Ramayana Circuit will further increase Indian tourist flow to Nepal: Ambassador Naveen Srivastava

Pokhara [Nepal], September 28 (ANI): Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava has said that the proposed Ramayana Circuit will further boost the number of Indian tourists visiting Nepal.

Addressing an event organized by Pokhara Tourism Council on the occasion of Tourism Day 2023 in Pokhara, Kaski, the Indian Ambassador said that tourism flow from India will further boost tourism in Nepal.

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Ambassador Srivastava said: “During Nepali PM Prachanda’s visit to India, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the Ramayana Circuit works as a connection between Nepal and India. Last year, a Ramayana Train also had come to Nepal’s Janakpur which ensures the flow of Indian tourists to Janakpur. We have also pinned high hopes that the railways which we have operated between Janakpur-Kurtha-Bijulpura, would further increase the footfall of tourists, the number of tourists coming to Pokhara is uncertain but this would certainly boost the tourism of Nepal.”

The Ramayana Circuit includes the major pilgrim sites in India and Nepal that are related to the era of Ramayana, such as Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, where a temple is being built for Lord Ram as well as Janakpur in Nepal, which is believed to be the birthplace of Sita, the consort of Lord Ram.

The Ramayana Circuit is one of the 15 thematic circuits identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan scheme by the Indian government’s Ministry of Tourism and the Nepal government has also come forward to take part in it. 

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Nepal recently said that the India-Nepal development partnership has gathered further momentum.

“India-Nepal #DevelopmentPartnership gathers further momentum! Translating commitment made during PM @cmprachanda visit to India (June 2023) to strive for increasing quantum of electricity import to India to 10,000 MW in the next 10 years,” the Indian Embassy in Nepal wrote on ‘X’ formerly Twitter on Saturday.

“Additional 180 MW of electricity export to India approved. Nepal can now export 631 MW power to India, medium term and real-time markets for export of power available, besides day ahead market, addition of 132 kV Tanakpur-Mahendrangar transmission line for power export,” the embassy wrote.

The embassy said that further impetus has been provided to the India-Nepal development partnership since Nepal PM Prachanda’s visit to India in 2023.

The embassy gave examples of the Kurtha-Bijalpura rail link operationalization to enhance people-to-people connectivity and the inauguration and handing over of community development projects built by Indian grant.