ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS TOURISM:

A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN ANDHRA PRADESH
AND UTTARAKHAND WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
TIRUPATI AND HARIDWAR

Submitted for the Award of the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM MANAGEMENT

Submitted by

Sridhar Babu Addanki, I.A.S.,

Research Scholar
Dev Sanskriti Viswavidyalaya, Haridwar

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ABSTRACT OF THE RESEARCH

 Selection of the Problem

 Problem Statement
 Objectives of study
 Hypothesis of study
 Data Collection
 Analysis and Interpretation
 Conclusion
 Recommendations & Suggestions
 Limitations of the study
 Scope for future studies.

SELECTION OF THE PROBLEM

India has a rich cultural heritage and religious diversity. Indian religion has a great impact
on shaping the culture, rituals, and traditions of the country. India is an abode of various shrines,
ancient temples and is a pilgrimage destination. Many religious festivals will be celebrated in the
country with a lot of devotion. Hence, promotion of tourism based on religion, is of prime
importance of the Governments of the day. It is also the duty of the Governments (being secular)
to provide an environment that the religious faith amongst the followers is enhanced so that the
culture as a whole (Indian culture) is kept intact.
There is a wide scope for Government to harness religious tourism as one of the major
sources of income also. The governing bodies of religious places should design policies for
creation of spiritual and peaceful environment in the temple sites and areas of pilgrimage for
attracting pilgrims through making the experience of their visit a memorable thing.
The experience to the pilgrim on the tours made to the religious places would become
enriching and delightful, if proper facilities are provided in these sites. The visit to such temple
sites should give tourists an everlasting and memorable spiritual experience and become an
inspiration for making future visits to the tourist place. The overall development of the temple site
covering all facets would attract tourists nationally as well internationally and will become a major
source of revenue.

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 Indian culture is an amalgamation of several diverse cultures, spread across the sub-
continent and shaped by several thousand years’ history. The rich and diverse cultural heritage of
the country is unique in the entire world and hence this feature can be explored for promoting
tourism industry which in turn can serve as one of the major drive engines for entire economy. The
aspect of religious diversity along with prevalence of ancient temples, customs and traditions in
the country may be explored for promoting tourism.
After examining the existing models of temple functioning at Tirupati and Haridwar, it was
observed that there is a separate department like Endowments or a similar administrative body for
temple administration in the State of Andhra Pradesh, and there is no such body in Uttarakhand.
The religious tourism potential of Uttarakhand could be more effectively harnessed, is the first
impression. It is also felt that there are some additional benefits by having an exclusive temple
administration setup for the overall development of religious tourism in Uttarakhand state. The
popularity of Tirupati is ever increasing. It is easily known from the pilgrim turnout. It is also
known that the donations to Tirupati temple are increasing every year. An in-depth analysis of the
existing systems needs to be done and the recommendations, if any, needs to be given to both the
state Governments.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The comparative analysis model will help to identify the lacuna in the existing policies,
and know about the better practices that are followed. Reviewing of the existing policies can be
easily carried out by comparing one famous religious place in each of the states. The famous
religious place in Andhra Pradesh is Tirupati and in the case of Uttarakhand, it is Haridwar. Hence,
the research work is taken up on "Growth and Development of Religious Tourism: A
Comparative Study between Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand with special reference to
Tirupati and Haridwar".

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OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The primary objective of this study is to assess the need of an administrative set up in the
temples of Haridwar under the purview of State Government for improvement of temple
functioning, financial accountability which in turn enhances the trust worthiness on temples
functioning among pilgrims and fit in overall economic growth in the entire area.

The specific objectives devised for the research study are as follows:
1. To study the demographic profile of the pilgrims visiting Haridwar and Tirupati.

2. To study the association between socio demographic characteristics and overall satisfaction
of pilgrims visiting Haridwar and Tirupati.

3. To identify the major problems or constraints faced by the pilgrims at Haridwar and
Tirupati.

4. To make a comparative analysis of Tirupati and Haridwar on satisfaction levels of pilgrims

pertaining to facilities around the temples.

5. To offer valuable suggestions based on the observations/conclusions of the study to both

the states.

