CHAPTER-7 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA

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1 CHAPTER-7 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA

2 CHAPTER - 7 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA Uttar Pradesh : The history of Uttar Pradesh is very rich and interesting. It is recognized in the later Vedic Age As Brahmarshi Desha or Madhyedesh. Two great epics of India, Ramayana and Mahabharata, appears to have been inspired by Uttar Pradesh. It's area is 2,38,566 Sq.Km and is bounded by Uttranchal and Himachal Pradesh in the north, Haryana in the west, Madhya Pradesh in the south and Bihar in the east.1 The state of Uttar Pradesh in North India is a magic pot that yields to visitors wishes in a big way. The land steeped in natural splendour, rich history, living traditions, vibrant culture, mouthwatering cuisines and innate spirituality, opens itself to capture hearts that thirst for adventure novelty and essential simplicity. Verdant wild life sanctuaries home to interesting fauna and flora grace U.P. festive season/celebrations that visit U.P. resonant folks and dances. These are in various dialects of Hindi which brings one closer to a simplistic celebration of life. The life supporting geography of UP has delivered the ever-lasting vedic culture along with a soup-bowl of highly acclaimed epoch-makers like Lord Rame- Krishan-Buddha-Mahavira and Sufi Saints Sheikh Salim Chisti, Haji Waris Ali Shah. It has harboured a happy blend of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Islamic and European Cultures.

3 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 164 As regards tourism in Uttar Pradesh is itself a multidimensional state having multi-faceted tourism attractions. Obviously immense possibilities await the capital investors at the state's multifaceted tourist spots with plenty of sustained tourism activities and innumerable tourism amenities. U.P. offers an adequately attractive and ideal atmosphere for film production and cultural tourism. There are few probable places in the world where such a multiplicity of chain of attraction could be found. The importance of U.P. also lies in its cultural traditions maintained perennially through the ages to attract inquisitive tourist. This aspect is specially emphasised and publicised thus enabling tourist to have a glimse and feel of these cultural traditions. It also encourages tourists to overstay in the state. The state has a large territory which rightly claims for its cultural, traditions, arts and history. For effective implementation of planned development of such a vast state six specific tourist circuits have been identified viz. Buddhist Circuit ; Places connected with the life and philosophy of Lord Buddha such as Kapilvasta (piprahwa) Sarnath Shravasti Sankisa Kaushambi Kushinagar2 Bundelkhand Circuit : includes Jhansi Parichha

4 COMPARATIVE STUDY OP U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 165 Kalpi. Barua Sagar Talbehat Mahoba Charkhari Kalinjar Chitrakoot Deogarh Lalitpur Samthar etc.3 Agra-Braj Circuit consists of the following places : Agra Fatehpur Sikri Mathura Vrindavan Gokul Barsana Nandgaon Govardan Baldev Aligarh Saron Faizabad Bateshwar Patna Birds Sanctuary Chambal Safari etc.4

5 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 166 Awadh Circuit : Consist of following places viz Lucknow Barabanki Faizabad Ayodhya Naimaisharanya- (Mishrikh) Sandi Bird Sanctuary Samespur Birds Sanctuary Kannauj Sanskisa Allahabad etc.5 Vindhya-Varanasi Circuit: Consist of the following places viz. Varanasi Vindhyachal Mirzapur Chunar Sonebhadra Chandauli Chandraprabha wild life sanctuary Tanda-Windham-Deodari-Rajdari water falls. Jaunpur Bhadohi, Caimoor Birds Sanctuary, Sirsi-Mukkra falls, Shivdwari Shakteshgarh-Jargo Dam, Siddhanath Ki Dari Vijaygarh fort etc.6

6 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 167 Forest Sanctuary, Eco-Tourism and Adventure journey Circuit- consists of the following places viz. Dudwa National Park, Kishanpur-Katrania Ghat Nawabjanj, Hastinapur, Chambal Mavarir Sawmi. Rampur, Chandraprabha. Caimour, Laakhabohosi, Samsapur, Suchelwa. Saudi, Bakhritaal, Patna soor sarovar. Surhataal, Vijaysagar, Parvati. Agra, Okhla. Sohagi, Barva. Tortoise sanctuary etc.7 Water Sport Circuits : Allahabad Varanasi Chunar Mirzapur Vindhyachal Lucknow Dulmau, Kanpur Birthoor Balia etc.8 Apart from these traditional and ancient attractions. Uttar Pradesh is also an ideal place/destination for modem tourism Industry-Yoga-medical, ayurveda, adventure and cultural tourism. In order to get a glimpse of Uttar Pradesh one destination from each circuit is studied as follows.

