5-day conclave to showcase Buddhist pilgrimage sites

With a view to showcase Buddhist heritage and pilgrimage sites in the country, Union Tourism Ministry is organising a five-day international conclave from October 2-6.
A senior ministry official said the International Buddhist Conclave will see participation of delegates from 38 countries.
"We want to showcase India as the land of Buddha...We will have guests which would include monks, mediapersons, scholars, opinion-makers and people from tour and trade fraternity," Tourism Ministry Secretary Vinod Zutshi said.
Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma will inaugurate the conclave, which will be its fifth edition.
Stressing that Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are a major source places for India from Buddhist tourism point of view, Zutshi said the ministry has invited 10 monks and five mediapersons from each of the 10 ASEAN countries.

The Conclave would include presentations, panel discussions, business-to-business meeting between domestic and international and tour operators and state governments.

The participants would also be visiting important Buddhist sites in and around Varanasi, Sarnath and Bodhgaya, Zutshi said.
Meanwhile, Zutshi said about Rs 300 crore has been sanctioned for development of Bhuddhist circuit which includes Rs 94 for construction of a cultural centre at Bodhgaya in Bihar.
Other Buddhists sites are located at Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.