6. To discuss the need and significance of setting up of a government managed administrative

unit like Endowment Department in the state of Uttarakhand

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HYPOTHESIS OF STUDY
As per the case objectives fixed for the study, the hypotheses were formulated.

H1: There is a significant association between the socio-economic profiles of the pilgrims and

overall satisfaction in Haridwar.

H2: There is a significant association between the socio-economic profiles of the pilgrims and

overall satisfaction in Tirupati.

H3: There is a statistically significant difference in the satisfaction levels of pilgrims at Tirupati

and Haridwar for the following 11 attributes.

1) The Trust of the Temple /Endowment Department Organizes/ Manages the Temple

Properly and believe that there will be an accountability for whatever we offer

2) Performance of puja/rituals in temple/tourist site

3) Availability and quality of accommodation in guest house, dharma-shalas, hotels and

lodges

4) Availability of different variety of food, Its quality/ hygiene.

5) Tourist guide availability &availability of interpretation facilities at Tourist Sites

6) Arrangements for safety and security

7) Transport facility (including local transport services

8) Support/assistance rendered by local people

9) Availability of sufficient information on website

10) Support rendered by temple authorities to pilgrims (free food and other philanthropic

activities)

11) Availability of public utilities (drinking water, electricity, toilet facility, etc.,)

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DATA COLLECTION
A personally administered questionnaire in the form of structured interview is the main
method of data collection. The questionnaire framed was well structured, uncluttered, simple and
easy to answer. In this research study, responses of 624 tourists were obtained through an unbiased,
online mode and the data collected from tourists who have visited both the temples of Tirupathi
and Haridwar were thoroughly analysed using the statistical tools to identify the pros and cons in
both the sites, compare both the working models, and decipher the solutions for the problems.
The data was taken from the tourists covering all walks of life and the sample served as a
representative micro-model of society covering all possible socio-economic profiles. The sample
covered tourists of male / female genders and different age groups, education status, occupation,
income levels, and marital status. Out of the 624 respondents who have given their responses, it
was found that only 452 people have visited both the religious places. The rest of them visited only
one of these places. Hence, statistical tests were conducted on only 452 responses.
The attributes of the respondents such as socio-personal and economic aspects and their
satisfaction level with respect to 11 attributes which could influence the satisfaction level of the
pilgrims and the problems faced by them during their visit to the temple sites were studied and the
empirical data so obtained was subjected to statistical analysis for drawing out the results. Data
was also collected from 100 temple authorities and 10 policy makers of both Andhra Pradesh and
Uttarakhand states in tourism departments. Different statistical tools are used for analysis of the
collected data. They are-
1. Frequency and Percentage

2. Chi-Square Analysis

3. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test

4. Garrett Ranking Technique

In this research, an attempt was done to compare the religious experience of tourists who
have visited the temples in Tirupathi and Haridwar, by obtaining the opinions from a sample
population, their empirical measurement and analysis of data. During the research, the satisfaction
of pilgrims with respect to the hotel accommodation facilities, safety, transport facility, public
utilities, access to information, comfort, food availability, medical and first aid facilities, Darshan,
performance of rituals, maintenance and hygiene in the temple sites of the two important religious

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tourist destinations in Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand States viz., Tirupathi and Haridwar were
studied.
The constraints faced by the pilgrims during their visit to Tirupathi and Haridwar were also
studied to analyse the most significant and least significant constraints with respect to each temple
site. Opinions from the temple authorities and policy makers was obtained to identify the problems
affecting the religious tourism industry, the present status of the functioning of the temples and the
need for an administrative set up for temple management.
A comparative case study of the temple administration in Tirupathi and Haridwar was also
taken up by studying the functioning of the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) of Tirupathi
and the UCDDMA of Uttarakhand State for drawing out suggestions based on the results of the
primary data analysis.

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

A) Socio-Economic Profile of Pilgrim Tourists

The sample group comprised majority of male (60.362%) over female (39.38%) which
shows that the males are more actively taking up tours and also responding to online surveys.
Further, majority of the respondents were in the 21-35 age group (50.88%) followed by the age
group of 36-50 years (27.88%), more than 50 years (11.50%), and below 20 years (9.73%). With
respect to marital status, the majority of the tourists were married (69.91%) which indicates that
the married people are more inclined for visiting religious places. An analysis of the education
level of the pilgrims also revealed that the majority of the respondents had graduation and higher
qualifications (65.93%) which shows that more educated respondents are responding to the online
surveys. While examining the occupational status of the respondents, the majority were Private
Employees (30.53%) followed by Government Employees (24.34%), Others (19.03%), Business
Persons (15.93%) and Agriculturists (10.18%). The analysis of the Income levels of the
respondents revealed that more than half of the respondents are in the category of above average
income i.e. in the group of Rs. 2-5 lakhs and above Rs.5 lakhs which shows that the financial status
is influencing the ability to take up long distance religious travels.

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 B) Association of Socio-Personal Characteristics of the Pilgrims with Overall
Satisfaction:

With respect to Haridwar, almost all the socio-economic characters showed a significant
association with overall satisfaction except for the attribute ‘Age’ where there was no significant
association. With respect to Tirupathi, the socio-economic characters showed a significant
association with overall satisfaction. The results of the analysis showed that socio – personal and
economic characteristics are having significant influence on overall satisfaction of the travellers.

C) Comparison of Pilgrims’ Satisfaction Levels at Tirupathi and Haridwar:

The results of the statistical analysis to evaluate the satisfaction level of the pilgrims revealed
that 106 respondents (23.45%) were highly satisfied, 140 respondents (30.97%) were satisfied, 96
respondents (21.23%) showed neutral response, 60 respondents (13.27%) were dissatisfied and 50
respondents (11.06%) were highly dissatisfied towards the visit of Tirupathi temple. It can be thus
inferred that the majority of the respondents (54%) were satisfied on their visit to Tirupathi.
With respect to their visit to Haridwar, 56 respondents (12.38%) were highly satisfied, 98
respondents (21.68%) were satisfied, 154 respondents (34.07%) were dissatisfied, and 84
respondents (18.58%) were highly dissatisfied towards the visit of Haridwar temple. On the whole,
majority of the respondents (53%) were dissatisfied with the visit to Haridwar.
The results of the research study showed that the respondents expressed higher satisfaction on
their visit to Tirupathi temple than Haridwar temple.
While comparing the satisfaction levels of the pilgrims with respect to their visit to Tirupathi
and Haridwar, it was observed that the most satisfying attributes in Tirupati were those relating to
transport, performance of puja, availability of accommodation and other public utilities and
agreement on the better management of the temple and greater accountability in the presence of a
trust/Endowment Department. With respect to Haridwar, availability of different variety of food
and its quality/hygiene, tourist guide facilities, support by local people were found to be most
satisfying attributes. Thus, it is seen that Tirupathi has established itself as a favoured and
important destination to the pilgrims.

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 With respect to Haridwar, there is a need to improve the performance of puja, creating
accommodation, public utilities, transport facilities and an effective trust/Endowment Department
for further increasing the level of pilgrim satisfaction and for increasing the tourism potential of
Haridwar in light of the positive attributes like good support by local people, tourist guides for
interpretation and a variety of cuisine to cater which play a very crucial role in attracting pilgrims.
From this study, it is noticed that there is an urgent need for the improvement of the facilities
provided at Haridwar in order to attract more pilgrims and also to improve the satisfaction level of
the pilgrims.

D) Constraints Faced by the Pilgrims at Haridwar and Tirupati:

The analysis of the constraints faced by the pilgrims in Haridwar and Tirupati revealed some
interesting facts. In Haridwar, "Lack of spiritual atmosphere" and "Lack of coordination among
departments related to pilgrimage tourism" were the most significant constraints ranked 1 and 2
respectively whereas these same constraints were found to be the least significant in Tirupathi
being ranked at 9 and 10 respectively. Similarly, the constraints “Charged high fare on
Entry/Darshan ticket” and “Long waiting time for Darshan” were ranked as the least significant
constraints in Haridwar being ranked 9 and 10 while these same constraints were found to be the
most significant constraints in Tirupati being ranked at 1 and 2. Thus, it may be observed that the
constraint which was very significant in Haridwar was least significant in Tirupati while at the
same time, the constraint that was the most significant in Tirupati was found to be the least
significant in Haridwar.
The Top 5 constraints identified in Tirupathi were “Long waiting time for Darshan”, “Charged
high fare on Entry/Darshan ticket”, “Theft and cheating”, “Illegal/ unauthorized collection of
money for performance of rituals in the pilgrimage centre”, and “Lack of proper medical and 'First-
Aid' facilities”. Whereas in Haridwar, the top 5 constraints identified were “Lack of spiritual
atmosphere”, “Lack of coordination among departments related to pilgrimage tourism”, “Illegal/
unauthorized collection of money for performance of rituals in the pilgrimage centre”, “Lack of
proper medical and 'First-Aid' facilities”, and “Poor hygiene and poor maintenance of temple
premises”

