Bhopal, March 18 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Tuesday that his government has decided to improve religious tourism in the state and is constantly working in that direction.
Chief Minister Yadav made this statement during a visit to Omkareshwar, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.
Meanwhile, he also inspected the development work on the banks of Narmada.
“Our government is constantly working to enhance religious tourism in the state. Madhya Pradesh is fortunate to have two out of 12 Jyotirlingas – one is Ujjain and another is Khandwa. We are committed to developing Omkareshwar Dham like Mahakal Lok in Ujjain,” CM Yadav said.
The Chief Minister also highlighted that the state government has allocated adequate funds for tourism, cultural and religious projects in the annual state Budget.
The state government has allocated Rs 1,610 crore for tourism, culture, and religious trusts, out of which Rs 507 crore will be spent to construct 14 religious and cultural monuments in different parts of the state. It also involves the Omkareshwar Mahalok project in Omkareshwar and will be developed following the architectural pattern of Ujjain’s Mahakal Lok.
The project includes the establishment of the Acharya Shankar International Advaita Vedanta Institute, promoting the teachings of Adi Shankaracharya.
This initiative is expected to position Omkareshwar as a global spiritual hub, attracting scholars, devotees, and cultural tourists.
From the total Budget of Rs 507 crore, Rs 30 crore has been allocated for the ‘Ram Path Gaman’ project and the development of Chitrakoot, a site deeply rooted in Hindu mythology.
Another Rs 10 crore has been assigned to the ‘Shri Krishna Pathey Yojana’, which will focus on developing sites associated with Lord Krishna’s life and Rs 100 crore for establishing Gita Bhawan study centres in urban areas. Additionally, Rs 2,005 crore has been set aside for the grand organisation of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2028 in Ujjain, modelled after the recently concluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.
–IANS
pd/svn
