Karnataka aims to have Buddhist circuit, identifies spots
DH News Service, Bosky Khanna, Bengaluru, Aug 12 2017, 1:15 IST
Shortlists four places, will submit list to tourism ministry
Along with the Ramayana circuit, the state tourism department is working on the all-India Buddhist circuit.
Karnataka does not figure in the places listed by the Union government’s Buddhist circuit.
The state government, however, has identified four places and will soon submit the list to the tourism ministry for inclusion in the Buddhist circuit. The places identified by the department include Mundgod in Uttara Kannada, Maski in Raichur, Sleeping Buddha in Yadgir and Sannati in Kalaburagi.
The state tourism department has also hired a private agency to identify more Buddhist centres in Karnataka, N Manjula, Karnataka tourism director, told DH.
The department is working on creating a Buddhist circuit in the state besides being a part off an all-India circuit, she said, explaining the reason behind identifying more centres in the state.
The Indian and Sri Lankan governments, during their last interaction with the state at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas and tourism trade fair had shown keen interest in the Buddhist circuit.
The Centre, in 2015, had released three routes of the circuit, which do not include Karnataka. The Centre covered Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
“The places which we have listed have a connect with Buddha and King Ashoka. They are not well-known like others in the country. But we are keen to include these places in the modified central Buddhist circuit grid,’’ said a senior state tourism department official. He mentioned a natural Buddha rock in Yadgir. Another tourism department official is working on identifying the locations connected to Buddha and Emperor Ashoka.
Archaeological sites of Maski in Raichur on the banks of Tungabhadra have edicts of Ashoka.
“We are working with the Archaeological Survey of India to popularise and promote this site like Hampi. Sannati too is a lesser known spot and is another place which has a close connection with Ashoka,” said the tourism official pitching for a strong ground to include the state in the Buddhist circuit.