of tourism,
particularly in east and south, which require proper tapping with immediate effect.

Foreign tourists often fail to get suitable accommodation in hotels and go back as a dissatisfied lot. At the
beginning of the millennium, Indias shortage was estimated at 30,000 rooms. Today, the requirement is much
larger, considering rapid increase in the inflow of foreign tourists after 2002.

Today we need at least 90,000 more rooms (in five star segments) which require a huge investment of Rs. 80,000
crore, just to fall in line with the internationally-benchmarked tourism models. The Commonwealth Games
scheduled to be held in 2010 in Delhi are likely to put tremendous pressure on the tourist infrastructure including
hotel accommodation.

Another problem of recent origin is that Indian tourists have started travelling abroad rather than travelling within
the country. In 2004, as many as 6.2 million Indian tourists went abroad in contrast to only 2.9 million foreign
tourists visiting India.

With each outgoing Indian tourist spending an average of $ 3 000 an estimated amount of Rs. 72,600 crore went
out of the country. Of late, Indian tourists are looking beyond Shimla, Srinagar, Ooty, Mumbai, Delhi and Goa, and
are grabbing foreign holiday deals like never before.

The main cause of outflow of Indian tourists is high aviation cost in the domestic sector. When a tourist in North
India can get cheaper return tickets to Sri Lanka or Thailand than to Goa or Kerala, he will obviously go abroad.

Our foreign exchange earnings from tourism is getting neutralised because of large number of Indians going
abroad. It is estimated that by 2007-08, as many as 8 million Indian tourists will be going abroad. Majority of them
will be visiting Cambodia (15%), Hong Kong (15%), Australia (13%), Malaysia (13%), Singapore, and Pakistan.

The unplanned and unrestricted growth of tourism has a detrimental effect on environment. The origin and
growth of tourism in India as elsewhere in the world, is distinctly urban oriented rather than being spread over the
countryside. This is due to the fact that urban centres provide the necessary infrastructure and wider choice of
facilities and price ranges for accommodation, food, entertainment, etc.

There is lack of appreciation of the holistic approach to tourism development which takes into account the linkages
between environment and pressure of tourists. The result is that, almost all the popular tourist centres are
groaning under the pressure of annual visitors and quite often facing difficult situation.

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The unplanned and unchecked growth of tourist centres deprives them of their original charm and ultimately
proves disastrous. This is what is happening to some of the famous tourist centres like Shimla, Mussoorie,
Darjeeling, etc. where sometimes even drinking water is not available to cater to the needs of the tourists.

Sometimes, the area around a tourist spot is covered by commercial constructions and even by industries. Such
unplanned growth tarnishes the image of the concerned spot. The Taj Mahal at Agra, the Meenakshi Temple at
Madurai, the Lingaraja temple in Bhubaneshwar and the palace in Udaipur are examples of this nature where
much of the original beauty and charm is lost due to unplanned constructions around them.

Though many environments are endowed with great tourist potential, they are delicately balanced and large scale
unplanned expansion of tourism in such areas often manifests itself in problems of serious environmental concern.
Therefore, it is necessary that tourism should be developed in a planned way taking care of environment and
infrastructural development.

The emphasis should be on the threshold development tapping in view the carrying capacity of a given
environment. In other words, growth and development of tourist industry should be environmental friendly. To be
environmental friendly, the stress should be on what is nowadays known as soft tourism.

With a view to improve tourism and at the same time taking care of the environment, the central and state
governments are coming forward with new development plans. Although tourism is the responsibility of the state
governments, the Central Government lends all help to develop tourism. India Tourism Development Corporation
(ITDC) was established in October 1966.

The central Department of Tourism is extending financial assistance for improving tourism infrastructural facilities
like yatri niwas, tourist lodges, wayside facilities, restaurants, cafeterias, tourist bungalows, etc. It also extends
financial assistance for adventure sports activities, tourist transport, tented accommodation, etc.

Travel Trade and Tourist Service Division of the Department of Tourism is helping the travel trade, both national
and international. Department of Tourism has simplified and streamlined the rules from April 1992, regarding the
grant of approval to travel agents, tour operators and tourist transport operators so that their services are
standardised and are made broad-based, both for domestic and foreign tourists.

The main thrust during the Eighth Five Year Plan had been,

(i) development of selected tourist places/areas,

(ii) diversification from culture-oriented tourism to holiday and liesure tourism,
(iii) development of trekking, winter sports, wildlife and beach resort tourism,
(iv) exploring new source markets in regions and countries having cultural affinity,
(v) restoration of national heritage projects,
(vi) launching of national image building and marketing plans in key markets,
(vii) providing inexpensive accommodation in different tourist centres,
(viii) improving service efficiency in public sector corporations and
(ix) streamlining of facilitation procedures of airports.

Indian railways have also recognised its role in tourism development. The launching of Rajdhani and Shatabdi
trains is a step in the right direction. Palace on Wheels is already operational in Rajasthan. Another special tourist
train Orient Express has been introduced in Gujarat and one more covering temple towns of Tamil Nadu will
become operational soon.

Five more such luxury tourist trains with private sector participation connecting major tourist centres will soon be
on the rails. Lane for about 100 hotels at various railway stations has been set apart to augment accommodation

69
for travellers. Considering the recent development, it is hoped that India will get her due share of tourism and at
the same time steps will be taken to preserve the physical and social environment of the country.

The above recommendations, if implemented can be very helpful in the growth of Tourism industry in
India in general, and pilgrimage tourism in North India in particular. Further, a comparative study of
covering North and South India can also provide much useful insight into the pilgrims behaviour and the
general problems faced by them. This would certainly help in the growth of pilgrimage tourism in India as
a whole and consequently, the growth of pilgrimage tourism would contribute largely for the overall
sustainable growth of the tourism industry in India.

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Bibliography

www.google.com
http://incredibleindia.org/
References: Media Reports, Ministry of Tourism, Press Releases, Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP), Press Information Bureau (PIB)
https://www.tourmyindia.com/
http://www.indianluxurytrains.com/
http://tourism.gov.in/
http://www.ibef.org/industry/tourism-hospitality-india.aspx

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