The Swadesh Darshan Scheme aims at integrated development of tourism destinations, including theme-based tourist circuits in the country. Under the Scheme, 15 themes were identified for the development of tourist circuits.
The Ministry of Tourism has revamped the scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0) with the vision to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations and has identified 57 destinations in the country for development under the scheme. These include Kapurthala and Amritsar. Furthermore, a total of 42 destinations, have been identified under “Challenge Based Destination Development,” a sub-scheme of Swadesh Darshan 2.0, informed Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
These 42 destinations have been identified under 4 categories including Culture & Heritage Destinations, Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Destinations, Spiritual Destinations & Vibrant Villages Programme destinations, as per the recent Ministry of Tourism Annual Report 2023-24. A few names include: Nagarjuna Sagar in Andhra Pradesh, Bhagalpur in Bihar, Saran in Dist. (Sonepur Fair) Bihar, Kaza in Himachal Pradesh, Gnathang in Sikkim, Sivasagar in Assam, Mayali Bagicha in Chhattisgarh, Mayem Village Goa and more.
Notably, the Swadesh Darshan Scheme aims at integrated development of tourism destinations, including theme-based tourist circuits in the country. Under the Scheme, 15 themes were identified for the development of tourist circuits. Projects have been sanctioned under the Buddhist Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Heritage Circuit and Tirthankar Circuit to enhance tourism infrastructure at religious and spiritual destinations. These include Development of Anandpur Sahib – Fatehgarh Sahib – Chamkaur Sahib – Ferozpur – Khatkar Kalan – Kalanour – Patiala.
During his written reply in a Rajya Sabha session, the minister also spoke about MoT’s ‘PRASHAD’ (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) and ‘Swadesh Darshan’ schemes launched in 2014-15 for developing infrastructure at tourist destinations, including religious sites, across the country. The primary objective of the PRASHAD scheme is to develop tourism infrastructure at pilgrimage and heritage sites, ensuring a more enriching experience for pilgrims and heritage enthusiasts.
A total of 46 projects have been sanctioned at a cost of INR1,621.14 crore and 29 sites have been identified for development under the scheme. These include ‘Development at Patna Sahib’ in Bihar, ‘Development of Nada Saheb Gurudwara and Mata Mansa Devi Temple’ in Haryana, ‘Development of Karuna Sagar Valmiki Sthal at Amritsar’ and ‘Development of Chamkaur Sahib at Ropar, Punjab’, under PRASHAD, shared the minister.