7 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 168 Samath (Buddhist Circuit): It is 10 km from Varanasi and is one of the most revered Buddhist pilgrim center. It was here that lord Buddha delivered his first sermon, sanctified as Maha Dharma Chakra Pravartan (set in motion the wheel of law). Several Buddhist structures were raised at Samath between the 3rd century B.C. to the 11th centur}7 A.D. Today Sarnath treasure the most expensive ruins amongst places on the Buddist, trail viz.9 Chaukhandi Stupa : A square edifice surrounded by octagonal tower is first monument on entering Sarnath. Dhamek Stupa : build partly in stone and partly in brick and has floral carvings in the structure's lower part. Mulagandha Kuti Vihar : has a rich collection of Buddhist literature and built by Mahabodhi Society. Musuem : has a rich collection of Buddhist sculpture and the magnificent lion capital, India's National emblem, other objects of interest are Dharmarajika Stupa, Deer Park, Sudharmachakra Vihar, Jain and Saranghatha Temples, excavated ruins and foreign temples.10 The nearest airport is Babatpur 30 km away, rail and road connectivity is possible due to Varanasi city. Kalinjhar (Budelkhand Circuits): It is 205km from Allahabad, Located in the ancient land of Jejakbhukti, the present day Bundelkhand. The township of Kalinjhar was once protected by rampart pierced by four gatewaj^s, only three exists today Kamta Dwar, Panna Dwar, and Rewa Dwar, Dotted with remnants of the past, this historic place is worth a visit, The place of interest are :

8 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 169 The ancient fort of Kalinjar Neelkanth temple Vankhandeshwar Mahadev temple etc. The nearest airport is Khajuraho (140 km in Madhya Pradesh) Rail and Road link is possible due to presence of town like Attara and Banda.11 Agra (Agra-Braj Circuit): Agra is crowned with glory of unparalled TAJ MAHAL, The seventh wonder of the world is a sheer poetry in Marble which Mughal architecture reached its zenith. The city is known for its superb inlay work and is also famous for the following. TAJ Nature Walk Agra Fort Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb Sikandara Radha-Swami Samadhi, Dayalbagh. Jama Masjid, Rambagh, Mariyam's tomb Shaheed's Smarak Prominent temples includes Mankameshwar, Kailash Mahadev temple (having two lingas in Julhari) etc. Prominent Jain temples like Chintami Parshwanath M.D. Jain College temple etc. Guru-ka-Tal and Hathighat Gurudwara were associated with Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Goving Singh The monument's entry fee is $5 and $2 for foreigners and Rs 10 to Rs. 5 for domestic tourist. Agra has and airport six km away and is well connected by rail and road.12

9 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 170 Lucknow (Awadh Circuit): It is situated on the banks of the river Gomti, the capital of U.P. is regarded as one of the finest cities of India. The lucknawi cuisine and fascinating 'Chikankari' or exquisite shadow work embroidery on fine muslin cloth, are renowned worldwide. The places of tourist interest are : Asafi imambara Rumi darwaza Clock tower Picture gallery Hussainabad imambara, Shahnajaf Kaiserbagh palace complex, Sadat Ali. Khan tomb, Shaheed Smarak. Dilkusha, la-mertiniere, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar memorial, National botanical research institute. Hanuman temple, Jain temples, Indira Gandhi Planetorium. Museum, zoo, lok-kala, Gandhi museum etc. The Amausi Airport is directly connected to Delhi, Patna, Mumbai and Varanasi. It is also well connected with rail and road. Varanasi (Vindhya-Varanasi Circuit): Varanasi, called 'Kashi' in scriptures, is said to be the oldest city in the world with a history which goes back to some three thousand years. This city is believed to be the greatest "tirth" or crossing place between the earth and the heaven. Mark Twain, the American Writer complimented this Heritage city in the following words "Benaras is older than history, older then tradition, even older than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together".

