Swadesh Darshan Scheme

Why is in news? Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiinaugurates ‘tourist facilitiesatNathdwaraas part of Krishna circuit ofSwadesh Darshanscheme

Prime MinisterShri Narendra Modiinauguratedmultipleprojects of Government of Indiawhichincluded‘tourist facilitiesatNathdwara’fundedby the Ministry ofTourismaspart ofKrishna circuit ofSwadesh Darshanscheme.

TheMinistryof Tourism sanctionedRs. 23.59CrorefordevelopmentoftourismfacilitiesatNathdwara,notableofwhichisatourisminterpretationcumculturalcentredevelopedfor Rs. 13.43 Crore

Interpretationcentre will provideinformationregardingShrinathji (Lord Krishna) andShriVallabhacharyaji, thegreatdevoteeandfounder ofPushtimarg (a majorbranchofVaishnava sect).

Atthiscentre,the tourists canexperiencevarious facetsabout the lifeofShrinathji, his arrivalfromGoverdhan toNathdwara,hisdivineacts,worship,adornment,appearances, festivalsand relatedcustoms etcusing high–qualitygraphicsand visualmedia

Theproject at Nathdwara also includesdevelopmentofparking,landscaping, lastmile connectivityetc. to enhance theexperienceoftourists andpilgrims visitingthis place.

About the scheme:

Swadesh Darshan scheme is envisioned to synergise with other Government of India schemes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill India, Make in India etc. with the idea of positioning the tourism sector as a major engine for job creation, driving force for economic growth, building synergy with various sectors to enable tourism to realise its potential.

The duration of Swadesh Darshan Scheme is till the 14th Finance Commission Period i.e. March 2020.

Objectives:

To position tourism as a major engine of economic growth and job creation;

Develop circuits having tourist potential in a planned and prioritized manner;

Promote cultural and heritage value of the country to generate livelihoods in the identified regions;

Enhancing the tourist attractiveness in a sustainable manner by developing world class infrastructure in the circuit/destinations;

Follow community based development and pro-poor tourism approach;

Creating awareness among the local communities about the importance of tourism for them in terms of increased sources of income, improved living standards and overall development of the area.

To create employment through active involvement of local communities;

Harness tourism potential for its effects in employment generation and economic development.

To make full use of the potential and advantages in terms of available infrastructure, national culture and characteristic strong points of each and every region throughout the country by development of theme based circuits.

Development of tourist facilitation services to enhance visitor experience/satisfaction.

Key Features:

The scheme was completely funded by the central government of India. There are 13 cities that are under consideration of development. These 13 cities are all pilgrimage sites.

There are 13 tourist circuits that are proposed and started under the scheme. Under these 13 circuits there are many cities and sites are added for the visitors to get down there and enjoy their holiday.

The scheme is a joint venture by the Central Government and Ministry of Tourism. By launching the scheme both the ministry will be able to develop the heritage cities of the nation and conserve them for the tourists from across the globe.

Definition of Tourist Circuit:

Tourist Circuit is defined as a route having at least three major tourist destinations which are distinct and apart. Circuits should have well defined entry and exit points. A tourist who enters should get motivated to visit most of the places identified in the circuit.

A Circuit could be confined to a State or could be a regional circuit covering more than one State/Union Territory. These circuits may have one dominant theme and other sub-themes.

Projects under the scheme shall be under the following identified themes; Eco-tourism, Wildlife, Buddhist, Desert, Spiritual, Ramayana, Krishna, Coastal, Northeast, Rural, Himalayan, Tribal and Heritage.