India basks in the glory of rich, diverse, historic, and cultural resources. In order to experience the cultural prowess and relish the Indian heritage, millions of tourists visit India and therefore, contribute immensely to furthering the process of development of Indian heritage values. The Indian government over the years has identified various themes that drive tourism footfalls and among that key drivers include pilgrimage and heritage tourism in various cities.
In order to address the challenges of lack of infrastructure, roads, last-mile connectivity, cleanliness, etc, multiple initiatives have been taken by the government. Aligning with this, the government has commenced work for the development of ‘Parshuram Kund’, a Hindu pilgrimage site on the Brahmaputra plateau in the lower reaches of the Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh. This development work has been initiated under the PRASHAD scheme (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive).
Rejuvenating Parshuram Kund:
Located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Parshuram Kund is 21 km north of Tezu in the Lohit district which is dedicated to sage Parshuram. The place attracts pilgrims and tourists from various parts of the country and approximately 70,000 devotees and sadhus take a holy dip in its water each year to mark the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti which occurs in the month of January.
Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern States (DoNER), G. Kishan Reddy laid the foundation stone for the “Development of Parshuram Kund, Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh.” This project has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 37.88 crores in January 2021. The elements that are sanctioned under this initiative include:
– Interventions near Parking Area
– Tourist Information Centre
– Rain Shelters
– Kiosks
– View Points
– Souvenir Shops
– Water Supply Line
– Pilgrim waiting hall
– Development of Kund Area
– Viewing Gallery
– Public Amenities and Slope stabilization
At the launch event, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy stated that this is a unique opportunity for the North-Eastern region to showcase its tourism potential. “We need to build confidence among the tourists especially in the light of Covid-19,” he said.
PRASHAD: Beautification of Heritage, Pilgrimage destinations
With the view to rejuvenating pilgrimage and tourist destinations in India, while ensuring well-planned tourism infrastructure, accessibility, security, cleanliness, etc, PRASHAD, a Central sponsored scheme was launched in 2014-15. The scheme is aimed to enhance tourism as well as boost economic growth and sustainable development that would further give a boost to employment generation for the local communities.
Jal Jeevan Mission across Arunachal Pradesh:
The Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also graced the event by launching multiple water projects under Jal Jeevan Mission in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The project is aimed at providing safe drinking water in and around 10 habitations under the Chongkham block of Namsai District. This district is the only aspirational district of the state with 70 liters per capacity drinking (lpcd) water for a period of over 30 years. The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 32.49 Cr.
The Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) of the state was also reviewed by the ministries during this event. The FHTC covered 42 villages and 45 habitations that included a total of 3793 households, 44 numbers of Schools, and 103 Anganwadi centers. This project under Jal Jeevan Mission was achieved with a cost of Rs. 67.78 crores.
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