The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs organised a six-day familiarisation tour, ‘Bodhi Journey’, from June 2 to 7 under the Mekong-Gangetic Cooperation (MGC) initiative.
The tour consisted of a 50-member delegation from five ASEAN countries – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – who visited major Buddhist sites and other attractions in Uttar Pradesh.
India’s Tourism and Culture Minister Javeer Singh said the special tour was aimed at promoting Indian Buddhism globally and strengthening cultural and tourism ties between India and Southeast Asian countries.
The delegation, which consisted of Buddhist monks, travel agents and social media influencers, started their journey in Agra and ended in Sarnath before heading to Buddhist holy sites in Bihar.
Javeer Singh said each of the five ASEAN countries sent 10 delegates selected by their respective governments to the event. The delegation also met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and was briefed on the rich Buddhist heritage of Uttar Pradesh and the potential for Buddhist circuit development.
