AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF RELIGIOUS TOURISM IN UTTAR PRADESH

Tourism encompasses the activities of individuals or societies who venture beyond their usual surroundings for a duration of less than a full year, primarily for leisure, business, or other non-migration-related purposes. When discussing religious tourism, Uttar Pradesh emerges as a renowned Indian state celebrated for its rich religious and cultural heritage, owing to the presence of sacred rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, alongside various revered religious sites such as Varanasi, Vrindavan, Mathura, Sarnath, Chitrakoot, Ayodhya, Hastinapur, Allahabad, Vindhyachal, and more.Uttar Pradesh boasts a multitude of significant Hindu pilgrimage sites, with Varanasi, located on the banks of the Ganges, being particularly well-known. Allahabad is famed for its confluence of the mythical rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, while Mathura is renowned as the birthplace of Lord Krishna, and Ayodhya holds significance as the birthplace of Lord Rama. Uttar Pradeshs appeal is not limited to Hinduism it also holds significance for Buddhists. Sarnath, Kushinagar, and Saraswati, where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon, are among the worlds most renowned Buddhist pilgrimage destinations.In the realm of Islamic religious destinations, Uttar Pradesh is known for the mausoleums of Sufi saints, with Hazrat Salim Chistis shrine in FatehpurSikri and Dewa Sharif in Lucknow being prominent religious tourist attractions.This paper sheds light on religious tourism in Uttar Pradesh, delving into its existing policies and frameworks centered around the states religious sites. It underscores how the religious tourism industry contributes revenue to the state by offering religious services, transportation options, accommodation facilities, and more. However, its essential to recognize that the religious tourism industry faces challenges due to inadequate understanding, insufficient policies, limited management, inadequate infrastructure, the absence of regulations, and a lack of environmental and cultural sustainability at these religious tourism destinations.