UP Tourism Dept to organise 6-day ‘Bodhi Yatra’ from June 2

The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department is organising ‘Bodhi Yatra’ from June 2 to 7 under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (2019-2024), in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs.

The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) is a collaborative initiative between India and five ASEAN countries — Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam — focused on fostering cooperation in areas like tourism, culture, education, and transport & communication. The MEA plays a key role in facilitating this cooperation.

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Around 50 delegates from five ASEAN countries, including travel agents, social media influencers, and Buddhist monks, will participate in this Bodhi Yatra.

State Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh has expressed his best wishes to the representatives of countries involved in the Bodhi Yatra.

He said Uttar Pradesh is the land chosen by Lord Buddha for his workplace and preaching human welfare. The Minister said that this Bodhi Yatra will deepen cultural relations between different countries. Along with this, it will provide a global platform to the holy sites associated with Lord Buddha in Uttar Pradesh.

Jaiveer Singh informed that in the ‘Bodhi Yatra’, 10 participants from each country have been selected by their respective governments concerned. The yatra will conclude on June 7 in Sarnath, where the Bihar Tourism Department will welcome these representatives.

Subsequently, the journey to major Buddhist sites of Bihar will begin. As part of the cultural and tourism promotion efforts of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the international delegation will visit the major Buddhist sites of the state during the six-day visit.

In this journey, the representatives will visit Agra, including the world-famous six Buddhist sites — Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Kushinagar, Sarnath, Varanasi, and Lucknow. The journey will show the places associated with Buddhism, which are directly associated with the life, teachings, and the spiritual journey of Lord Buddha. These sites have special religious significance for Buddhist followers.

The Tourism Minister said that the objective of this yatra is to introduce the international delegation to the state’s rich archaeological heritage, museums, ancient temples, and holy Buddhist sites. In this episode, travel agents are traveling to other important sites, including Sarnath, Kushinagar, and Shravasti.

The tourism department believes that this initiative will help Uttar Pradesh establish itself as a major destination in the international Buddhist tourism circuit.