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 Thus, it is observed that there is a need for the Devasthanam Boards and/or the Government
Departments to overcome these major constraints in Haridwar and Tirupathi temples, in order to
satisfy and attract more pilgrims to these temples which in turn could lead to improving the
economy of local community who are economically dependent on tourism.
As per the comprehensive analysis of constraints faced by pilgrims and satisfaction levels of
pilgrims, it is evident that there is a need for having a focused development in Haridwar on lines
of Tirupathi to improve pilgrim satisfaction.

E) Inferences from the Responses of Temple Authorities and Policy Makers:

The following observations were made from the responses elicited from the temple authorities
and policy makers of Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand State.

All the respondents expressed that Religious Tourism is very important for the development
of both the places. The respondents have not expressed any major problems faced by the tourism
industry with respect to Tirupathi while most of the respondents from Uttarakhand expressed that
the facilities for religious tourism are inadequate in Uttarakhand. The respondents also expressed
the need for expanding the operations of Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board and also for
improving the quality of accommodation for tourists and opening of a Help Desk in Uttarakhand
State for tourism development.
With respect to the performance of top level management of the temples in Tirupathi and
Haridwar, the respondents acknowledged the presence of the full-fledged administrative setup of
Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) for Tirumala temple management in Andhra Pradesh. The
respondents have also expressed that the State Government has established all the systems for
temple management in Tirupathi as well as in other temples of Andhra Pradesh through the
Endowments Department. The respondents also stated that a Master Plan is being implemented for
promotion of tourism in Tirupathi through the TTD. Due to the availability of a well-established
administrative set up like TTD in Tirupathi, the respondents felt a limited role that could be played
by other local bodies and private sector in promoting religious tourism.

In Uttarakhand State, the respondents expressed that the involvement of Government in temple
management is limited and they also said that there is no exclusive Endowments Department in

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the State to take care of the maintenance and administration of the temples. The respondents have
expressed that there is a need for the Government to take part in management of temple
administration so that revenue generation as well as transparency in accounting can be increased.
The respondents also expressed that except for Kumbh mela, Master Plan for promotion of tourism
is not being laid out and suggested the need for a well laid out plan for harnessing the full potential
of religious tourism sector in the State. The respondents felt the need for the involvement of the
local bodies as well as Private Sector, in taking part along with the Government, for promoting
Religious Tourism in Uttarakhand State where services like transport, local guidance, hosting of
cultural events, crafts-mela etc., could be taken up by the Private Sector by involving local
community.

While all of them have opined that Religious Tourism is very important in the development of
both the places, it was clearly observed that the Religious Tourism in Uttarakhand is not very well
organised. The policy makers of Uttarakhand also opined that government support and promotion
is very much needed to manage the religious tourism in an efficient manner. They also said that
the accountability issues can be addressed properly, if some reliable arrangement is made. The
generation of revenue in tourism may not be the main aim, according to them, but the regulation
of affairs in tourism places could give a big boost to the economy of the pilgrim site.

Thus, it is clearly evident that there is an urgent need for establishing an administrative body
for management of religious tourism in the State of Uttarakhand. There is also a need for an active
role of the Government in management of religious tourism in Uttarakhand which could lead to
increased revenues thereby the potential of religious tourism in Uttarakhand in contributing to the
development of the temples as well as the local community could be fully reaped.
F) Inferences from Service Activities of TTD:
1. Efficient revenue management of the temple funds leads to transparency in fund utilization.
The system shall be made more accountable by adopting a proper procedure of accounting and
auditing.
2. When there is proper accounting and auditing, there will be a surplus of funds and such
surplus funds could be used for creation of better facilities and also to take up more philanthropic
activities.

