How Bihar is prospering with its Buddhist Heritage and Tourism?

Bihar State is a role model for progressive governance and that there is a transformational opportunity in tapping its Buddhist heritage towards further augmenting the socio-economic profile of the state, says trade body Assocham.

According to a report published by it, Bihar has been one of the leading turnaround stories in recent times and the Government must be lauded for its proactive approach in balancing social upliftment in tandem with industrial growth.

The State is blessed with a rich and vibrant history and heritage – not only does Bihar boast of one of the oldest institution of learning in the world in Nalanda, it also is a major centre for the development of the Buddhist philosophy, making Bihar a global hotspot for tourism. ASSOCHAM recommended the following:

• Promote Buddhist Pilgrimage in East Asia and South East Asia: Effective targeting of the 500-700 million strong Buddhist population in countries such as China, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and other countries has the potential to take Bihar’s economy to the next level.
• Partnerships: Bihar and UP, along with the Govt. of India, are entering into a dialogue with International Finance Corporation (IFC) to promote their Buddhist heritage in South East Asian countries.
• Infrastructure Development: Initiatives like construction of the four-lane Patna-Gaya-Dobhi National Highway and improving air connectivity to Gaya are positive steps that should be replicated across other sites in the State. Improving connectivity and public amenities is the next step towards realizing the vision of making Bihar the most visited Buddhist pilgrimage destination in the world.

In 2011, 18 million domestic and 0.92 million foreign tourists visited Bihar – this grew to 21 million and 1.1 million in 2012 respectively and the State Tourism department is expecting a further 20 per cent growth in arrivals in 2013. Bihar also boasts of apex modern centres for Buddhist studies such as the Nava Nalanda Mahavira, which can greatly enrich the socio-cultural heritage of tourist sites.

Ensuring community participation through cooperative principles is key to ensuring sustainability of these growth models and here an effective industry-academia-community alliance can provide the right direction. Looking at Bihar’s success during the past decade, ASSOCHAM is certain that Bihar is ready to open its doors to the world.