Religious Tourism: Will ‘dharma’ lead to “artha’? (Nepalnews special)

February 26, 2006
6 MIN READ
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As tens of thousands of devotees from within Nepal and neighbouring countries queue up to have a ‘darshan’ of Lord Pashupatinath on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri—one of the biggest festivals of Hindus—on Sunday, Nepali travel trade operators admit that the only Hindu kingdom in the world– that also hosts birth place of Lord Buddha– has failed to tap the immense potential of religious tourism in the country.

Shiva Ratri

Shiva Ratri. nepalnews.com/rh
It may be because most of the visitors—holy Sadhus and Saints– who come to our eyes do not have anything to spend.

When approached by Nepalnews on the eve of Shivaratri at the Pashupatinath temple premises, a saint who describes himself as ‘Shiva Baba” said, “I have determined that my life would be spent participating in prayers to Shivaji. “I have come here from Varanasi three days ago to have a ‘darshan’ of Lord Pashupatinath,” he added.

What makes it come alive is participation; to mingle amidst those engaged in worship: the act of bowing, playing cymbals, chanting hymns, touching an icon, or to see Babas showing acts in half naked, rubbed with ashes and Chilims of gaza (marijuana). To be a witness to the faith, simplicity and unity of religion; this is what religious tourism should be about — and this was what seemed lacking in the fanfare surrounding the sights of holy places in Nepal.

“There are alternatives to adventure and mountaineering but visiting the birth place of Buddha and Hindu holy places like Pashupatinath or Muktinath will never have alternatives.” – Banbari Lal Mittal
Spokesperson of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), Aditya Baral, admitted that religious tourism has not been the foremost priority for tourism entrepreneurs in the country. “The reason is that tourism in Nepal began from the attraction towards mountains—mainly the highest peak in the world, Mt. Everest. “So far we have not calculated how many people come to Nepal for visiting religious places, which is obviously difficult to do so,” he said.

According to Baral, most of the tourists visiting Nepal describe adventure as their main objective of travel. “It’s only on major festivals that religious tourists visit Nepal,” he added.

Coordinator of the publicity committee of the ‘Maha Shivaratri’ festival and a member of the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), Ram Prasad Dahal, said the Trust expected that over 250,000 devotees would visit the temple on the occasion of the Maha Shivaratri festival this year. He, however, did not have any idea how may of them would be foreigners.

The main source of religious tourists for Nepal is India and South East Asian nations. India occupies around one-third of the total tourist arrival every year. According to Baral of NTB, over 95 percent visitors from India are assumed to be Hindus but they anyhow visit holy places in Nepal despite theirs target of adventure and sight seeing. “Probably around 10 to 15,000 religious tourists come to Nepal annually except during festive season,” Baral said.

Travel trade entrepreneurs, however, complain that the NTB is mainly focusing on European and western tourists and has failed to incorporate one of the most promising sectors like religious tourism in its calendar.

Ravi Rimal

CEO of Incentive Tours and Travels Hariman Lama (File Photo)
“We don’t need to go too far to bring in religious tourists. At a time when there is resurgence in religious activities, Nepal is well placed to attract both Hindus and Buddhists for pilgrimage,” said Hariman Lama, CEO of Incentive Tours and Travels—who organized a religious trip of over 400 high-end Hindu devotees who visited holy Rakshyas taal of Tibet via Nepal to listen to reciting of ‘Ram Katha’ by noted Hindu Saint Morari Bapu two years ago.

“By inviting noted Saints and placing ads in Indian channels like Astha and Sanskar TV, Nepal can attract religious tourists who have also the capacity to spend,” added Lama.

A leading businessman and social worker, Banbari Lal Mittal, too agrees that religious tourists spend more than the adventure tourists. “There are alternatives to adventure and mountaineering but visiting the birth place of Buddha and Hindu holy places like Pashupatinath or Muktinath will never have alternatives,” he said.

“Religious tourism only becomes a reality when believers participate with an intensity of conviction that can be experienced and shared — that is to say, when the aim of the trip is not merely to fulfill touristic interest, but a mission of faith,” said Mittal.

It is often said that in the cathedrals of Europe the power of God can be felt in the prayer-soaked walls. “Only when a visitor to Nepal’s religious sites can look beyond historical and architectural detail and begin to share the liturgies of the faithful, can religious tourism take on meaning. Then reputation of these places would spread far and wide to attract more visitors,” said Mittal. “If religious tourism is to have any spiritual meaning, it should combine a reverence for the past with participation in the present,” he added.

Reports say over 900,000 people visit Vaishno Devi temple in conflict-hit Jammu of India annually. Then, why not in Nepal that boasts of Pashupatinath, Janakpurdham Lumbini, Muktinath? Tourism entrepreneurs say Nepal is yet to explore and ‘market’ exotic religious destinations like Damodar Kunda (in northern district of Mustang), Gosai kunda, Bhairav kunda, Tilicho lake, Sworgadwari, Kakbhusundi sarovar and birth place of Lava and Kush—the twin sons of Lord Rama—to name a few.

 

nepalnews.com/rh
“As there is fierce competition in one’s profession and business in the modern world, people are turning to religion for solace and to find answers to their questions. By developing packages connecting India, Nepal and Tibetan autonomous region of China, we can promote religious tourism as a major area of activity,” said Lama of Incentive tours. “But, the initiative must come from the government and NTB,” he added.

Rich in pristine combination of Hindu and the Buddhist culture and traditional heritages, and known for religious and communal harmony since ages, Nepal may be best placed for religious tourism. But the million dollar question is — how to transform ‘dharma’ (religion) into ‘artha’ (money) that may boost economic activities and generate employment in the country.

Probably what is needed is wild imagination and concrete plans to sell the Nepal Inc.