Kushinagar: The place where Gautam Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana has got connected with the rest of the world via air route today following inauguration of the Kushinagar International Airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here today.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that India is the centre of the faith of Buddhist society around the world. He termed the facility of Kushinagar International Airport, launched today as a tribute to their devotion. This region, the Prime Minister said, is witness to the entire journey from the enlightenment of Lord Buddha to Mahaparinirvana. Today this important region is getting directly connected to the world, he said.
The fully functional international airport at Kushinagar is expected to boost tourism as well as pilgrimage from the Buddhist countries as huge number of followers of Lord Buddha will able to visit this significant place, known for Buddha’s Parinirvana (the place where Buddha breathed his last). The tourism opportunities for Kushinagar are expected to increase substantially after the upgraded airport is functional and ready to handle international flights. In addition to providing a major boost to Buddhist pilgrimage circuit in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it will enhance the volume of tourism and hospitality in the region, especially the services catering to the high-end segment of the inbound tourists coming from Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China and South East Asian countries.
Apart from boosting tourism in the region, the International Airport at Kushinagar is also expected to enhance the infrastructure of the Buddhist circuit at world class level and augment development of the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, containing the most important site related to Lord Buddha.
Also read: Kushinagar airport gets cabinet nod to become international
The Prime Minister highlighted the special focus on the development of the places associated with Lord Buddha through better connectivity and the creation of facilities for the devotees. He welcomed the Sri Lankan flight and delegation that landed at Kushinagar. Paying tribute to Maharshi Valmiki on his Jayanti today, the Prime Minister said that the country is marching on the path of Sabka Vikas with the help of Sabka Satha and Sabka Prayas. “Development of Kushinagar is one of the key priorities of the UP and central governments,” He said.
Modi announced that under the UDAN scheme, more than 900 new routes have been approved in the last few years, out of which air service has already started on more than 350 routes. More than 50 new airports or those which were not in service earlier, have been made operational. He highlighted the development regarding the aviation sector in Uttar Pradesh as air connectivity is constantly improving in the state. In Uttar Pradesh, 8 airports are already functional before Kushinagar airport. Work is on Jewar International Airport after Lucknow, Varanasi and Kushinagar. Apart from that, airport projects are going on in Ayodhya, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Moradabad and Shravasti.
Referring to the recent decision on Air India, the Prime Minister remarked that the step will help in running the country’s aviation sector professionally and prioritizing convenience and safety. “This step will give new energy to the aviation sector of India. One such major reform is related to the opening of defence airspace for civil use”, he added. This step will reduce the distance on various air routes. The Prime Minister also conveyed that the recently launched drone policy is going to bring life-changing transformation in the fields ranging from agriculture to health, to disaster management to defence.
On the occasion of inauguration of Kushinagar International Airport, Uttar Pradesh, Ministry of Tourism too organised a two days’ conference titled “Tourism in Buddhist Circuit – A way forward” on October 20 – 21, 2021 at Kushinagar. The conference was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Tourism, Culture & DoNER G. Kishan Reddy, who highlighted the Buddhist circuit around Kushinagar, Sravasti, and Kapilvastu that is being developed as a part of the SWADESH Darshan scheme. He also spoke about several Buddhist circuit projects that have been undertaken in other parts of the country such as Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh which are already nearing completion. Union Minister also spoke about the high priority being given for the development of courses on Buddhism through various specialised institutes in India such as the Central Universities of Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh, the Nava Nalanda MahaVihara, Nalanda, Bihar and the Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies, Arunachal Pradesh.
India has a rich ancient Buddhist Heritage with several important sites associated with the life of Lord Buddha. India – The Land of Buddha has tremendous potential to draw Buddhist followers / Scholars across the world. The Indian Buddhist Heritage is of great interest to the followers of Buddhism the world over. Kushinagar is one of the major pilgrimage centers for Buddhism followers. Lord Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana in Kushinagar which one of the most important archaeological sites in India. The prime tourist attractions in Kushinagar include the ancient Mahaparinirvana Temple- one of the most sacred shrines for Buddhists, Rambhar Stupa, Kushinagar Museum, Sun Temple, Nirvana Stupa, Matha Kuar Shrine, Watt Thai Temple, Chinese Temple, Japanese Temple.
– global bihari bureau
