Tourism and Bihar – twain so were considered two poles of a globe. Things are a changing a bit. Bihar is on the cusp of a silent revolution – waiting to emerge as one of the prominent tourist destinations in the country. Initial steps have already been taken.
There are temples, shrines, forests, lakes, rivers and tiger safaris. Yet, tourism in the state hadn’t picked up on account of several reasons including official apathy and law and order concerns. Punuara (Sitamarhi) houses birthplace Goddess Sita while Mundeshwari (Kaimur) and Thave (Gopalganj) have some of the oldest temples. From Bodh Gaya to Vaishali every place is a repository of history about Gautam Buddha and Mauryan empire while Nalanda, and Rajgir are UNESCO heritage sites besides of course Sher Shah Suri Tomb. From Valmiki Tiger Reserve to holy Ganga, too many hidden gems were waiting to be explored.
But, all that is a thing of the past now. Bihar tourism department recently identified 300 tourist destinations categorizing them in three groups on the basis of tourist in-flow and their tourism potential. “This will allow us to take a focused approach for the development of the area, using their best strength & potential”, Mr. Nand Kishore, Managing Director of Bihar Tourism Development Corporation told Indian Masterminds in an exclusive interview.
RELIGIOUS TOURISM
While Bodh Gaya is the place where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment, Mundeshwari temple is the oldest temple in Northern India. Besides, there are other religious places too like Janki Mandir & Punaura Dham, Kesariya Stup. The state government has of late, sanctioned various schemes to increase the tourist inflow on these sites,.
CM Nitish Kumar will inaugurate the renovation of Punaura Dham – spread across 60-70 acres – on November 30. The project includes parking and side construction made out of red stones. “There is a plan to build luv-kush vatika and display history of Goddess Sita through motorized robot. Tenders have already been floated and work will soon start”, he said.
The ancient Nalanda University, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was one of the renowned centres of learning that attracted students from all over the world. Explore this ancient marvel in #Nalanda for a glimpse into our glorious past.
— Bihar Tourism (@TourismBiharGov) November 27, 2023
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.#ruinsofnalandauniversity… pic.twitter.com/7bMFnlZ2Bg
Similarly, the ‘Thave Dham’ of Gopalganj is also being renovated. It is three-phase plan which will take around 1.5 years. All temporary shops are being shifted to the 900 pucca shops being constructed nearby. “There are two lakes – one is behind the main temple and another one on the side. The second one is not visible due to the shops. We are removing them and beatifying the place through plantation on the sides. For the other lake we are making a selfie point connecting it with the temple and a restaurant with its view”, said Mr. Kishore, an IFS Officer.
AQUA-TOURISM
Amawaman Lake in West Champaran has already been developed as the first Water Sports Destination Of Bihar. Once used for idols immersion, now it has Bihar’s first-ever parasailing site and various other adventurous sports. On the same pattern, Digha of Patna, Manikamal Lake of Muzaffarpur, Motijheel of Motihari is also being developed. Mr. Kishore is hopeful that every facility will be up and running on 2-3 months.
Yes, It's in Bettiah.
— Kundan kumar IAS (@ias_kundan) February 22, 2023
#CharmingChamparan
Amwaman Lake Water Adventure Sports Destination.Bihar's 1st water sports facility with https://t.co/QTiEiWJ7xt has Parasailing, Jet ski, Jet attack, Sofa ride, Zorbing ball, Kyaks,Banana ride & many more. @TourismBiharGov @IPRD_Bihar pic.twitter.com/fsVxGxFDAC
WILDLIFE TOURISM
The Valmiki Tiger Reserved, home to more than 50 tigers, doesn’t feature high on tourists’ itinerary. “VTR has its locational disadvantage and sometimes law & order situation. We are hoping that with opening of Kusi Nagar Airport, VTR will be easily accessible from all parts of the country. Right now, we are enhancing accommodation capacities because everything is booked in the tourist seasons,” said Mr Kishore.
Rohtas district in #Bihar is a treasure trove for #ecotourism. We @DEFCCOfficial will start projects to facilitate responsible tourism in the area. @DmRohtas @TourismBiharGov pic.twitter.com/0ARKQ6dx31
— Bandana Preyashi (@BandanaPreyashi) November 23, 2023
To ensure a bright future for VTR, tourism department has also constructed a 100-room hotel. Besides that, several buses have been started and safari trips have also increased.