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3. Pilgrims offer more offerings if they realise that their offerings / donations are put to good
usage. If the usage is for providing medical facilities to the poor or helping the destitute, the
pilgrims tend to derive more satisfaction.
4. This leads to increased satisfaction and better spiritual experience of the pilgrims.
5. The increase in pilgrim satisfaction could thereby increase pilgrim visits, which could lead
to increase in offerings/donations made by the pilgrims, which could make the temples self-reliant
resulting in a sustainable temple management model.
6. The increased tourist flow could add to increased economic development in the
surrounding area, thus creating more employment opportunities.
7. With the available surplus funds, temples can acquire properties through purchase of land
and leasing out the same for generating additional income. The temple could also take up other
activities to further enhance the spiritual satisfaction of pilgrims.

G) Inferences from UCDDMA Act and Khumbh Mela Experience:

1. The present Trusts or Societies managing the Char-Dham Temples may not be able to catch
the pace of development and they should not become a hindrance for development of religious
tourism.
2. The Uttarakhand Chardham Devasthanam Management Act (UCDDMA), 2019 is one of
the first steps to ensure the rejuvenation of the Dhams and other temples.
3. The UCDDMA, 2019 which is upheld even by the courts should be implemented in its true
letter and spirit. The benefits arising out of the implementation of the Act needs to be highlighted
to the general public and also to all the concerned stakeholders.
4. The objective of classification of the temples and bringing them into the ambit of
UCDDMA is to facilitate a good and efficient management through the Board.
5. The High Court has clearly said that no religious sentiments are violated by the Act, and
the religious and temporal affairs are separated.
6. The Board (formed due to UCDDMA) will take over only the secular management, and
that is legally permissible, according to the High Court.

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7. The High Court made the following observation. "As there was a need for a law because
of mismanagement of temples, the earlier Act of 1939 (Badri Kedar Samiti Act) was made. The
new Act (UCDDMA) will further that objective, and hence it is valid."
8. With all these observations, the High Court of Uttarakhand has clearly given an indication
that the State Legislature is competent enough to make an Act regarding Hindu temples. At the
same time, the State Executive is competent to administer the Board. The High Court, by citing
the examples of TTD, Matha Vaishno Devi, Somnath, Sai Baba Trusts indicate that Uttarakhand
Government should also go towards establishing such Trusts wherein the temples can be better
administered and managed.
9. The organizing of Khumbh Mela involves huge amount of resources. It directly involves
spending of nearly Rs. 600 to 700 crores from the exchequer. By having an organised set up at the
policy level, this situation can be reversed. The Government need not spend money, but can
generate revenue.

CONCLUSION

From the research study, following aspects can be drawn

A. Spirituality drives people
Lack of facilities does not discourage people from visiting religious places. If there are
more facilities and the visits are properly planned and organized, the satisfaction (religious fervour
also) is enhanced to certain extent. Hence, good facilities/administration at the religious places is
desirable condition, but not a necessary one.
B. Government intervention in the form of endowment department/chardham board will
boost religious tourism
There will be a responsible organisation for people to put forward their demands and claim
for the facilities in the vicinity of the religious places. There will be persistent and continuous
overall development in social, economic, cultural sectors, which are intertwined with religious
places.

Regulation can be better if Government is involved in some form that can be useful in
creating discipline and accountability in various facets such as management of crowd, queue lines,
revenue collection, diversion of funds to useful programmes, security, public utilities.

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 It can be inferred from the research that a specific governing body such as an Endowment
Department or a trust should be constituted in Uttarakhand for organized and systematic
management of temples, which in turn can influence the subsequent creation of allied facilities.

C. Spiritual experience of the pilgrims is enhanced when Government is involved

Touts/unqualified people/people with wrong credentials will have lesser chances of
becoming the priests; Priests working in key areas like Garbhagruha/SanctumSanctorum needs
certain credibility. Pilgrims’ are interested not only in the religious places, but also the rituals and
puja at the Garbhagrihas, when they are satisfied by the Pooja-vidhana (the method of performance
of pooja), their attachment to the place increases in greater proportion.
The presence of a Department like Endowments Department in Uttarakhand in brief will result in
following benefits
a) Provide good facilities to pilgrims
b) Creating a spiritual atmosphere in the site

c) Using the latest technologies like the information communication technology is the need
of the hour.
Such department may in addition to temple management may also be entrusted with the
promotions of Hindu Dharma or Sanathana Dharma.

