INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, ARTS AND SCIENCE ISSN 2319 – 9202 An Internationally Indexed Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal Shri Param Hans Education & Research Foundation Trust WWW.CASIRJ.COM www.SPHERT.org Published by iSaRa Solutions CASIRJ Volume 8 Issue 11 [Year - 2017] ISSN 2319 – 9202 Role of Indian Railways to uphold Buddhist Tourism in India Dr. Vijay Kumar Assistant Professor Address: Dept. of Tourism, Hotel, Hospitality and Heritage Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The Buddhist cultural heritage has a long and special history that dates back over 2,500 years and truly binds to most South, Southeast and East Asia. The influence of Buddhism can be seen in all countries in Asia in terms of history and culture Buddhism is a religion that emerged around ancient Magadha, India (Bihar), and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (born in Lumbini, Nepal), who is known as the Buddha (literally the Enlightened One or Awakened One). It is a philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Buddha. There are two major branches of Buddhism Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle"). Theravada has the following in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, and Mahayana in the west, north and then east across Asia. Initially, Buddhism remained one of the many small sects in India. The main breakthrough came when King Asoka (ca. 270-232 BCE) converted to Buddhism. He organized the spread of Buddhism throughout India, but also beyond, the most important of Sri Lanka. As part of the study mentioned above, my research paper will identify Buddhist Circuits promotion by Indian Railways' and also the various needs and promotion and Buddhist tourism- related circuits to be identified. In this article I will discuss the potential and carrying capacity of the identified National / Buddhist Destination of Indian Railways Tourist Circuits. Key words: -Buddhist tourism, Indian Railways, Buddhist, IRCTC, Mahabodhi temple. INTRODUCTION Buddhism, one of the world's major religions, has its roots in northeastern India. Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha's teaching laid the foundation stone for a new line of thought called Buddhism. Born in the foothills of the Himalayas, Siddhartha left his palace to live the life of a beggar at the age of 29. Buddha wandered through the modern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India. His steps covered nearly 1000 kilometers from Kajangla in the east to Mathura in the west. The Tripitaka, ancient Buddhist scriptures provides us with a glimpse of the Buddha's International Research Journal of Commerce Arts and Science http://www.casirj.com Page 158 CASIRJ Volume 8 Issue 11 [Year - 2017] ISSN 2319 – 9202 journey. After many years of meditation, Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. The complex of Gaya temple, Bihar, is the most important pilgrimage site associated with Buddha's life. In 2002, it was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After his enlightenment, Buddha traveled to Sarnath (Isipathana), where he delivered his first sermon - Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. Dharmekha Stupa in Mrigadava or Deer Park in Sarnath is supposed to be the place where the sermon was given. The archaeological museum near the site has a rich collection of Buddhist relics and antiques. Buddha established his first disciples (sangha) here to promote his new doctrine. Buddha would have traveled to Rajagaha, Nalanda, Patna, Urvela and Lativanna. Monasteries identified by the archaeologist include Ghositarama, Jivakarama, Jetavana and Veluvana. Buddhist locations in India are a yellow attraction. The Ministry of Tourism has also proposed the issuance of multiple long-term visas for ASEAN countries. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is busy studying the proposal. According to the United States, the Ministry of Tourism has suggested that the passenger who has started flights to Mumbai and Delhi has started flying. U.P has got several important destinations architecturally known, bias has an important advantage of Buddhist destinations, it has great potential. According to availability tourism sources, total tourist arrivals in Bihar, destinations from the tourist visa of Bihar, 94% of national production and 98 percent from foreign tourists, Kushinagar, Sarnath, Gaya (Bodhgaya) and Rajgir are the top destinations that have huge number of tourist checks ( domestic and foreign). Furthermore Kapilvastu, Sravasti, Vaishali Sankisa and other possible destinations that can be developed as one of the most important draws are due to their increasing flow of tourists. So, though advanced destinations need an upgrade of facilities which are more than more information and more information. THE KEY BUDDHIST DESTINATIONS There are several Buddhist destinations in the important pilgrim perspective of India. The four holy places associated with Gautam Buddha in India are - Bodhgaya, where enlightenment was