Attracting tourists, CM Yogi Adityanath invites world dignitaries for Kumbh Mela
Lucknow, August 28: The state of Uttar Pradesh spreads a plethora of tours that the state can put in front of the country and the world. Attracting a wide range of tourist in the state, Uttar Pradesh has Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that his government will invite more than 190 countries around the world to the Kumbh Mela next year in Allahabad where millions will be enabled to take a dip in the sacred waters of the Ganga river.
While inaugurating the two-day UP Travel Mart in Lucknow, CM Yogi Adityanath said, “Kumbh is the biggest congregation of culture and faith on earth. Invitations are being sent to 192 countries for Kumbh Mela. The government is also making arrangements to ensure that at least two people from each of the six lakh villages of the country visit Kumbh.”
Stating the possibilities of tourism to be mostly present in Uttar Pradesh, CM Adityanath said that the Government of India has announced several schemes which have been linked to its tourism with Uttar Pradesh being a main Centre point. The chief minister is also personally extending an invitation to all visiting foreign dignitaries and has already invited the heads of countries he met during his foreign visits.
The state government is also planning to provide an international platform to Kumbh Mela through international tour operators, who have assembled in Lucknow for the fourth UP Travel Mart. Around 53 international tour operators from 23 countries and 19 prominent Indian tour operators are attending the event. In case of Uttar Pradesh domestic tourist visits, the country ranks second and foreign tourist visits are third in the country.
The nearly two-month-long Kumbh Mela will start from January 15 and end on Mahashivratri on March 4 next year. At least 150 million devotees and tourists are expected to attend the Kumbh Mela, which is among the 13 elements from India on UNESCO’s list of “intangible heritage”.
The festival has its origins in Hindu mythology which says Lord Vishnu wrested a golden pot containing the nectar of immortality from demons. Four drops fell on the four locations across India, in the cities of Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik in a 12-day fight for possession. The Kumbh Mela is held at one of these spots every six years, with the festival at Allahabad the holiest of them all.
The Chief Minister also said that in the coming days, districts like Bareilly, Moradabad, Aligarh and Azamgarh will also get connected to the airways. Preparing to create an international airport in Kushinagar and jewelry, the state aims at attracting many tourists.
The chief minister said there was immense eco-tourism potential in Dudhwa National Park in Lakhimpur Kheri district and Sonbhadra. He also spoke about the Ramayana, Krishna and Buddhist tourist circuits and air connectivity in the state while assuring security and adequate transportation facilities for tourists visiting the state.