Gandhinagar : The Gujarat government, in collaboration with the central government, is developing a Buddhist circuit in the state, with tourist facilities at 12 significant sites already completed. State Tourism Minister Mulu Bera shared this update on Sunday.
Addressing the Sixth International Conference on Buddhist Heritage, organized by the Sanghakaya Foundation with the support of the State Tourism Department, Bera highlighted ongoing development work at the historic site of Dev Ni Mori in Aravalli district. This site gained prominence after the excavation of a stupa revealed a carved relic casket containing the remains of Buddha.
Under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, the Gujarat government is enhancing the Buddhist circuit with the assistance of the central government. The minister emphasized that various amenities have been developed across 12 identified Buddhist heritage sites as part of this initiative.
The state has also submitted a revised project proposal worth Rs 653 crore to the central government for the comprehensive development of Dev Ni Mori. The project originally estimated at Rs 1,002 crore has been scaled down, with plans to transform the site where Buddhist relics were discovered and are now preserved at MS University in Vadodara.
Bera noted that numerous projects at these 12 sites are either completed or underway. The state government has reached out to district collectors of the seven districts where these heritage sites are located to secure the necessary land for further development.
Dev Ni Mori remains the most significant project under this scheme, requiring 206 hectares of land, of which 28 hectares are already available with the Tourism Department. The Culture Ministry of India is currently reviewing the Buddhist Circuit project, and a recent joint meeting between central and state government officials, chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, discussed the project's progress.
The central government had allocated Rs 36 crore for the circuit development back in June 2017. The minister confirmed that an architect has been appointed, and land acquisition along with other preliminary tasks are being actively pursued to expedite the project.