D. Economic activity is greatly boosted if Government is involved

A governing body emulating the Board like Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) has
to be constituted at Haridwar for overall development of the area and for channelizing the revenues.

In the initial phase if the Government involves in creation of Board and commences its
activity, the private partnerships can be attracted to the cause. Government can step back in later
stages and allow private partners to manage the activity. Key departments of the area can be
maintained by Government and allied activities such as public utilities, infrastructure development
can be handed over to private players. The involvement of Government creates a belief in private
companies and the participation of them would become manifold. Steering of the activity by
Government would create goodwill in the public, and thus will promote all round development of
the area.

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The presence of Government related board/ entity will have the following benefits
a) Organising Shops/Business activities will be properly organised; though there are
apprehensions amongst the already existing shop owners’/business community, who do not
want new comers to enter the activity. Government with proper planning and minimum
investment (in providing some basic facilities) coupled with some rules and regulations
can enhance the business opportunities. This will not only generate employment but also
economic activities get a great leap forward.
b) Stream lines the activities and attracts the private entities and people who can promote the
development of the area.
E. Prasadam will be a major take-away from the religious place.
Though the experience of visiting the place has its own significance, the Prasadam, the take away
product given to the pilgrims serve as a ‘sense of satisfaction (the spiritual experience). Going a
long way; the more the programme is streamlined, the better the experience of pilgrims. The
prasadam prepared with local cuisines and ingredients shall become an item of identity to the
pilgrim centre and shall serve as a means of publicity about the temple. The aspect of prasadam
offered to the deity has to be streamlined in such a manner that it should become the symbol of
devotional experience in temple as being done in all major temples of Andhra Pradesh, such as
Tirupati, Annavaram, etc.
SUGGESTIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS

A) Suggestions to Uttarakhand Government

1. The Endowments Department of Andhra Pradesh may be thoroughly studied and a similar set
up may be constituted in Uttarakhand.
2. The UCDDMA, 2019 is not just the first Act where the state governments manage popular
Hindu Temples. This very fact is to be made known to all the concerned. The people of
Uttarakhand and the Stakeholders involved in religious tourism should be shown the examples
of Shri Matha Vyshno-devi Temple in Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, the
Somanath Temple in Gujarat and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) of Andhra Pradesh
etc., which are under the Management and supervision of Boards constituted by the State
Governments.

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3. There should be institutionalization of Prasadam for each of the important temples / religious
places in Uttarakhand wherein the locally available ingredients which are specific to
Uttarakhand may be promoted.
4. Financial administration is of prime importance for the healthy development of any institution.
A proper account of the receipts and expenditure is well maintained when there is some sort of
intervention by the Government or some credible institution. The unhealthy financial
administration may disturb the religious affairs also.
5. Financial administration should not be left to the trustees/Pujaris of that particular religious
place. If the income from hundi collection/pilgrims is more and is not being accounted for, there
is every chance of unhealthy competition amongst priests/Pujaris. There can be court cases/law
suits about the inheritance / successor rights for some mutts/peethas/temples if not regulated.
6. The Donations/Offerings/Hundi collections should be done in a much more transparent manner
on lines of Parkamani System available in the Lord Balaji Temple of TTD, Tirupati. The Hundi
Collections need to be purely voluntary and there should not be any forced collection. Proper
counting and accounting of the Hundi Collections needs to be ensured in all the possible ways.
7. The Hundi Donations/Collections of money need to be used only for the specified purposes
which are predefined.
8. The Donations/Collections are not to be used as income source. The state government should
not also take any money out of the donations. The donations / collections need to be managed
as specified in the Acts that are to be enacted in the days to come (as in the UCDDMA
Chardham Fund 2019).
9. The income generation at tourist places may be done by acquiring exclusive rights of attracting,
offering special darshans, charging accommodations, renting vacant spaces, renting commercial
complexes shops etc.
10. Kumbh/artha Kumbh/other important functions are based now on the past/immediate past
experience of the management. If there is an institutional set up (permanent one) backed by a
Trust like Hindu Dharma Prachara Parishad the Kumbh could be easily managed in a much
better and efficient way. It may be noted that huge amount of budgetary provisions are made
for management of Kumbh/artha Kumbh. The Tourism Department of Uttarakhand is not a
professional body like Endowments Department to manage big functions like Kumbh mela.
A more organized setup would certainly help in this aspect.