achieved; Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he preached his first sermon and Kushinagar, in the neighborhood of Gorakhpur, where he led Mahanirvana. The other major attractions related to Buddhism are: Sanchi, Vaishali, Nalanda, Amravati and Nagargunakonda. Of the most important destinations, most sites are in two states, namely Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Famous Buddhist destinations in India are listed below: 1) Bodhgaya The Buddha attained enlightenment at the holy city of Gaya. The tree that had sheltered him became known as the Bodhi tree and the place Bodhgaya. Today, Bodhgaya is an important pilgrimage site and has a number of monasteries, some of which have been established by International Research Journal of Commerce Arts and Science http://www.casirj.com Page 159 CASIRJ Volume 8 Issue 11 [Year - 2017] ISSN 2319 – 9202 Buddhists from Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, etc. Therefore, it is a major attraction for foreign tourists 2) Ladakh The ancient culture of Ladakh can be seen in its ancient monuments, monasteries, oral literature, art forms and festivals. It is a place where all occasions of marriage, birth, harvest or even flowering plants are characterized by festive, dance and song songs. • Thiksey Monastery The Gompa shows a good example of Ladakh's architecture and stands on top of the hill and is part of the Gelukpa order. The monastery complex contains numerous stupas, statues, thankas, wall paintings, swords and a large pillar engraved with the teachings of the Buddha. • Hemis Monastery Hemis is named after the famous Buddhist Gompa who is here. Every monastery organizes its annual festivals. One of the festivals where they are famous and famous is the Hemis festival. People from all over Ladakh come to attend this festival, which lasts two days is preceded by seven days after the prayers of the monks in the monastery. The most impressive part of the festival is the famous mask dance performed by the lamas of the monastery for two days without interruption. 3) Tabo Monastery, Himachal Pradesh The steep hills around Tabo house a small village. It houses about 350 people. The Tabo monastery, also known as the 'doctrinal circle' or Tabo Chos-Khor - 'doctrinal enclave' is a resort with nine temples, 23 chortens, monks' room and an extension that houses the nun's chamber. 4) Nalanda Nalanda, a large center for Buddhist learning, came to the fore around the fifth century BC. It was a thriving university city with more than ten thousand scholars and an extensive library. 5) Kesaria Located in the East Champaran district, 40 km from Motihari and 10 km from Rampur Khajuria (NH28), Kesaria is the largest and highest stupa in the world, excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Due to the lack of proper marketing strategies, this destination is one of the lesser-known sites that should be promoted. International Research Journal of Commerce Arts and Science http://www.casirj.com Page 160 CASIRJ Volume 8 Issue 11 [Year - 2017] ISSN 2319 – 9202 6) Vaishali Vaishali was one of the first republics in the world (6th century BC) it was here that Buddha preached his last sermon. Vaishali, birthplace of Lord Mahavira is also sacred to the Jains. 7) Kushinagar Located about 53 km from Gorakhpur, the place is known for its association with Lord Buddha who would have reached 'Maharparinivana' - the highest stage of salvation. Although it is known that Lord Buddha his last sermon in 543 BC. In Kushinagar has preached and the city until about the 12th century AD. Continued to flourish, it was only in 1861 that extensive excavations in the site led to the resurgence of the most important Buddha stupas. Important tourist attractions in existing and around the place are: a) Ramabhar Stupa: This large stupa, estimated at about 50 meters high, is famous as the place where Buddha was cremated. b) Mahanirvana temple: this temple has a six-meter statue of a reclining Buddha position and the statue is a representation of the Buddha in his last hours. c) Mathakuar Temple: about 400 Nirvana Stupa-meters, this temple houses a black stone statue of Buddha and has inscriptions from the 10th and 11th centuries. d) Watt Thai Temple: one of the most popular and tourist attractions in the Kushinagar area, Thai Temple Watt is inspired by Thai Buddhist architecture. e) Japanese temple: this temple attracts tourists, including his 'Ashta Dhatu' or 'eight' metal Buddha. This statue was originally taken from Japan in dismantled form and was reassembled in Kushinagar. f) Chinese temple: visited another popular tourist destination, this temple has predominantly Chinese architecture and is similar to temples in China. 8) Kapilvastu Kapilvastu is commonly known as Piprahawa and is a place with an immense historical significance. The place used to be the capital of the Shakya dynasty where Buddha was born. The place has considerable value for Buddhist pilgrims and has several Stupas. Archaeological excavations have revealed stone caskets containing relics believed to be the Buddha.