Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reviewed the performance of the state tourism department and directed measures to boost tourism.
The Chief Minister while reviewing the department’s performance, late on Wednesday night, said the ‘Deepotsav’ festival on Diwali in Ayodhya will now go beyond the banks of the Saryu river.
Adityanath has directed all temples and ‘ashrams’ in the city to be a part of the festival in which millions of earthen lamps are lit at the same time presenting a surreal view.
He said that the Saryu river front in Ayodhya should be developed in a manner that it becomes a major tourist attraction.
Talking about the ‘84-Kosi Parikrama’ route, Adityanath said that public utilities should be ensured at every five kilometres and separate routes should be developed for pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
According to saints, there are three types of ‘parikramas’ in Ayodhya – the ’84-kosi’, the ’14-kosi’ and the ‘5-kosi’. The 14-kosi parikrama takes place in the heart of the city, while the other two are held in the Awadh region around the Ayodhya district.
It is believed that on the day of ‘Kartik Purnima’, Lord Vishnu wakes up and anyone who undertakes this parikrama, gets his or her all wishes fulfilled.
Adityanath also proposed a light-and-sound show in Ayodhya. He directed officials to prepare the script that includes the history and traditions of the place.
“The show should offer an insight into the spirituality, traditions, mythology, historical relevance and its importance in modern history. The script of the show should appeal to the young generations,” he said.
Referring to Vindhyachal, he asked officials to further explore possibilities of building up the township as a major tourist attraction with drinking water kiosks, toilets, parking lots and other tourist facilities.
Adityanath said that other places of tourist interest including Naimisharanya, Shukratal and Hastinapur should also be developed.
The Chief Minister directed officials to explore possibilities of tourism development through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode and corporate social responsibility (CSR) for developing tourism.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]