Punaura Dham included in Ramayana circuit

Context

As per the request received from the State Government of Bihar, the Ministry of Tourism has included Punaura Dham in the Ramayana circuit of Swadesh Darshan Scheme.

• Punaura Dham, considered to be the birthplace of Hindu Goddess Sita.
• The destination of Punaura Dham has been recently included under PRASHAD Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism.

About Ramayana Circuit

• Ramayana Circuit is one of the fifteen thematic circuits identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the Ministry of Tourism.
• The destinations under the circuit will be developed by bridging infrastructural gaps like provision of drinking water, accommodation facilities, etc.
• The scheme will be a joint effort of the states and the central government. It has a larger aim of providing job opportunities to local artisans, as it promotes local art and craft.
• Then the 15 places will be connected to form a circuit.The places are-
• Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringverpur & Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh)
• Sitamarhi, Buxar & Darbhanga (Bihar)
• Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh)
• Mahendragiri (Odisha)
• Jagdalpur (Chattisgarh)
• Nashik & Nagpur (Maharashtra)
• Bhadrachalam (Telangana)
• Hampi (Karnataka)
• Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu).

About PRASHAD Scheme

• The Government of India launched the PRASHAD scheme in the year 2014-2015 under the Ministry of Tourism.
• The full form of the PRASHAD scheme is ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive’.
• This scheme focuses on developing and identifying pilgrimage sites across India for enriching the religious tourism experience.
• It aims to integrate pilgrimage destinations in a prioritised, planned and sustainable manner to provide a complete religious tourism experience. 
• The growth of domestic tourism hugely depends on pilgrimage tourism. To tap the potential of pilgrimage tourism, there is a need for holistic development of the selected pilgrimage destinations by the government along with the cooperation of other stakeholders. 
• The PRASAD scheme aims at paving the way for the development and promotion of religious tourism in India.

About Swadesh Darshan Scheme

• The scheme was launched by the Union Tourism Ministry with the objective to develop theme-based tourist circuits in India.
• The scheme was launched in 2015.
• These tourist circuits will be developed on the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner.
• It is a Central Sector Scheme (which means 100% sponsored by the GOI).
• Under the Scheme 15 circuits have been identified for development namely Himalayan Circuit, North East Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Buddhist Circuit and Coastal Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Heritage Circuit, Tirthankar Circuit and Sufi Circuit.
• These tourist circuits will be developed on the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner.
• This scheme is envisioned to synergise with other schemes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill India, Make in India etc. 
• with the idea of positioning the tourism sector as a major engine for job creation, the driving force for economic growth, building synergy with various sectors to enable tourism to realise its potential.