It is not just the seamless stretch of beaches and the azure Bay of Bengal that make Vizag one of the important tourist spots in the country. The region’s Buddhist roots that are a reminder of a significant past of the region that needs to be revisited and protected. Among the several visitors to the region, there is good inflow of travellers from Sri Lanka and neighbouring places who are drawn towards the many Buddhist sites of the State. With Vizag finally getting a direct flight connection to Colombo, the Buddhism circuit of the region is expected to get the much-needed boost.
Surrounded by seamless stretch of verdant agricultural fields, the silence surrounding the twin hills of Bojjannakonda and Lingalametta is meditative. These are the remains of a monastery that date back to the third century BC. But that is not the only significance of these sites. The hills are also a crucial link to an era when Buddhism flourished in this part of the country. The site was discovered and excavated by a British civil servant, Alexander Rea, in the year 1909.
Travel plans
Last Sunday, a team of 30 Sri Lankans visited this ancient Buddhist spot and spent a day at this place. “This Buddhist spot holds great significance in understanding how Buddhism flourished in this part of the world before spreading to Sri Lanka and other regions. It is our first visit to this place with family and friends,” says Ajit Kumara, a Sri Lankan. While Ajit has been living in the city from the past couple of years, he says the direct flight connection has now made it convenient to invite his other family members and relatives to experience the natural splendour of the city and visit Buddhist sites like Thotlakonda, Bavikonda and Bojjannakonda dotting the coastal belt. “Earlier, we had to go from Chennai where there was a waiting period before our next flight to Colombo. Bringing our elderly relatives from Sri Lanka was particularly an issue. Now the direct flight lands us here from Colombo in less than two hours,” he says. Like him, there are around 300 Sri Lankans living in the city who have already made their travel plans and also planning to get their friends here.
While the first direct flight from Colombo to Vizag landed on July 8, interestingly on the second day the same flight brought in more than 80 Sri Lankans to the city from the capital of the island nation. The tour operators are optimistic of this initial positive trend. “We didn’t expect this kind of passenger load from Colombo to Vizag on the first week itself. It is great news for the tourism prospects of the region,” says Vijay Mohan, a member of the International Association of Buddhism Tour Operators. This association promotes Buddhist circuits in Japan, Myanman, Thailand, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka. “Vizag has been recently included among the important Buddhist circuits in India. Right now, our focus is to get more tourists from places like Sri Lanka to showcase the region,” says Mohan.
Recently, the AP Tourism Minister Bhuma Akhila Priya said that the direct flight connectivity between Vizag and Colombo will give a big boost to the region’s Buddhist tourism circuit. “We are developing a Buddhist circuit of the State which will also showcase the State capital of Amaravati. A Detailed Project Report has already been sent to the Central government,” she said. A team of tourism officials along with the Minister will soon be visiting Colombo to explore further tourism potentials.
Showcasing Vizag
In the first week of August, a team of 20 tour operators from Sri Lanka will be arriving here who will be taken around the Buddhist spots of the region to promote Andhra Pradesh’s Buddhist circuit in a big way in the island nation. Now, the Sri Lankan travellers come to Chennai and from there head to Varanasi and Bodh Gaya in the State of Bihar. “We are trying to change this pattern and address the budget Sri Lankan travellers,” says Mohan. The new travel route designed for the Sri Lankans will be Colombo – Vizag - Dhauli (Buddhist spot near Bhubaneshwar) – Bodh Gaya.
Meanwhile, Vizagites are not leaving the first chance to explore Sri Lanka and beyond. Several group tourist groups have already set off to explore the island nation in the first two flights that took off from Vizag. According to tour operators, there is a lot of demand for a day-long Colombo tour followed by a midnight flight to Thailand.
