(Shyam Rimal)
Kathmandu,14 Nov 2014: A new concept of developing the Pashupatinath circuit and Bouddha circuit has been conceptualized in view of bolstering religious tourism in Nepal.
Constituent Assembly (CA) member Rameshower Phuyal said that the development of these two circuits would be fruitful as it would not only attract a significant number of tourists to this Himalayan nation but also it would garner Nepal a worldwide fame as the ‘Land of Lord Buddha.
CA member Phuyal also expressed his concern about accelerating the developing work earliest with a reference to the concerned authority’s lackadaisicalness.
Shedding light on it, he further said, “Even the Prime Minister Sushil Koirala raised the issue of developing the Buddhist Circuit during the BIMSTEC Summit held in Myanmar last February, but, the concept has not materialized into a concrete action yet due to the indifference of the concerned authority regarding allocating the budget.”
To promote cross-country tourism, Phuyal, added that Buddhists’ holy places as Lumbini-Soyambhunath-Jamacho connecting to Nagarjun-Boudhanath-Madichud-Namo Buddha and the like should be linked to the Buddhist Circuit.
Similary, as for developing the Pashupatinath Circuit, Hindu’s holy shrines as Koshi, Pashupatinath and Nutandham could be linked with Gothatar-Gokarneshower-Shivapuri-Sundarimai-Kageshowridham-Bajrayogini.
Phuyal was of the opinion that Nepal should take an opportunity to present the idea of developing these two circuits during the SAARC Summit by keeping it under the special agenda.
Some of the holy shrines in the proposed Pashupatinath and Buddhist circuit have weaved the South Asian countries in a common thread. Let’s take a sneak peek into few of them.
The Buddha, born in Lumbini Nepal, attained Enlightenment in Bodhgaya in India. His relic of teeth are still worshipped in the ‘Temple of Tooth’ in Sri Lanka whereas places as Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Saarnath (there he taught his disciples),Kushinagar (there he died) still witness a staggering number of religious tourists, especially Buddhists from across the world.
Likewise, Charumati Chaitya, that was built around 2,300 years ago by the daughter of Maurya Emperor of India, Ashoka, is also a site must-see for the Buddhists. Charumati Chaitya Bihar comes under the proposed Pashupati and Buddhist’s circuit.
“The promotion of these two circuits could boost the religious tourism in the country which could benefit the country in many aspects, generating employment is one of them,” said Phuyal.
On the onset of the SAARC Summit, Phuyal, appealed with the government to repair the roads around Chabahil, Boudhha, Jorpati, Thali and Gokarna forest, a historic landmark.
The CA member also pointed out the need to manage the transportation system in the capital in a sustainable way, for which, he long had conceptualized ‘ the Fourth Ring Road (covering the valley’s outer rim).
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