Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Uttarakhand can become a global spiritual capital, and its villages along the international border could be developed into tourist destinations of global repute if nurtured properly. He made the remarks while laying the foundation stones for development projects worth over Rs 8,000 crore on the state’s 25th anniversary.
“Uttarakhand’s real strength lies in its spiritual power. The state can establish itself as the spiritual capital of the world in the next few years if it resolves to do so. We can connect temples, ashrams, and meditation and yoga centres here with global networks,” the Prime Minister said in his public address at the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun. Modi said that Uttarakhand — renowned as Devbhoomi (the abode of gods) — has all the ingredients to develop into a global spiritual tourism destination. He added that besides being home to major pilgrimage shrines and temples, the state is also a sought-after destination for wellness tourism among the international community.
“People come here for wellness from across the country and different parts of the world. The demand for medicinal plants and Ayurveda from this state has increased sharply. In the past 25 years, Uttarakhand has made remarkable progress in aromatic plants, Ayurvedic medicinal plants, yoga, and wellness tourism,” the Prime Minister said while talking about developing more avenues of tourism in the Himalayan state. He added that every assembly constituency in Uttarakhand can be developed as a complete package of homestays, yoga, Ayurveda, and naturopathy centres, making them key tourism destinations. “This will greatly appeal to foreign tourists,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi also spoke about developing vibrant border villages as independent tourist destinations. “I want every vibrant village in Uttarakhand to become a small tourism centre in itself. Homestays should be built in these villages, along with the promotion of ethnic food and local culture,” the PM said. He urged the people of Uttarakhand to showcase the festivals and fairs of the Himalayas as a means to attract more tourists to the state, emphasising that the soul of Uttarakhand lies in its festivals and fairs.
“A campaign like ‘One District, One Festival’ can be launched to showcase the state’s local fairs and festivals on the world map. We must also focus on developing the hill districts as centres of horticulture. Blueberry, kiwi, and herbal and medicinal plants represent the future of agriculture. MSMEs must be further strengthened to promote food processing, handicrafts, and organic products in Uttarakhand,” the PM said.
Modi advocated year-round tourism in Uttarakhand, particularly promoting winter tourism, noting that the state’s road network has improved significantly.
Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 8,260 crore, stating that projects worth over Rs 2 lakh crore are currently in progress in the state. He also digitally transferred Rs 62 crore to the bank accounts of 2,800 farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PM Crop Insurance Scheme).
“There were many challenges 25 years ago when Uttarakhand was formed. The state’s resources were limited, the budget was small, and the sources of income were few. Most of the needs were met through central assistance, but today the picture has completely changed. Uttarakhand’s budget size has grown from Rs 4,000 crore to over Rs 1 lakh crore in 25 years. The state’s power generation has quadrupled, and its road network has doubled. The number of engineering colleges has increased more than tenfold, while the number of medical colleges has increased from one to ten,” Modi said. He informed that projects worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore are currently underway in Uttarakhand.