Lucknow: Taking a cue from Kushinagar, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has allowed foreign countries, having large Hindu populations, to build their guest houses in Ayodhya to promote international religious tourism.
About a dozen foreign countries have already applied to the state government showing their willingness to construct their guest houses in Lord Rama’s birthplace Ayodhya. These countries are Sri Lanka, Canada, Nepal, Suriname, Fiji, Kenya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, Thailand, and Korea.
The Municipal Commissioner Vishal Singh claimed that a 12-acre land has already been earmarked in new Ayodhya for the purpose of building guest houses for visitors of foreign countries. “Any country can apply. We will make available land for them,” said Singh.
About 1200 acres of land is being acquired in Barheta, Shahnawaz Pur Maza, and Tihura Majha villages to develop a grand New Ayodhya city. The UP Awas Vikas Nigam has already issued notification for the acquisition of land in these three villages.
Besides residential colonies, the New Ayodhya City will have five-star hotels, Dharamshalas, Maths, Ashrams, Hindu temples of different states, and guest houses and temples of foreign countries to promote international religious tourism.
Earlier, many Buddhist countries like China, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand etc were allowed to build their own temples and guest houses in Kushinagar, where Lord Budhha attained Mahanirvana, to facilitate devotees coming from their countries. Kushinagar, an important Buddhist Circuit Centre, looks like New Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, housing Embassies of the majority foreign countries.
The New Ayodhya is also being developed by the Yogi Adityanath government on the lines of Kushinagar to boost international religious tourism by building Lord Rama Circuit and connecting it with Chitrakoot and other places visited by Lord Rama.
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