KATHMANDU: Religious and cultural tourism is becoming a major growth area of Nepal’s travel market with more such people flocking to holy cultural sites like Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Bouddhanath in Kathmandu, Muktinath in Mustang, Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha in Rupandehi, Ram Janaki Temple in Janakpur and other religious destinations.
Nepal is not only known for its natural beauty but also as a cultural melting pot where two of the oldest religions of the world co-exist in perfect harmony- Hinduism and Buddhism. Dating back thousands of years, some of the oldest religious sites in Nepal are revered as the holiest places for salvation by Hindus and Buddhists.
Some lie high up among the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas, requiring treks through deep valleys and steep hillsides. It’s an unforgettable physical as well as spiritual experience.
Many Hindu pilgrimages offer puja in Pashupatinath. Each year, thousands of Hindus visit Pashupatinath. According to Nepal Tourism Board, 124,180 foreigners, excluding Indians visited Pashupatinath in 2018 while 163,311 tourists visited the site in 2019. Indian tourists were not included in the figure as they don’t have the obligatory provision of taking entry pass to this pilgrim site.
Pashupatinath attracts pilgrims throughout the year and more so during festivals like Shivaratri when hundreds of thousands of Hindus, mainly from Nepal and India visit the place. During the Maha Shivaratri day alone, 1.2 million visitors visited the temple while some 6,000 sadhus of different cult graced the festival.
Kathmandu, formerly known as the city of temples has many Hindu and Buddhist religious sites which come alive with various rituals, feasts and various cultural celebrations. Most of the festivals celebrated in this beautiful valley display the best example of religious tolerance and fraternity.
Boudhanath, another famous destination for religious tourism, attracts thousands of Buddhist pilgrims from far and wide. Around it is countless monasteries that call for the attention of not only the devotees but also students of Buddhism from around the world. On the other side of the city, lies the other famous pilgrimage site, the Swayambhu stupa, the site of which is said to be the origin of the settlement in the Kathmandu valley. Pashupatinath, Boudha, and Swayambhu are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered worship at Muktinath Temple in Mustang district on May 12, 2018, the number of Indian pilgrimages surged in the temple. In 2017, Indian tourists entering Muktinath were counted at 24,888 whereas the number of visitors turned more than 57,000 in 2019.
Muktinath is located along Annapurna Circuit, one of the most famous trekking routes in the world. Trekkers heading towards the Thorang La Pass also go through the temple’s vicinity and often pay homage at one of the most secluded but beautifully located temples.
The temple is not just a sanctum for Hindu pilgrims but for Buddhist pilgrims as well. It is one of the many examples that reflect the blend of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal.
Hindus view Muktinath as ‘Muktichetra‘ or ‘the region of liberation’ while Buddhists call it ‘Chuming Gyasta‘ meaning ‘100 waters’ in the Tibetan language. Muktinath, which is also famous as ‘Shaligram God’, is located at an altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level.
According to ACAP’s Jomsom Office, a total of 57,565 foreigners arrived in Mustang in 2019. Indian tourists make the largest portion of visitors in Mustang.
Tourists mainly flock the temple site between mid-September to mid-November and mid-April to mid-June.
Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha and one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites is the abode of peace and an ultimate pilgrimage to the Buddhist devotees and peace lovers from around the world.
Lord Shakyamuni Buddha, born in Lumbini in 623 BC, preached the universal message of peace and compassion. Therefore, Lumbini is regarded as one of the most sacred places.
Buddhist pilgrims, peace lovers and general visitors from around the world visit Lumbini to pay homage to Lord Shakyamuni Buddha and observe the sanctity and shrines that are related to Lord Shakyamuni Buddha, Buddhism, and Peace.
Tourist visitation in Lumbini, the holy birthplace of Sakyamuni Buddha and World Heritage Site has mounted in 2019 by 1.58 percent.
Lumbini had received a total of 1,534,110 tourists in 2018 which increased to be 1,558,326 in 2019.
1,178,140 Nepalese, 206,171 Indian and 174,015 third-country visitors visited Lumbini in 2019 that makes 1.58 % increment in total.
Lumbini categorically witnessed 0.65 % of the increment of Nepali visitors, similarly, 6.47 % of Indian tourists and 2.42% of third-country visitors in 2019 in comparison with that of 2018.
Among the Third country visitors Sri Lanka (47507), Myanmar (30791), Thailand (28364), China (21269), Vietnam (8345), S. Korea (6145), and Germany (3306) orderly placed themselves in top seven positions out of 115 countries that visited Lumbini in 2019.
Similarly, Gosainkunda in Langtang, a holy lake in the lap of the Himalayas at an altitude of 4,380 m, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is also an important place for shamans. There are also Bonpo shrines in Lupra, north of Jomsom in Mustang, and Shey Monastery in Dolpo. These pilgrimage sites are visited by a large number of pilgrims during certain festivals.
Moreover, Thousands of Indians visit the Janaki Temple in Janakpur.
With the all tempting cultural and religious valuables lying in the form of temples, monasteries and many other religious and cultural hides, the country has an immense potential of bringing millions of religious and cultural tourists in the days to come.
Provided such sites are safeguarded as per the spirit at the time of their conception, these sites are sure to reward for good.
In the pretext of making preparation to meet the government target of bringing at least 2 million tourists in the ‘Visit Nepal 2020’, provided the further investment is made for the safeguard and promotion of such places, the nation shall be benefitted sustainably.
Nepal has seen 79,686 foreign visitors in the first month of Visit Nepal 2020. Among them, there were 16882 Indian, 13303 Chinese, 6386 US, 4447 Myanmar, and 4,010 Thai.
According to the previous records, Lumbini is the first destination for tourists from Myanmar and Thailand.
Owing to some crucial errors committed in marketing strategy and the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, the overall target in a figure may remain unachievable, yet the attention paid under this pretext can be worth to realize the glorious possession of thousands of religious and cultural sites and monuments.
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