12 pilgrim centres to get a makeover

Celebrations at the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati. File photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

Twelve cities have been identified by the Union Ministry of Tourism for development under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD), according to a press release here on Monday.

The cities are Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Gaya (Bihar), Dwarka (Gujarat), Amritsar (Punjab), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu), Vellankani (Tamil Nadu), Puri (Odisha), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) and Kamakhya (Assam).

Mission directorate

To implement the PRASAD scheme, a mission directorate has been set up in the Ministry of Tourism. A budget provision of Rs. 15.60 crore has been made for development of basic facilities at the Vishnupad temple at Gaya in Bihar.

Under this scheme, the first instalment of Rs. 85.78 lakh has been released.

The development of the cities will be dovetailed with the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme, aimed at revitalising the unique character of the heritage cities in India.

Cities identified for the HRIDAY scheme are Amaravati, Gaya, Dwarka, Badami (Karnataka), Puri, Amritsar, Ajmer, Kanchipuram, Vellankani, Warangal (Telangana), Varanasi, and Mathura.

Cultural heritage

The criterion for selection of these cities is their rich heritage and cultural history the release said.

For the HRIDAY scheme under the Ministry of Urban Development, an amount of Rs. 453.90 crore has been allocated.