Haryana Government claims to put Kurukshetra on global tourist map fall flat

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, August 25

The government has been making tall claims of developing Kurukshetra as a global tourist destination, but lack of tourist attraction, and pending projects and proposals, narrate a different story.

In the name of tourist attraction, there is only a light and sound show at Jyotisar and evening “Aarti” at the Brahma Sarovar. A multimedia laser show to attract tourists at the Brahma Sarovar, at a cost of Rs 16 crore, is yet to see the light of day, development of “aarti sthala” is yet to start, while the ambitious hop-on-hop-off bus service project which was prepared on the direction of the Chief Minister to provide a touring experience for tourists was also put on the backburner. There was another proposal to set up a permanent craft bazaar on the pattern of “Delhi Haat” but it didn’t materialise. All three tourist information and facilitation centres — opened at a cost of Rs 2 crore to facilitate tourists who reach Kurukshetra from across the country — have been lying closed for over a year.

Craft bazar proposal fails

• There was another proposal to set up a permanent craft bazaar on the pattern of ‘Delhi Haat’ but it did not materialise.
• Ambitious hop-on-hop-off bus service project prepared on the directions of the CM to provide a touring experience for tourists was also put on the backburner.

A Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) official said, “Lakhs of devotees reach Kurukshetra to visit various religious destinations, including Brahma Sarvoar, but it lacks tourist attraction following which a majority of tourists leave Kurukshetra by the evening. Due to which despite a good tourist footfall, the economy has not benefited. To attract more tourists a multimedia laser show was planned at the Brahma Sarovar and the budget received under the Krishna Circuit phase-1 was to be utilised for the project, but the project is yet to come on ground.”

Morning aarti plan

We are planning to start a morning aarti. We are working on different projects to create evening attraction so that the tourists start staying overnight here. —Madan Mohan Chhabra, Honorary secretary, KDB

Despite religious destinations, No attraction

Lakhs of devotees reach Kurukshetra to visit religious destinations, but it lacks tourist attraction following which a majority of tourists leave Kurukshetra by the evening. —Official, Kurukshetra development board

Lacks uniqueness of a tourist spot

Every tourist destination has some uniqueness and should offer some experience to tourists which is missing here. —Professor Tajender Sharma, Resident

Professor Tajender Sharma, a resident, said, “Every tourist destination has some uniqueness and should offer some experience to the tourists which is missing here. Merely creating artifacts and installing statues is not enough. There is a need to create facilities where the tourists can be provided the spiritual experience for which people come to Kurukshetra.”

Kurukshetra Development Board honorary secretary Madan Mohan Chhabra said, “There is already a light and sound show at Jyotisar and evening “aarti” at the Brahma Sarovar. We are planning to start a morning aarti as well. We are working on different projects to create evening attraction so that the tourists start staying overnight here. The Kurukshetra Development Boardhas proposed to start hop-on-hop-off buses service and it is with the government. Due to the pandemic, the number of tourists is less and we are expecting that the government will give an approval to the project soon.”