: The Erumeli-Pampa-Sannidhanam circuit (of Sabarimala temple) will be developed as a Spiritual Circuit under the Union Tourism Ministry’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme at an estimated cost of Rs.99.99 crore.
The project mooted by Kerala Tourism and recommended by the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) of the Swadesh Darshan Scheme has received the nod, a Union Tourism Ministry official told The Hindu .
The State will get the first tranche of funds soon for developing the Spiritual Circuit, the official said. The Spiritual Circuit in Kerala is among 25 projects costing Rs.2,048 crore in 21 States cleared under the scheme by the Centre after getting clearance from various Ministries.
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The State has got Rs.99.72 crore for the Pathanamthitta-Gavi-Wagamon-Thekkady ecotourism circuit under the scheme. The Tourism Ministry had already made available the first instalment of Rs.19.84 crore to the State to commence the work, the official added.
Under the scheme launched in 2014-15, as many as 13 Thematic Circuits — North-East India, Buddhist, Himalayan, Coastal, Krishna, Desert, Tribal, Eco, Wildlife, Rural, Spiritual, Ramayana and Heritage Circuit — have been identified.
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The other schemes submitted by Kerala Tourism for inclusion under the scheme are under the consideration of the CSMC and would soon be cleared, the official said.
The proposal to create tourism infrastructure in the precincts of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in the State capital, Sree Parthasarthy Temple, Aranmula, and the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple at a cost of Rs.99.84-crore was also given approval earlier this year.