The concept of Tourism started with Tirthatan, Deshathan and
presently Paryatan. In India, religious tourism has its own significance, as it
is generally a high-volume, low-end tourism.
About Navratri:
Navratri in
Sanskrit means 9 nights. Shakti or feminine power is celebrated or
worshiped during the sacred time of Navratri. Forms of Shakti worshipped during
Navratri are: Durga, Bhadrakali, Amba, Annapoorna Devi, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi,
Chandika, Lalita, Bhavani and Mookambika.
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| Colors of Festivity |
In Gujarat,
Navratri is celebrated with great fervor with men and women dressed up in
traditional Gujarati attire play garba every night during the navratri.
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| Garba in full swing in Gujarat |
In West
Bengal, Durga Puja is celebrated during the same time and images of Durga
slaying the demon buffalo Mahishasura are built and displayed in temples.
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| Durga Puja in West Bengal |
About Dussehra:
Dussehra is the tenth day of Navratri and celebrated as the
day Lord Rama defeated the demon king Ravan in Lanka.
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| Effigy of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbkaran. Credits: www.newzstreet.com |
In Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, Dussehra has its origins dating
back to 17th century. One won’t see effigies burning. Thus,
celebrations are a bit different but nothing less than spectacular. The 10 day
event preceding Dussehra begins with the Rathyatra of Lord Rama to the Dhalpur
maidaan. Then, the various Gods with processions and bands arrive and the Gaddi
shepherds come down from their homes in the hills to sing, dance and praise the
gods.
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| Dussehra celebrations in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh |
Bed and Breakfast
during Dussehra
Foreign tourist particularly from Europe and USA, visit
India during this time to witness the celebrations and become part of such
celebrations. This is where the importance of Bed and Breakfast comes in as the
they like to visit Ramlila, Durga puja pandals, burning of effigies of Ravana,
Meghnad and Kumbkaran and have real feeling of existence of 330 million Gods of
Incredible India!
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| Burning of Ravana effigy during Dussehra |
Buddha Religious
circuit
Keeping in view the tremendous potential of Religious
Tourist arrival, Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India, has launched Buddha
circuit that includes sites of significance related to the life of the Buddha
and is sacred to 500 million Buddhists and also attracts non-Buddhist tourists
interested in historical heritage sites such as Bodhgaya in Bihar, Sarnath and
Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, and Lumbini in Nepal.
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| Buddha Religious Circuit |
Swachata Abhiyan
Small things make big impact! Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announced Cleanliness drive on 2nd October. As Prime Minister, he was
advised to expand his vision but he understood the importance of cleanliness
and hygiene to attract more tourists besides raising the standard of living. I could not have agreed more!
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| Swachata Abhiyan |
In India, Dussehra, Diwali and Holi are celebrated with
fervor and gaiety. This festive season of Dussehra and Diwali is no less
important than Christmas celebration in December. Delhi bustles with activity
and one can find frequent traffic jams all over the city but it does not lessen
the enthusiasm of the people. In India, the tourism season starts from
mid-September and goes on till March in most of the regions.
| Month | Foreign Tourist Arrival, 2013 | Change in FTA from previous month | %age change in FTA from previous month |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | 453561 | - | - |
| October | 598095 | 144534 | 32% |
| November | 733923 | 135828 | 22% |
| December | 821581 | 87658 | 12% |
As the data shows, the months of Sept-December account for almost 60% of Foreign Tourist Arrival in India.
As a closing remark, I hope that during this festive season
and pro-active governance, there will be an increase in Foreign Tourist and
Foreign Exchange Earnings.
Credits:
