India's Spiritual Capital: How PRASHAD and SWADESH Darshan Programs Could Revitalise Religious Tourism

In India, spirituality and culture are intertwined with capitalism with an unprecedented rise in spiritual and religious tourism within the country’s population and without. The Ministry of Tourism launched PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) in 2014 and SWADESH Darshan schemes in 2015, which are aimed at improving the infrastructure at religious sites thus enhancing the religious tourism experience. 

𓆏However, a 2023 Parliamentary Standing Committee report stated that the delays in the progress of the PRASHAD scheme were “concerning”, and noted that “all projects, both completed and ongoing, have experienced delays of at least one year.”

Prashad Scheme

ꦆRecognising that religious tourism boosts local economies, the government established the PRASHAD scheme in 2014 with the aim to develop and revamp Indian pilgrimage sites. Prashad provides infrastructure for tourism sites, for example parking, pathways, toilets, illumination, and tourist information centres. According to the Ministry of Tourism as per the latest figures on the Ministry website (March 2024,) has sanctioned 46 projects under the PRASHAD scheme. These projects include 51 destinations across 26 states and Union Territories (UT). The budget estimate is Rs 1,632 crore. However, only 23 of these projects have been completed so far. This leaves over 50 per cent of these projects incomplete for the past 10 years, exposing significant delays in the implementation of this scheme.

A prime example of these delays is the PRASHAD Scheme: Hazratbal Shrine Development🍨 of the Hazratbal Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, a major religious destination for Muslims. In 2016-17, the PRASHAD scheme had earmarked Rs 40 crore for the shrine’s development. The Ministry’s said that it would improve the shrine’s pathways, sanitation, and lighting, and that it would complete the project by December 2019. However, the project was completed in 2023.

🌺Meanwhile, other States have seen delays due to clashes between Centre and State. A notable challenge was seen in 2021 in the Karnataka where Centre claimed that the State of Karnataka failed to provide adequate technical details for its PRASHAD (as well as some of the related SWADESH) proposals. The state, however, countered that their proposals were returned due to technical issues rather than a lack of content.

☂Such disagreements adversely impact the schemes as they lead to delays in funding disbursements. 

𝄹Similarly, in scheme proposals for Punjab, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand have seen delays, underutilisation of funds, or abandonment of certain project components. 

ඣHowever, the PRASHAD scheme has garnered some results where projects were completed in the form of an uptake of religious tourism.

T🐼he “Development at Guruvayur Temple” project was completed within the approved cost of Rs 45.15 crore. Similarly, in Andhra Pradesh, the renovation and infrastructure development at the Srisailam Temple has seen increase in visitors and a reduction in overcrowding during pilgrimage season. The renovation of the Kamakhya Temple in Assam under the PRASHAD scheme in 2015-16 did lead to a 20 per cent rise in tourist footfall during the next year.

SWADESH Darshan Scheme: Vision and Funding

ꩲLaunched in 2015, the SWADESH Darshan scheme is focused on developing theme-based religious tourism circuits “to showcase India's diverse cultural and natural heritage” as per the objectives listed by the Tourism Ministry. The circuit themes include Buddhist, Himalayan, coastal, and desert circuits. Seventy-six projects have been sanctioned under this scheme, with a total budget of Rs 5,445 crore. 

🅷The government has recognised the significance of sites such as Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar for Buddhists globally. In 2016, the SWADESH Darshan scheme allocated Rs 350 crore to improve this circuit. The aim for the Buddhist circuit is to “improve connectivity, amenities, and promotional activities to attract both domestic and international tourists” according to the Ministry website. The Buddhist circuit has been significantly improved by the Ministry’s work, and this saw results in 2024, when there was a surge of tourism within the Buddhist circuit. 

ꦅBy 2022, at least 22 theme-based projects under the Swadesh Darshan scheme were complete. The completion of the coastal circuit in Goa—comprising sites such as Sinquerim, Baga, Anjuna, Morjim, and Aguada Fort—have seen a boost to local tourism.

In states like Uttar Pradesh🌊, projects have exceeded physical progress benchmarks going as high as 90 per cent. Circuits like the Ramayana circuit that connects Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, and other related sites have seen rapid development. 

🧸However, the SWADESH Darshan schemes have been marred by delays and incomplete projects due to various hurdles in execution including administrative bottlenecks such as obtaining approvals from local authorities and the forest departments, issues with land acquisition and due to the disruptions experienced during the COVID19 pandemic. 

✃Karnataka’s coastal circuit, for example, was rejected by the Centre for “not meeting the expected criteria”. Similarly the Central government deemed the Chamundi Hills circuit as already “well-developed” and ruled it as “ineligible for additional funding.”

💃In states such as Punjab, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Tripura, and Odisha, projects are only partially completed—between 29 to 87 per cent. This has led to uneven progress in the regional tourism numbers and would likely affect local employment and economic progress as well. 

🦩Despite the difficulties, SWADESH has seen much more success than PRASHAD. By December 2024, 75 of the 76 earmarked projects under SWADESH were physically complete as opposed to under 50 per cent through PRASHAD.