Religious Tourism to Get a Major Push in UP Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch projects worth nearly Rs 40,000 crore in Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi through the ground breaking ceremony (GBC@IV) at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow on Monday.

This will give a major push to religious tourism in Uttar Pradesh.

These three places -- Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram; Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna; and Kashi, the abode of Lord Shiva -- are places of great religious significance and hold a central place in the faith of crores of Hindus.

In terms of religious tourism, these three locations are crucial for Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has prioritised development of religious sites of Uttar Pradesh.

Besides, five other religious sites in the state are expected to witness the initiation of projects totalling Rs 86,000 crore on Monday.

According to the government spokesman, projects worth Rs 13,486.63 crore for Mathura will be launched by the Prime Minister on Monday through GBC@IV.

The projects aim to boost employment opportunities on a large scale. Mathura was given a target of Rs 15,000 crore.

Similarly, Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, is set to witness the initiation of projects worth Rs 10,155.79 crore. Following the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, the city is set to attract significant investments in various sectors, including hotels, resorts, and more on a large scale.

Seeing the influx of crowd in Ayodhya, a large number of investment projects are to be started here in the coming days.

Varanasi, the abode of Lord Shiva, and the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will witness the launch of projects worth Rs 15,313.81 crore.

A total of 124 investors will establish their ventures in Varanasi, providing employment opportunities for more than 43,000 people.

Apart from these key religious sites, significant investments are also planned for other religious places in Uttar Pradesh.

Projects worth Rs 86,000 crore will take shape in a total of eight religious places, including Chitrakoot, Kushinagar, the place of Mahaparinirvana of Lord Gautam Buddha, Prayagraj, Sitapur famous for Naimisharanya pilgrimage and Mirzapur, the land of Vindhyachal.

Notably, projects worth Rs 1,152.38 crore will be launched in Kushinagar against the target of Rs 1,800 crore.

Investment projects worth Rs 9,619.9 crore will be launched in Prayagraj. This will be crucial in view of the Maha Kumbh 2025.

Projects worth Rs 7,047.37 crore are going to be implemented in Chitrakoot, while Sitapur will see launch of investment projects worth Rs 21,801.8 crore for the Naimisharanya pilgrimage area.

An investment of Rs 7,358 crore will be implemented in Mirzapur district, famous for Maa Vindhyavasini Dham.

Mirzapur was given a target of Rs 6,500 crore, against which it received Rs 7,358 crore, standing at 113.21 per cent.