Religious tourism and economy: The case of Kashi Vishwanath Dham

Since 2014 there has been a significant rise in the media debate, national discourse and public imagination on India’s ancient culture, heritage and religious practices. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at the centre since 2014 and Yogi Adityanath led government in Uttar Pradesh since 2017 have galvanized Hindu consciousness which is expected to yield enormous economic benefits to the state and central exchequers.

Be it the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj in 2019, or the Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya or most recently the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor (KVC) by PM Modi in Varanasi, religious tourism is going to generate significant revenue for both center and the state, given the fact that 60% of India’s tourism has a religious purpose as well.

The Kashi Vishwanth Dham (KVD) and Corridor is the latest jewel in the crown of India’s religious tourism which along with the beautification of the ghats, cleaning of the Ganges, upgradation of the Varanasi and Maduadih railway stations, airport to city road construction, decongestion and traffic regulation in the old city near the Kashi Vishwanth Dham have all metamorphosized Varanasi’s appeal for tourists.

KVD has been the dream project of PM Modi across a sprawling 50,000 sq meters of area, completed in 21 months at the cost of Rs. 345 crores, using seven types of stones from Makarana in Rajasthan. In the KVD vicinity 300 building were purchased for 339 croresto clear the land for the KVD and KVC. The KVC itself covers 5.3 lakh square feet of area including 80 feet long and 40 feet wide parikrama path. In the process of acquiring land the government regained control of over 40 ancient temples hidden inside private homes in the area. An 80-step pathway and an escalator has also been provided for pilgrims to visit the temple after taking a dip in the holy Ganges.

Despite the Omicron variant, a 20% jump in tourism has been recorded in the Kashi and Ayodhya circuit, and soon Vrindavan and Mathura will be added to the list. Kashi’s syncretic culture and appeal — which has been attracting tourists for time memorial to the Buddhists centre of learning- Sarnath, magnificent ghats, the holy Ganges, Banarasisaree trade and also as a centre of ancient learning where the saints like MahakaviTulsidas who wrote the Ram Charitmanas at Tulsi Ghat and Sant Kabir, and Raja Harishchandra - the epitome of honesty and self-righteousness became immortalized in India’s spiritual consciousness — will receive a further boost, courtesy the KVD.

When it comes to religious tourism, the general imagination is that of tourists over 45 years of age thronging tourist sites, but interestingly, in recent years the millennials and youth between 18 and 35 have been powering India’s religious tourism. In the latest Union budget there is an increase of Rs 2400 crores for bolstering tourism infrastructure, marketing, promotion and capacity building which will benefit the hard hit hospitality sector, small businesses, local shopkeepers, tour operators, handicraft and cottage industry, andthe local public and transport infrastructure.

The India Brand Equity Foundation believes that the five-year tax holiday for 2-, 3- and 4-star hotels around the UNESCO heritage sites will also benefit Varanasi. Additionally, the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme increase from Rs 50,000 croresto Rs. five lakh crores and extension until March 2023 will resuscitate the hospitality and SME sector significantly. IBEF also forecasts that tourism-based revenue in India is expected to jump from Rs 15.24 trillion (US$234.03 billion) in 2017 to Rs. 32.05 trillion (US$429.21 bn) in 2028, and cities like Kashi will be one of the key contributors to that jump.

What is more heartening that the youth of India will not only push India’s economic growth but also deepen the connections between India past heritage and culture and modernity and youth.