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Lumbini Buddhist CircuitSunday - 31st July 2005 |
| A Boon to the Rural Lives By Dechen Sherpa Nepal is a small Himalayan Kingdom in the heart of Asia, which continues to be an enigma. It is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Lumbini, in the tranquil South western plains of Nepal is the birthplace of Buddhism, where Buddha took his first seven steps and uttered an epoch making message to humanity. Lumbini has long been famous as a pilgrimage destination, and every year, visitors flock the region endlessly. However, these tourists were only short haul tourists, staying for only a day, without contributing much to the local economy. Therefore, a tourism programme was designed specially for the poor, bringing a new ray of hope giving locals a chance to share the benefits of tourism. The programme guided the local women, mainly Muslims, in generating income from the handicraft they made during their leisure hours. These women were given awareness on tourism and women empowerment, trained professionally and guided along with market linkage process. The tourism programme is promoting the Lumbini Buddhist Circuit in the region, a must visit for all the Buddhists around the world. The highlight of the Circuit tour is the valuable glimpses of Buddha's early childhood and the evolution of Buddhism. The Lumbini Buddhist Circuit starts from : Mayadevi Temple to Kudan (45 mins) Kudan to Gotihawa (15 Minutes) Gotihawa to Tilaurakot (20 Minutes) Tilaurakot to Niglihawa (20 Minutes) Niglihawa to Aurorakot (3 Minutes) Aurorakot to Sagarhawa (10 Minutes) Sagarhawa to Devdah (1.5 Hrs) Devdah to Ramgram (40 Minutes) Ramgram to Bhairahawa 0 Point (1 Hr.) Bhairahawa 0 Point to Airport (5 Minutes) Airport to Mayadevi Temple (25 Minutes) A village tour around the adjoining villages of Ekala, Shvagadhiya, Tenuhawa, Mahilwar, Lumbini Adarsa, Lumbini garden walk is also a must visit after completing the Buddhist circuit. The Lumbini Buddhist Circuit is expected to bring more tourists to the region, whereby giving the local community a push in income generating activities. Besides handicraft and souvenir items, local men and women in Lumbini are stepping in to opening lodges and restaurants as entrepreneurs, and giving tour guide services, especially Muslim women, who are opening up to the western world, welcoming tourism. Earlier, the local women used to spend their time making Dhakkis (Baskets made of grass), which were used only as gifts to relatives or to store grains. They were not produced commercially or marketed, since there was no market, and there had been no professional trainings on refinement and marketing. But now, after the trainings from the tourism programme, these handicraft items are being produced at a larger scale, they are found in almost all the outlets in the area and in hotels and lodges. Tourists buy them as souvenirs from Nepal, without the slightest hesitation, and directly contribute to the local livelihood. Today, this development has made women of Lumbini capable enough to earn a substantial disposable income, send their children to boarding schools, and live a better life. "I did not know that products made from Kaas and mooj (grass) were saleable", says Shobhawati Pal, a resident of Madhubani VDC. During her free time, after finishing all her household chores, Shobhawati, used to make colorful baskets from local grasses, to store grains or give away as gifts. Today, she does not limit her handicraft items to mere uses at home anymore, but sells them. Big hotels in Lumbini are buying her artistic and natural handicraft products, which have great potential to attract tourists. Shobhawati hopes to make a small handicraft cottage industry in the future. In most of the rural areas of Nepal, women in majority still suffer from abstract poverty and discrimination. Tourism has been perceived as a speck of hope for those deprived women, to uplift their status from mere subordinates to economically capable beings. Lumbini is a pilgrimage attraction for millions of Buddhists around the world. The attraction of Lumbini can be developed into rural tourism which can make significant contribution to the local economy. The Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme (TRPAP) was launched in 2001 to develop rural tourism in Lumbini and other areas of Nepal, with a goal to alleviate poverty and develop a sustainable and responsible tourism. The TRPAP is implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and is jointly funded by UNDP, DFID and SNV-Nepal. TRPAP aims to reduce poverty and conserve the natural and cultural heritage of Lumbini. It helps the poor communities to enhance capacity for sustainable rural tourism through various supports such as training, skill development, infrastructure development, and institutional mechanisms for backward and forward linkage, bottom up planning approaches. |
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