10 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 171 Varanasi has always been a cultural centre, notably in the field of learning especially of religion philosophy, yoga, Ayurveda and Astrology. Some of the most renowned exponents of classical music and dance hail from here. Banarasi silk sarees and brocades are cherished as collector's item.12 The places of tourist-interest in an around Varanasi are as follows : River fronts (Ghats) Galis (Narrow lanes) Vishwanath Temple (of Lord Shiva i.e. Presiding deity) Annapurna temple Shani Dev temple Gyanvapi Mosque Durga temple Tulsi Manas Mandir Manmandir observatory Bharat Mata Mandir Sankat Mochan temple Kal Bhairav Mandir o Banaras Hindu University and Campus New Vishwanath temple in B.H.U. Bharat Kala Bhawan Gurudwaras Jain temples in Bhadaini and Bhelupura localities. Alamgir Mosque Ramnagar fort and Museum etc. The nearest airport is Babatpur 22 km away and the city is well connected by rail and road to major cities of India.13

11 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 172 Dudhwa National Park (Eco-Tourism Circuit) : Dudhwa was declared a wild life sanctuary in 1965 and a National Park in It covers 680 Sq.km of grassland and woodland.14 The Neora river and the dry bed of Soheli makes the ideal habitat of Barasingha a Swamp deer. It has fair number of TIGERS. The Indian one-horned rhinoceros has been recently introduced. Other animals worth watching are sloth bear, ratcls, civets, jackals, fishing cats, jungle and leopard cats, Sambhar, Cheetal...(barking deer). Closed crocodile or Maggar is a perfect picture during Widths, bird life is abundant with owls like India horned, forest eagle brown fish, tawhy fish etc. The saras or crane and a rich variety of storks makes it a ideal place for animal lovers. The other place of interest are Surat bhawan place, Kishnpur Sanctionary, Gole Gokaram Nath and frog temple at oyal. The nearest airport is Amausi (Lucknow 238 km) rail and road link is also alright. The best time of visit is mid-november to mid April (the reserve remains closed between 15th June to 15th November. Allahabad (Water Sports Circuits) : Allahabad is one of the prominent and sacred cities of India. Described with great reverence in ancient scriptures as Prayag or Teerthraj i.e. the holiest pilgrimage centre. Allahabad is situated at the confluence of India's holiest rivers the Ganga, the Yamuna and the mythical saraswati and is also the venue of many sacred fairs and rituals like Magh mela, Ardh Kumbha and Kumbh.16 The places of tourist interest in Allahabad are : Sangam Temple like Patalpuri temple, hunuman shankar viman, Mankameshwar, Sankatmochan, Alopi devi, Hanumat nikata temple etc.

12 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 173 Boat club at Saraswati-Nehru Ghat. Minto Park, Roop Gauriya Math, Bhardwaj Ashram. Swaraj-Anand Bhawan planetarium. Public library, Allahabad university, Chandrashekhar park, museum, sport-complex etc.17 The nearest airport, is Bamrauli (15 km) and is well connected by rail and road to majority of cities of India. The best time of visit is November to March.18 In brief discussion of the U.P. tourist destination with one each in every circuit. One can finally do some sort of comparative study with the rest of India on the following heads viz. Table 7.01 TOURIST ARRIVALS IN 2004 TOP TEN STATES/UT19 State/UT International Tourists Arrivals %of the total Rank (International) Domestic Tourists Arrivals % of the total Rank (Domestic) Uttar Pradesh Third Second Andhra Pradesh Seventh First Tamil Nadu Second Third Karnataka Eigth Fourth Rajasthan Third Fifth Maharastra First Sixth West Bengal Sixth Seventh Uttranchal Ninth Eigth Bihar Tenth Ninth Delhi Fifth Tenth

