Indian pilgrimage hub eyes return of Chinese visitors

Lost earnings

The festival has attracted Buddhists over the centuries, but the decision to celebrate it as Buddha's birthday was taken at the first conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Colombo, capital of what is now Sri Lanka, in 1950, according to Buddhist scholars. In 1999, the UN gave the festival international recognition.

Hotel owners in Bodh Gaya said they have no earnings due to the pandemic, as they mostly depend on the flow of overseas tourists, who will not return until international flights resume.

Gaya airport, about 5 km from the city, used to handle flights from Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, but they have been halted during the pandemic.

However, domestic flights to the airport from New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai are now operating again.

Thailand and Myanmar have expressed an interest in resuming flights to the airport, starting in September, according to the facility's director, Bangjeet Saha, who said three Pacific Airlines chartered flights from Vietnam carrying pilgrims and tourists landed at the airport in March.

Street vendors selling antiques, trinkets, Buddha statues and other items are also having a hard time. Salesman Ritesh Shaw, said: "The roadsides in Bodh Gaya used to be packed with tourists, but now they are deserted. We hope that once domestic and international tourists start arriving, business will begin to thrive again."

The number of overseas pilgrims visiting Bodh Gaya fell to 406 last year, down from 253,787 in 2019, due to the pandemic, according to the Bihar government's tourism department.

Kaulesh Kumar, secretary of the Association of Buddhist Tour Operators, said there are about 200 hotels and three dozen monasteries in the Bodh Gaya area that can accommodate a total of about 40,000 tourists, but most of the hotel rooms are now empty.

Vijay Kumar, a member of the Indian parliament from Bodh Gaya, said that with assistance from the central and state governments, many beautification efforts have been launched in and around the city. A ring road from Patna to Bodh Gaya will open soon to ease traffic congestion, and the local authorities have started removing silt from the Niranjana river, a sacred waterway for Buddhists and Hindus.

The runway at Gaya airport will be extended, while a master plan has been designed by the Airport Authority of India to give the facility a facelift, Vijay Kumar said, adding that a proposal has been sent to the federal civil aviation minister, calling for the resumption of international flights.

Shripad Yesso Naik, India's junior tourism minister, said Bodh Gaya is a key destination for visitors and is included in a central government plan for the integrated development of theme-based tourist destinations. As part of the plan, $12.7 million has been allocated for construction of a convention center in Bodh Gaya.

"I have visited the city many times to assess the situation there, and I think that there are many areas that can be developed. Our ministry will bring a world-class tourism infrastructure to Bodh Gaya," Naik added.

G. Kishan Reddym, the federal tourism minister, said in a written reply to the Indian parliament in December that an action plan has been devised by the tourism ministry for a coordinated strategy for the revival of India as a global center of Buddhist culture and tourism, with a special focus on Bodh Gaya.

The local government has also approved a ropeway project at the Brahmayoni, Pretshila, Dhungeshwari and Vanavar hills near the city.