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11. Ganga Aarthi is done on one private concern/ashram in Rishikesh. Ganga Aarthi is performed
in Haridwar along the banks of river Ganges. At Har-ki-pauri in Haridwar small temple like
structures along the banks would be performing Ganga arthi. (Though it is managed by Ganga
Sabha).
12. Aarthi is not performed in Gangothri/Yamunothri/Uttarkashi/Nand Prayag/Dev Prayag etc.,
at places where the river Ganga flows, though attempts are being made in the recent past.
13. Government may intervene to see that religious atmosphere is present in the Ghats of Ganga.
This should be improved through an institutional setup by the government itself and perhaps
rituals will be performed in a more disciplined mode.
14. The activities to be divided into purely religious and commercial activities. The aim of this is
to see that the religious place runs on its own in a self-sustaining basis without the support of
the Government in future.
15. This does not mean; Religious Tourism is seen as a remunerative or profit maker enterprise.
Whatever is done in the direction of promotion of Religious Tourism should ultimately end
up in the welfare of the humanity and the realization of full potential of the Religious
Establishment.
16. Handling of money Poojaries should not be allowed, there should be no discretion of Pandit
or Poojari to allow some pilgrims into the temple for a longer time. There should not be bias
in treatment of pilgrims.
17. The concerns of the Pandits/Purohits should be properly addressed. The potential of Religious
Tourism of Uttarakhand which is untapped till now certainly needs a greater understanding
and extensive participation from all the circles involved in Religious Tourism.
18. The inheritance issues of Poojaris / Archakas may be a difficult problem to settle. Already
existing time tested models needs to be considered for settling them.

19. If there are any complaints by the pilgrims, they should be heard properly and then attended
to i.e., the feedback of the pilgrims needs to be taken. A Special Officer / Vigilance Officer
to be put in place for this.
20. Culture and heritage of the local deities can be better preserved if there is Endowments
Department. The local culture shall be documented properly. Temple development is now
dependent on the meagre funds given /allotted in the district plan which in majority of the

17
 times is not sanctioned/ implemented. Allocation of sufficient funds is required which shall
promote and sustain the local culture. Sometimes MP/MLA funds are allotted but they are
given in few thousands of rupees in most of the cases. Real development of the temples/culture
could not be done.
21. Some temples that have been historically or culturally important can be better explored and
handed over to responsible institutions like Archaeological Survey of India etc., for restoration
or preservation. This is strictly lacking in the temples of Uttarakhand. Presence of
Endowments Department will certainly improve the situation.
22. By following some or all of the above recommendations (whichever can be followed) it is felt
that the Religious Tourism in Uttarakhand shall certainly grow which will not only benefit the
economy but also enhance the spiritual satisfaction that a pilgrim gets when he enters
Devabhoomi.

B) Suggestions/ Recommendations to the Andhra Pradesh Government

1) There are rumors about propagation and promotion of other religions in the temple town of
Tirupati. They should be properly dealt by the government, considering the right to religious
freedom of individuals, guaranteed by the constitution.
2) Some people opine that the HDPP is unable to deliver its objective. The effectiveness of the
implementation of programs of HDPP may be reviewed periodically and necessary changes
be carried out.
3) Many people are unaware about the various service activities of TTD. Wide publicity should
be done regarding the philanthropic activities and programs being taken up, through all
possible media and forums and the number of beneficiaries should increase.
4) The Board of TTD should contain people who are really service oriented and are able to
serve the pilgrims. It has come to the notice of media that the some of the board members
are involved in financial scams. Government should nominate the deserving candidates, so
that the reputation of the board is not maligned.