13 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 174 Table 7.02 ACCOMMODATION : HOTELS IN THE STATE/UT OF INDIA IN State/UT 5-Star 5-Star 4-Star 3-Star 2-Star 1-Star Heritage Un class ified Total Uttar Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Karnataka West Bengal Uttrancha! Madhya Pradesh Delhi Total in India ACCOMMODATION Table 7.02 A : HOTEL ROOMS IN THE STATE/UT OF INDIA IN State/UT 5-Star 5-Star 4-Star 3-Star 2-Star 1-Star Heritage Un class ified Total Uttar Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Karnataka West Bengal Uttrancha!, Madhya Pradesh Delhi Total in India

14 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 175 Table 7.03 STATE/UT WISE NUMBER OF RECOGNISED TOURIST TRANSPORT OPERATORS, TRAVEL AGENCIES, TOUR OPERATORS AND ADVENTURE TOUR OPERATORS 21 State/UT Tour Travel Tourist Adventure Operator Agencies Transport Tour Operator Operator Uttar Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu Karnataka Rajasthan Maharastra West Bengal Kerala Delhi Total (All States+UT) Table 7.04 STATE/UT WISE TOURISM PROJECTS SANCTIONED DURING THE YEAR State/UT Number of Projects Sanctioned Amount Sanctioned (in Lakhs) Uttar Pradesh Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu Karnataka Uttranchal Madhya Pradesh' Jammu & Kashmir Sikkim Total (Ail States+UT)

15 I COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 176 Table 7.05 PLACES TO BE DEVELOPED FOR RURAL TOURISM IN INDIA 23 State / UT Number of places Name of Place (District) Uttar Pradesh 01 Bhaguwala (Saharanpur) Andhra Pradesh 02 Pochamally (Nalgoda), Srikalahasti (Chittoor) Tamil Nadu 02 Karaikudi (Sivaganga), Kazhugumaiai (Thoothukudi) Karnataka 02 Anegundi (Koppal), Banavasi (Uttar Kannada) Rajasthan 03 Haldighati (Rajsamand), Neemarana (Atwar), Samode (Jaipur) Madhya Pradesh 02 Chougan (Mandla), Pranpur(AshokNagar) Total (AH States+UT) 32 Also UP has one National Park i.e. Dudwa National Park out of 89 National Parks in India whereas 11 wildlife sanctuaries out of 482 wildlife sanctuaries in India. And from the analysis of the Table 7.01, 7.02, 7.03, 7.04 and 7.05 it can be interpreted that : 1. UP's rank is second in term of domestic tourist arrivals and third in terms of foreign tourist arrivals in UP has total 71 hotels (i.e %) and 4461 rooms (i.e %) in comparison to the total hotels/rooms in India (2004) 3. UP has 4 (i.e %), 5 (i.e %), and 5 (2.857%) of reoganised tour operator, travel agencies and tourist transport operators respectively in comparison to India. 4. UP has 15 projects (i.e %) in comparison to the whole country, for tourism development. 5. UP has only one rural tourism site i.e. Bhaguwala (Saharnpur district) in comparison to 32 such sites.24

16 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / 177 References 1 Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Publications Divison, India, 2005, page , http: / / http: / / Govt, of U.P. Director General Tourism, 2003, Uttar Pradesh A to Z, page Govt, of U.P. Director General Tourism, 2003, Uttar Pradesh A to Z, page Govt, of U.P. Director General Tourism, 2003, Uttar Pradesh A to Z. page http: / / Chronicle Year Book, 2006, page Govt, of U.P. Director General Tourism, 2003, Uttar Pradesh A to Z, page Govt, of U.P. Director General Tourism, 2003, Uttar Pradesh A to Z, page http: / / www. publicationsdivision. nic. in. 19. Ministry of Tourism, Publications Division, India Tourism Statistics, 2004, page Ministry of Tourism, Publications Division, India Tourism Statistics, 2004, page Ministry of Tourism, Publications Division, India Tourism Statistics, 2004, page

17 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF U.P. TOURIST DESTINATIONS WITH THE REST OF INDIA / Ministr}!' of Tourism, Publications Division, India Tourism Statistics, 2004, page Ministry of Tourism, Publications Division, India Tourism Statistics, 2004, page exploreruralindia.org.

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