Keeping up with UP | Religious tourism, temple economics and the state’s economy
Temples have been an ecosystem for businesses, entrepreneurship and tourism in India for centuries
After a growth in religious tourism following the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi, the focus is now on the concomitant economic growth of temple towns.
According to the state government estimates, about 32 crore domestic tourists visited Uttar Pradesh (UP) in 2022. Their expenditure exceeded ₹2 lakh crores, and, is likely to double to over ₹4 lakh crores by the end of 2024, mopping up an additional revenue of ₹20000-25000 crores, according to a State Bank of India’s (SBI) research report released in January 2024. After Maharashtra, UP topped the list of states with the highest number of domestic tourists in 2022, followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat.
Given the importance of temple tourism, the UP state government is now building smaller holy towns of importance besides Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya.
Titled, ‘Where Latin America meets Scandinavia: The Road to Salvation Passes Through Uttar Pradesh', the SBI report said UP is estimated to have the second most weightage in Indian GDP by 2028, with its GDP could overtake Norway, the Scandinavian country with a second position in Human Development Index.”
The economics around temples works in two ways. One, it creates an ecosystem of local businesses, entrepreneurship, tourism and employment. Second, it preserves and promotes culture, music, theatre and traditions.
Sandeep Singh, a management graduate and author of the book Arthvyavstha of Mandir- Temple Economics, two volumes of which were published this year, said just as Indian kings knew that each temple they built would bring in prosperity, invaders demolished them for the same reason. He has cited Varanasi as a case study.
The historical city of Varanasi is not only spiritual but has been a centre of education, art, medicine and culture for centuries. “The invaders destroyed mandirs to derail the development of this holy city. But the ancestors fought back multiple times at all levels – physical, spiritual and financial. Yet, the ancient city not only survived but is also thriving today only because of the continuous revival and renovation of mandirs,” Singh said.
The economy of Varanasi rapidly grew after the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in December 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Local businesses and traders manufacturing and selling religion-related materials, dresses, local arts and crafts and famous eateries flourished due to the increased flow of tourists. A saree shop owner said, “ The loss of Covid years was compensated in two years and now they were looking at profits.”
Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, the chief executive officer of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, said, “There has been a marked upswing in the temple town’s economy as the number of devotees visiting Kashi Vishwanath Dham increased by ten times between 2017-23. The temple’s income rose by eight times between 2019 -23. More than 90% of the devotees had come from outside the district and even the state.”
While temples in the south often run health and educational institutions, the trust here decided to extend assistance to institutions in need of funds.
Mishra said, “Besides providing food to patient attendants in hospitals, the Trust provided uniforms, text and reference books to teachers and students of all Sanskrit schools, affiliated to any institution and sect, benefitting 6000 persons, besides running gaushala and free Ayurvedic hospital.”
Recognising the traditional role of temples as preservers of art, culture and dharma, the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Trust has also started two-day celebration on every Sanatan festival, including Ekadashi, Pradosh and Chaturthi, which includes special rituals in the morning and cultural events in the evening, in which artists from UP, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, besides countries like Russia, Germany, Sri Lanka and USA have performed.
Singh in his book has given empirical evidence about temple-based Arthavyavastha comparing it with public sector units, whom the country’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru had described as temples of the modern economy. He cites various cases of PSUs' dependence on temples to earn profits.
The Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Ltd rose from a metal scrap exporter to one of India's largest e-commerce firms after they started an e-auction of hair for Balaji temple. The first e-auction of hair in September 2011 fetched ₹133 crores, writes the author who said his intention was not to undermine the role played by PSUs in building India but to highlight the significant role of temples in our economy.
The development story of Kashi and Ayodhya is evidence of the role temples play in building towns and even regions; only if they are not made the centres of disputes and battles to resolve historical blunders in India.
Sunita Aron is a consulting editor with the HT based in Lucknow. You can find her on X as @overto. The weekly column, Keeping up with UP tackles everything from politics to social and cultural mores in the country's most populous state. The views expressed are personal.