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LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1. The study is restricted to the people following Hindu religion and only pilgrims inside the
country are chosen.
2. Due to the paucity of resources, the study was limited to a comparative analysis of one
temple each in Uttarakhand(Haridwar) and Andhra Pradesh(Tirumala)
3. The limitations due to geographical distance between the states of Uttarakhand and Andhra
Pradesh made collection of feedback possible only through online mode. Personal
interaction with the tourists for collection of feedback could not be done.
4. The information is obtained from pilgrims who have come with some purpose. they may
not give complete attention/ time. Also, the timing of the survey and other external factors
may influence the pilgrims, as they have their own inherent drawbacks.
5. The geographical location of Uttarakhand in terms of topography is entirely different from
of Andhra Pradesh which could influence the overall experience and satisfaction levels of
the tourists.
6. To have a detailed analysis of any research work, a larger sample size greatly benefits the
study through better results. Due to availability of less number of tourists who have visited
both the shrines of Tirupati/ Tirumala as well as Haridwar. The primary data could be
collected only from 624 tourists/ pilgrims, out of which 452 tourists have visited both the
places and 86 have visited only Haridwar, but not Tirupati (apart from 452), and another
86 tourists have visited only Tirupati, but not Haridwar (apart from 452).
7. The feedback was obtained from the temple staff of Tirumala Tirupati Venkateswara
Swamy temple in Andhra Pradesh. In Uttarakhand, since there is no established set up in
temple managements at Haridwar, the available priests, trust managers, and other temple
authorities were asked for feedback, during the interview. Thus, there could be
misinterpretation on the feedback obtained from temple managements.
8. The feedback from the tourists/pilgrims could be influenced by the attitude of the tourist to
various dimensions of the study, which could yield some deviation in the results.

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NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
The present research study attempted to make a comparative analysis of state of religious
tourism in Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand with special reference to Tirupathi and Haridwar for
laying down a road map for the growth and development of religious tourism in Uttarakhand.
Towards this endeavour, the study examined the socio-economic profile of the pilgrims and
analysed the association of various socio-economic parameters. The study also made a
comparative analysis of the satisfaction levels of the pilgrims during their visit to Tirupathi and
Haridwar, the problems faced by the pilgrims during their visit to these holy shrines so that
necessary suggestions could be drawn out for improving the religious tourism potential of the
newly formed State of Uttarakhand. An online survey was taken up for conducting the research
study by obtaining feedback from the tourists who have visited Tirupathi and Haridwar.
There is scope for further study in the following areas:
(i) Mode of data collection and selection of tourist respondents:
The present study collected responses only from those tourists who are able to fill up the
survey questionnaire through online mode due to geographical constraints faced for obtaining the
feedback from tourists who are wide apart in terms of distance between the states of Andhra
Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Further, the entire cross section of the pilgrims may not be reflected
through online survey due to lack of access for online instruments for many categories of the
population. Collecting responses directly from the tourists through physical mode could help in
gaining first-hand information through better interaction with the tourist. Hence, collecting
responses through online mode as well as physical mode could help in gaining further insights in
the area of research.
(ii) Increase in sample size:
The sample size could be increased for having a comprehensive outlook of all facets of
research study since perspectives from more respondents would reinforce the research findings.
(iii) Secondary data collection from local resident common people:
The secondary data can be collected from local people, shopkeepers in temple sites, people
working in related service sectors such as hospitality and tourism sectors etc., in addition to regular
tourists as the opinions of these secondary sources could help in throwing light on the economic
perspective of the tourism industry so that suitable measures for improvement in these areas could
be drawn out for overall development of the religious tourism industry.

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(iv) Case studies of more temples:
In the present study, the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) and the Uttarakhand
Chardham Devasthanam Management Act (UCDDMA) were examined to put forth the benefits
of managing the temples through a government monitored administrative set up. The case of a
well-established and highly successful administrative model like TTD was put forth for proving
the benefits that could be accrued through an administrative body and for emulating key areas in
this administrative model in the State of Uttarakhand.
However, further study on the existing administrative models of other temples in the
geographical zones similar to the hilly state could provide more pragmatic and easily scalable
approaches for establishing a government monitored administrative set up for temple management
in Uttarakhand state.

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