Chennai, June 9 (BPNS)
The Tamil Nadu tourism department will conduct extensive research on Buddhist sites in the state to promote tourism. The research is carried out based on a submission by a group that is advocating the promotion of Buddhist sites in the state. The group Movement for Mass Transformation comprised of intellectuals and professionals including doctors presented a representation to the state tourism minister, Mathivannan that if the state conducted research of Buddhist sites, it will get a huge response from the Buddhist community globally who are currently traveling only to Bodh Gaya in Bihar.
The group said that there are several sites attached with Buddhist believes in Tamil Nadu which have now gone into oblivion. Dr. Krishnamoorthy, R, from Madurai, a linguist, and researcher on Buddhist shrines of Tamil Nadu while speaking to BPNS said, “There are several places attached to Buddhist beliefs in Tamil Nadu and people here follow many Buddhist customs unknowingly. If the state government carries out proper research it can unearth many Buddhist sites in the state that would be of importance in the tourism circuit.”
He also said that there are several Buddhist followers across the globe and most of them reach Bodh Gaya on an annual pilgrimage.
The Buddhist scholars and intellectuals are of the opinion that several Buddhist statues were found abandoned and thrown of in fields and dumped in places.
K.S. Soolapani, a practitioner of Buddhist religion while speaking to BPNS said, “Tamil Nadu tourism can gain tremendously if they promote areas attached with Buddhism and for that, they must do a detailed study on the places which have Buddhist imprint and the history and culture attached with these places. These would be of interest to tourists and the Government can take the initiative in this regard to develop Buddhist circuit tourism in the state. “
The state tourism minister, Mathivannan while speaking to BPNS said, “This is a good suggestion and we will be doing extensive studies regarding the Buddhist shrines of the state and will formulate a policy after which we will promote it. The research has already commenced on the same.”
