MPs scale up demand for Ramayana Circuit

NEW DELHI: Union minister of state for home affairs, G Kishan Reddy, met tourism and culture minister Prahlad Singh Patel this week to fast-track development of Bhadrachalam in Telangana as part of the Ramayana circuit to promote religious tourism in the state.

Following the ground-breaking ceremony for the Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh early this month, the Centre has received multiple manifestos from MPs to expedite work on the holy corridor, said officials.

The circuit proposes to cover 15 destinations across nine states — Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringverpur and Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh; Sitamarhi, Buxar and Darbhanga in Bihar; Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh), Mahendragiri (Odisha), Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh); Nashik and Nagpur in Maharashtra, Bhadrachalam (Telangana), Hampi (Karnataka) and Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) — according to the tourism ministry. However, only two projects from UP have been sanctioned so far.


Home ministry officials said Reddy discussed the possibility of developing various temple circuits and the manner in which state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana can submit proposals for availing of central assistance. Reddy is an MP from Secunderabad in Telangana. “The two talked about various tourism opportunities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” said an official, who did not wish to be identified.

The temple town of Bhadrachalam is 300 kilometres from Hyderabad and is believed to be one of the places where Lord Ram stayed with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman during his 14-year exile.