Telangana has been a favourite among travellers in the last couple of years, thanks to a fine job done by the state’s official tourism board in drawing the regular tourist’s attention towards some of the most lesser-known place in the country. Right from the green belt to the lakes to the pilgrimages, Telangana has it all. But it’s religious tourism that has grown really big in the last two years.
In fact, in the year 2015, the state has attracted double the number of pilgrims from all parts of the country and the world as compared to that of 2014.
According to a report by The Hindu, as many as 1.2 crore tourists visited the state last year, which includes 36 lakh tourists who visited the popular Buddhist, Jain and other religious sites spread across the state’s 10 districts.
Formed in June 2014, the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) has achieved one of the highest growth rates in the country’s tourism sector.
A major chunk of the tourist footfall last year owes credit to the Godavari Maha Pushkaram, which is observed once in 12 years and thus observed plenty of pilgrims and travellers alike.
The report reveals that about 10 lakh “domestic and international tourists had taken a dip in the Godavari during the Pushkaram. The same number had visited pilgrim sites nearby most Ghats.”
Besides, the other religious sites that contributed to the boost in religious tourism include Nagarjunakonda, Nagarjuna Sagar, Bijgir Sharif Dargah in Karimnagar, Kazipet Dargah, the three-foot idol cut out of a single jade stone in Kolanupaka and a few other popular Buddhist and Jain destinations spread across the state.
Source: India Today