Development of Holistic Religious Tourism through Ancient Indian Technique of Yagya: Exploration With Ashwamedha Yagya

Abstract

Religious tourism is one of the oldest forms of tourism and a rapidly expanding economy. Religious tourism to pilgrimage sites has existed since the dawn of time in every part of the world. People frequently went on pilgrimages despite journey inconveniences. Hence, it begs the question of the purpose of their visit and what makes their visit most efficient? The present study examined the purposes of religious tourism in the present times vs. Vedic times and proposed considerations for holistic religious tourism. For different purposes, tourists visit religious sites to obtain benefits i.e. 1) religious, 2) spiritual, 3) academic, and 4) pleasure purposes. However, this model of religious tourism is not holistic. In the Vedic model, pilgrimage sites should have religious-pious personalities and a spiritual environment for effectively guiding tourists for new resolutions in life holistic model. In addition, the pilgrimage should result in nation-building and social-cultural benefits besides building the economy. For the same purpose, spiritual practices like Yagyas and Ashwamedha were performed in Vedic times at pilgrimage sites resulting in a holistic model of religious tourism i.e. 1) pilgrimage site has Rishi like personalities, 2) tourists, locals aid in preserving natural resources, 3) culture and social upliftment resulted in nation-building. The core of keeping a holistic pilgrimage site was Yagya. Yagya is a core practice keeping Teerth alive. The Cultural campaign of Ashwamedha and live Teerth is capable of reversing the maladies that have entered public minds. The current study presents that the Ashwamedha Yagya can act as an important component of religious tourism and gives a newer dimension to religious tourism by providing holistic development of the participants at religious sites through Ashwamedha for national unity, peace, and harmony.