Lucknowites to get a new travel destination as Kaushambi city is gearing up for reforms

If you're planning a weekend getaway from Lucknow or maybe Kanpur, soon, you'll be able to add Kaushambi city to your list of places as it is now gearing up for major reforms. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department is planning on developing various tourism sites, including Kaushambi, associated with Buddhism under the banner of 'Swadesh Darshan'. This city will be connected with the 'Buddhist Circuit' and shortly, it'll have the potential of becoming a major tourism hub in UP.

An elaborate survey was conducted by various departments

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The Buddhist Circuit follows the footsteps of Gautam Buddha from Lumbini in Nepal where he was born, through Gaya in Bihar where he attained enlightenment, to Sarnath where he gave his first sermon and Kushinagar where he died. It has been recorded that Gautam Buddha used to visit the town of Kaushambi, a number of times to deliver sermons to his followers.

The Tourism Department's Deputy Director mentioned that a proposal in this regard, worth 50 crores, would be submitted to the state government for approval. The proposal is based on an elaborate survey conducted by different departments like forest, power, revenue and tourism of several sites of religious and historical importance. It also explains how various ancient and historical sites in Kaushambi can be preserved and developed to boost the district's tourism potential.

The architect of the project, Vishal Gulati, was quoted saying, "If the proposal is approved, we plan to add several attractions for tourists, including a majestic meditation centre. Visitors will also be treated to an audio-visual show about the importance of various Buddhist sites in Kaushambi." He further added, "As there is not enough parking space at most places of tourist attractions, the department has proposed to launch its own e-rickshaw service to ferry tourists to the meditation centre."

Public amenities like toilets, restaurants, waiting halls, handicraft markets and shops are also to be constructed for the convenience of visitors and to keep them coming back. Other proposed attractions include an open-air theatre, water points, ATM kiosks and currency exchange centres for the ease of foreign tourists.

With inputs from IANS