Janmashtami, marking the birth of Lord Krishna, has transformed into a huge money-spinner, especially in the Braj Mandal region of Uttar Pradesh, industry body Assocham said.
"As per industry estimates, the annual business during Krishna Janmashtami festival in Braj Mandal is worth about Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 5,000 crore, which primarily includes tourism, sale of embroidered outfits, jewellery and other accessories for the deities," said an analysis conducted by the social development arm of Assocham.
Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said, "Around two lakh artisans are working in over 20,000 small and medium enterprises in and around Braj Mandal and their business is growing at about 25 per cent annually owing to rapidly growing popularity of the festival."
Janmashtami also leads to significant spurt in religious tourism and pilgrimage in Braj Mandal comprising Agra, Hathras, Mathura, Vrindavan and nearby districts, which see over 50 per cent rise in footfalls, mostly from the northern parts of the country during this time of the year, he said.
"Better road connectivity, improvement in infrastructure, law and order and overall administration together with proximity to Delhi-NCR are certain key factors that have led to significant growth in hospitality and tourism sector in the holy region of Braj," Rawat said.
Lauding the state government's efforts to speed up development work in Mathura-Vrindavan to preserve and restore the rich cultural heritage of the region, Assocham has suggested conducting tourism fairs and festivals, both domestically and abroad, to attract tourists.
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