All tourism infrastructure projects sanctioned under the Ramayana and Buddhist Circuits of the Centre’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme in Uttar Pradesh have been physically completed.
Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday said in a written reply to Lok Sabha that the Tourism Ministry had sanctioned 76 projects worth Rs 5,290.33 crore across the country under various thematic circuits since the launch of the Swadesh Darshan Scheme in 2014–15. These included projects under the Ramayana and Buddhist Circuits aimed at enhancing tourism infrastructure and destination planning.
In Uttar Pradesh, projects covering key religious and heritage destinations such as Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Shringverpur, Sravasti, Kushinagar and Kapilvastu were completed under the scheme. The state also saw multiple projects implemented under Spiritual and Heritage Circuits, strengthening its position as a major religious and cultural tourism hub.
Under the Buddhist Circuit (2016-17), the development of Sravasti, Kushinagar and Kapilvastu was sanctioned at a cost of Rs 87.89 crore, while projects under the Ramayana Circuit included the development of Chitrakoot and Shringverpur at Rs 69.45 crore and Ayodhya at Rs 127.21 crore.
Several projects under the Spiritual Circuit, spanning districts such as Gorakhpur, Mirzapur, Prayagraj region, Aligarh, Meerut and Noida, were also taken up between 2016-17 and 2018-19, along with a Heritage Circuit project focused on sites such as Kalinjar Fort, Maghar Dham and Chauri Chaura.
In addition to Swadesh Darshan, the Centre has approved tourism projects under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) – Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale scheme. Under this initiative, an Integrated Buddhist Tourism Development project in Sravasti was sanctioned in 2024–25 with an outlay of Rs 80.24 crore, aimed at comprehensive development, branding and global promotion of the site.
The minister said tourism infrastructure development remains primarily the responsibility of state governments and Union Territory administrations, with the central government supporting these efforts through targeted schemes such as Swadesh Darshan and SASCI.
