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India to serve tourists with spirituality

PTI, via The Hindu, India
Apr. 29, 2005
www.hindu.com

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Friday April 29, 2005

New Delhi, April. 29 (PTI): A dip in the holy waters of the Ganges, a prayer at the Golden temple or a visit to the Ajmer Sharif; spiritual tourism in India has been synonymous with religious tourism till now. But the Government now looks beyond and promote the spiritual richness of the country through intangible elements like Yoga and Vedic chants.

“The concept of spiritual tourism has been used in a very narrow sense. People think that it is all about visiting temples and other holy sites. We are looking at it from a wider perspective now”, says Union Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhury.

“Spiritual tourism could mean visiting a temple, visiting the Pushkar Mela, practicing Yoga or simply relaxing in the hotel room and listening to the Vedic chants. India is the land of spirituality. We have no dearth of spiritual elements to offer to the world”, she says.

Under the new initiatives, the Government has identified Yoga and the Vedic chants as the priority areas to strengthen the fort of spirituality. Besides, efforts to promote the destinations of religious importance will continue.

“World across, people are showing interest in Yoga. It can provide great healing touch, particularly to the busy urban people living in the concrete jungles. We should preserve and promote it in its original form. The Vedic chants are also very important from tourism point of view. A big section in the West is interested in learning and practicing them”, says Choudhury.

The major hotels in the metros are being encouraged to offer facilities like Yoga and ‘Vedic Pranayama’ to the visitors. To begin with, a five-star hotel in Delhi has already started a Yoga centre.

“We will have to move ahead with cooperation from the private sector. The private players should come up to work on the guidelines provided by the Government. Moreover, we are encouraging the State Governments to come up with different projects and we are ready to assist them in implementing those projects”, says Choudhury.

However, it is expected that the new thrust on the intangible elements of spiritual tourism will not involve huge investments.

“I am not worried about finances. We do not need to spend a lot on infrastructure when it comes to intangible elements like Yoga and the Vedic chants. One does not require sophisticated equipment for practicing them”, she says.

The Central Government has started the process of interacting with the State Governments to find out the potential in spiritual tourism. The Uttaranchal Government has shown interest in transforming the State to a spiritual tourism destination. The Tourism Ministry is also focusing on the famous temples in South India in the initial stage.

The Tourism Ministry plans to take the spiritual side of India to the world through print, electronic and online advertisements. The 13 overseas offices of the ministry will be roped in to spread about Yoga and the Vedic chants among the global tourists.