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Report suggests ways to boost tourism at dargahs
Sufi shrines or dargahs in the country have huge tourist potential, says a report prepared on behalf of the Tourism Ministry and suggests measures like restricting the stay period of the tourists and crowd management techniques to enhance their carrying capacities for 2020.
“The available carrying capacities at all the dargahs fall short of the estimated load at destinations, according to the study conducted by the IL&FS Infrastructure on Delhi-Agra-Fatehpuri Sikri-Ajmer circuit, one of the six sufi circuits identified by the Ministry.
Other circuits are Mumbai- Khulabad (Aurangabad)- Shirdi; Sufi circuit of Bihar; Hyderabad-Bijapur-Gulbarga; dargahs of J&K, Punjab and Himachal and Sufi circuit of Awadh Region.
The Union Tourism Ministry has plans to develop these circuits during the 12th Five-year Plan to draw both domestic and international tourists with a 5/10 day itinerary.
“Since Delhi-Fatehpur Sikri-Ajmer circuit already attracts huge amount of domestic and foreign tourists annually, special attention needs to be given on infrastructural requirements at the major sites, including Sufi, under these destinations,” says the report submitted to the Tourism Ministry recently.
However, it has found that “the available carrying capacities at all the dargahs fall short of the estimated load at destinations. Measures like restricting the dwell time and crowd management techniques have been suggested to enhance the carrying capacities for 2020.”
As per report, Dargah Matka Peer, Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Dargah Qutabuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in Delhi lack the basic tourist amenities such as seating and resting places, solid waste management, drinking water facility and public conveniences. Regarding Fatehpur Sikri, the report points out that the monument area conserved and managed by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) requires high attention on basic facilities and issues rather than tourist related infrastructure.
At Fatehpur Sikri, gaps in security leave a very wrong impression among tourists. “There is no tourist information centre at the entrance wherein tourist can get a fair idea about what all places to visit, how to reach, from where to start etc. Also, the quality of approach road to Ajmer is not good and need repair. Directional signages are not sufficient. There is no drinking water facility available. Solid waste management is also missing on the dargah premises,” it says.
Dargah of Salim Chisti in Fatehpur Sikri and Dargah Khwaja Mounuddin Hasan Chisti in Ajmer too face similar problems, it adds.
Sufi shrines or dargahs in the country have huge tourist potential, says a report prepared on behalf of the Tourism Ministry and suggests measures like restricting the stay period of the tourists and crowd management techniques to enhance their carrying capacities for 2020.
“The available carrying capacities at all the dargahs fall short of the estimated load at destinations, according to the study conducted by the IL&FS Infrastructure on Delhi-Agra-Fatehpuri Sikri-Ajmer circuit, one of the six sufi circuits identified by the Ministry.
Other circuits are Mumbai- Khulabad (Aurangabad)- Shirdi; Sufi circuit of Bihar; Hyderabad-Bijapur-Gulbarga; dargahs of J&K, Punjab and Himachal and Sufi circuit of Awadh Region.
The Union Tourism Ministry has plans to develop these circuits during the 12th Five-year Plan to draw both domestic and international tourists with a 5/10 day itinerary.
“Since Delhi-Fatehpur Sikri-Ajmer circuit already attracts huge amount of domestic and foreign tourists annually, special attention needs to be given on infrastructural requirements at the major sites, including Sufi, under these destinations,” says the report submitted to the Tourism Ministry recently.
However, it has found that “the available carrying capacities at all the dargahs fall short of the estimated load at destinations. Measures like restricting the dwell time and crowd management techniques have been suggested to enhance the carrying capacities for 2020.”
As per report, Dargah Matka Peer, Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Dargah Qutabuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki in Delhi lack the basic tourist amenities such as seating and resting places, solid waste management, drinking water facility and public conveniences. Regarding Fatehpur Sikri, the report points out that the monument area conserved and managed by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) requires high attention on basic facilities and issues rather than tourist related infrastructure.
At Fatehpur Sikri, gaps in security leave a very wrong impression among tourists. “There is no tourist information centre at the entrance wherein tourist can get a fair idea about what all places to visit, how to reach, from where to start etc. Also, the quality of approach road to Ajmer is not good and need repair. Directional signages are not sufficient. There is no drinking water facility available. Solid waste management is also missing on the dargah premises,” it says.
Dargah of Salim Chisti in Fatehpur Sikri and Dargah Khwaja Mounuddin Hasan Chisti in Ajmer too face similar problems, it adds.
