Several thousand more Buddhist pilgrims and tourists from Sri Lanka could have been visiting Bihar but for clean, low-cost accommodation, hygienic food and proper toilet facilities. The island neighbours also want some relaxation in prohibition in the state for foreigners.

Sri Lankan foreign minister Tilak Marapana These shared these concerns with a delegation of Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) led by its president P.K. Agrawal, which visited the island country from January 17 to 24 to boost trade and tourism ties.

“We had a detailed discussion with Marapana over tourism as Bodhgaya in Bihar is the foremost pilgrimage site for Buddhists. He pointed out that the people from Lanka want clean and cheaper accommodation, hygienic food and toilet facilities because the majority of them are not five-star tourists,” Agrawal told The Telegraph.

The BCCI president pointed out that in the talks with the Sri Lankan foreign minister, the issue of prohibition also came up. “Tilak said he was a teetotaller and praised prohibition as a bold step. However, he also said that the ban on liquor should be relaxed for foreigners and five-star hotels,” Agrawal said.

Tourists in Bihar have always pointed out that proper toilet facilities, especially for women as well as hygienic meals were big issues that need to be resolved. Though the state government has initiated a few schemes in this direction, the speed of implementation is slow and there are vast stretches all along the Buddhist circuit that do not have toilets for people in need.

The Sri Lankan foreign minister also did not know the importance of various tourist sites apart from Bodhgaya, Rajgir and Nalanda that are related to Buddhism like Kesaria stupa, Vaishali stupa, Barabar caves in Bihar until the BCCI members explained about them. Marapana expressed his desire to visit Bihar and see them in near future.

“This highlights the need for spreading awareness about the important tourist sites in Bihar at the international level. If people do not know about a place, they will not visit it. It is as simple as that. The tourism department will have to buck up its act on this front,” said a BCCI member, who was part of the delegation, on condition of anonymity.

The Kandy-based Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Central Provinces in Sri Lanka has sought BCCI’s consent to visit Bihar to explore how to further trade, tourism and industrial ties.

- The Telegraph 
- Agencies