India's religious and spiritual tourism accounts for over 60% of its tourism industry, making it an incredibly alluring destination for travelers across the globe.
From ancient temples, and gurudwaras to churches, monasteries, and mosques, there are a plethora of religious sites that are not just places of worship but also mysterious symbols steeped in history and legends.
Visitors are drawn to India's sacred sites, embarking on personal pilgrimages in search of spiritual solace and profound religious experiences.
With the recent inauguration of the Ram mandir in Ayodhya City in Uttar Pradesh, the temple has become a magnet for pilgrims from distant corners, all seeking to pay homage and receive blessings at the revered birthplace of Lord Ram.
"Coming to India is a pilgrimage in itself and coming to Ayodhya is the jewel in its crown. With an influx of tourists, the city is progressing at a fast pace, and very soon, it will be developed as a major pilgrimage tourist hotspot, with the best in class infrastructure," Indraneel Dasgupta, managing director and founder, My Tirth India, told Sputnik.
"Spiritual and pilgrimage tourism is only going to increase with better infrastructure and easy accessibility, and one day it will overcome every other mode of tourism," Dasgupta added.
Hindu devotees gather near the illuminated Ram temple following its consecration ceremony in Ayodhya in India's Uttar Pradesh state on January 22, 2024.
© AFP 2023 MONEY SHARMA
Religious Pilgrimage Benefits Economy
According to Dasgupta, boosting pilgrimage tourism bears several advantages besides its obvious religious and spiritual significance: among them are improved infrastructure and connectivity, boosting job opportunities, business prospects and revenue generation for the region.
"The new corridors are being built in several cities, leading to a drastic change in the aspect of spiritual tourism in India," Dasgupta said.
With a large number of tourists coming to the temple to seek blessings, this poses a big challenge in managing the crowd and ensuring the safety and comfort of the visitors.
Dasgupta expressed the need for the temple authorities and security forces to create sustainable crowd management strategies and infrastructure to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims while preserving the sanctity and cultural significance of the pilgrimage site.
"Several religious sites across cities like Haridwar, Shirdi, Ujjain, Katra, Varanasi, Vrindavan are only based on spiritual tourism and the local economy is increasing day by day. Spiritual tourism is only going to increase and one day, it'll overcome every other mode of tourism," Dasgupta said.