25-06-2025
MP govt develops spiritual trails to attract Ayodhya-Kashi devotees
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday to promote religious tourism between the two states. The initiative aims to attract pilgrims visiting Ayodhya and Mathura by developing sites linked to Lord Ram and Lord Krishna in MP, where the state government is working to establish new pilgrimage circuits to tap into the growing tourist inflow from UP. Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday to promote religious tourism between the two states. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)
'Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya and later crowned king, but during his 14-year exile, he is believed to have spent nearly 11 years in Chitrakoot before travelling to the south via Madhya Pradesh,' an official said. 'To attract spiritual travellers, the MP Tourism Board has launched a new initiative titled 'Shri Krishna Patheya'.'
The spiritual circuit maps the journey of Lord Krishna from his birthplace in Mathura to Ujjain, where he is said to have pursued his education, he added.
MP Tourism Board's principal secretary, Sheo Shekhar Shukla, said both states share deep cultural ties, with temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Mahakaleshwar drawing global devotees. The existing Kashi-Mahakal Express already connects the two Jyotirlingas.
The proposed Ganga-Narmada Tourism Corridor aims to link religious centres across the two states, Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Omkareshwar, and Mahakaleshwar, promoting spiritual, wellness, cultural, and heritage tourism.
