Cash registers ring as Buddhists pack bags for India

by Ravi Teja Sharma, TNN, May 8, 2008

NEW DELHI, India -- Thousands of years after the teachings of Buddha spread across the world, his followers are hot-footing it back to India. And cashing in on the opportunity is a bunch of travel business entrepreneurs, serenading the visitors to the land of the Buddha.

<< The grand stupa in Sanchi

For years, the Buddhist travel segment has been lagging, but now, things are looking up, say travel agents specialising in the segment. According to estimates, Buddhist travel accounted for about 10-12% of the total 4.63 million tourists who visited India in 2006-07. As infrastructure improves in the Buddhist circuit, the interest of pilgrims from Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea and China is growing. There are enquiries for the circuit from the US too.

The organised part of this segment is still small, with the total number of package tours being sold not more than 25,000 a year. Most travellers from neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan come on their own and spend little. A handful of travel companies sells packaged Buddhist tours in the international market.

Lajpat Rai of Lotus Trans Travels set up his business on a monk’s suggestion. “I was staying with him in a temple in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. He suggested setting up a business to help the Japanese get better access to the Buddhist circuit in India. In fact, my first Buddhist group from Japan was from this temple,” says Mr Rai.

A new company Trail Blazers Tours has also ventured into the Buddhist travel business. They have clients from Korea, China and have even got enquiries from the US. “Recently, we opened an office in Korea; and we have already doubled our business since we started a year back,” says Trail Blazers director Homa Mistry. In the past, pilgrims’ progress was rather tough with inadequate infrastructure in and around the circuit, across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. However, over the last few years, roads have improved. An international airport at Gaya has helped too.

Sensing the opportunity that this segment provides, agents like Lajpat Rai and Naresh Sharma, MD of Inpac Travels, have set up hotels in and around the Buddhist trail. Mr Rai’s company has hotels in Bodhgaya, Kushinagar, Sravasti and Delhi, and is building two more at Gorakhpur and Sanchi by 2010. For its four hotels, Inpac has invested Rs 55 crore. Soon, they will add another small hotel at Sankasya, investing an additional Rs 5 crore. “Adding hotels to our portfolio has helped us grow our travel business,” says Sharma.

Yet, better roads are not complemented by AC buses. The airport might have been built, but there is no direct flight from Delhi to Gaya. (However, there are flights from Bangkok to Gaya and one is expected from Osaka as well). Besides, there are no wayside facilities. And to top it all, there are no leisure or shopping opportunities either for the tourists.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation pitched in with a Rs 395-crore loan last year, for developing infrastructure in Buddhist sites in Uttar Pradesh in an exercise estimated to cost Rs 680 crore. Now, Mr Rai is planning 12 direct chartered flights from Japan next season. And, Mr Sharma is optimistic that they would clock at least 40% growth.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP