Spiritual Tourism Is Converting Our Sacred Landscapes Into Tourist Dumps
I first met Neem Karoli Baba in Lucknow at the age of fourteen. For a young student studying in Loreto Convent, a holy man wrapped in a chequered blanket was something of an enigma. I bowed to him as instructed by my mother and did not say a word, thinking nothing of it. My second meeting with him, the following year, was at his ashram in Kainchi in the hills, where we chatted together for over…
Spiritual tourism is transforming our sacred landscapes into tourist dumping grounds. A young student of mine first encountered Neem Karoli Baba in Lucknow at age fourteen. His second appearance, in Kainchi Dham, saw them chat for hours without other visitors. Now, the once-quiet ashram is overwhelmed by tourists, causing traffic jams and chaos.
The recent film on Neem Karoli Baba has fueled this surge in visitors, with ticket sales exceeding Rs 450 crore. The Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments have launched new spiritual tourism circuits and expressways to capitalize on this trend. However, this has led to environmental degradation and overcrowding, with many sacred sites exceeding their daily visitor capacities.
Villagers in Kumaon and Garhwal are concerned about the impact on their daily lives and the environment, yet local authorities prioritize political expediency over sustainable management of these precious sites.
Written by urgent.news from Free Press Journal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
