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Madhya
Pradesh, a many
splendoured land,
called the very
heart of India,
boats of a wide
variety of
attractions to
cater to all
tourist interests
except, of course,
ice and seas. It
consists largely
of a plateau
streaked with the
hill ranges of the
Vindhyas and the
Satpuras. The
state has 380
tourist
attractions and 18
of these are
renowned the world
over.
A
recent survey
described
Khajuraho as the
best-preserved
monument of the
country. A unique
gift from India to
the world
Khajuraho stuns
both domestic and
international
tourists by
unbelievable
grandeur of the
temples. Madhya
Pradesh government
has taken an
initiative for a
daily flight to
this temple town
from Agra. Sanchi
, Mandu , Gwalior
,Orchha, Shivpuri
etc are the
tourist
attractions of
great historical
and archaeological
importance. The
Nature has been
very bounteous to
Madhya Pradesh.
Any visitor to
Pachmarhi,
Amarkantak and
Bhedaghat cannot
but readily agree
to this.
Madhya
Pradesh also has
sacred places of
great religious
importance
Omkareshwar and
Ujjain enshrine
two of the 12
Jyotirlingas of
the country.
Amarkantak,
Maheshwar,
Chitrakoot and
Bhojpur are also
unmatched.
The
visitors to Kanha
, Bandhavgarh,
Shivpuri and Pench
carry back with
them an experience
of a lifetime.
Accordingly to a
recent survey,
Kanha is the best
managed and
Bandhavgarh is the
best sighting
national parks.
Pachmarhi, Bhopal,
Orchha and
Amarkantak have
immense potential
of eco tourism and
planned efforts
are being made to
realize this
potential.
The
state also boasts
of beautiful
reservoirs and
rivers where water
sports are being
promoted in a big
way. Water sports
activities are
being encouraged
in Tighara in
Gwalior, Upper
Lake in Bhopal,
Betwa river in
Orchha and
Benisagar Dam in
Khajuraho.
Parasailing and
hot air ballooning
is also being
promoted. A cruise
boat has already
been launched in
the Upper Lake at
Bhopal and rafting
would start
shortly in Betwa
river at Orchha.
Light and Sound
programmes have
already been
started at Gwalior
and Khajuraho and
the same would
start at Orchha
and Indore this
year. Burhanpur
and Indore are
being developed as
new tourist
destinations.
Concerted
efforts are being
made to put
Shivpuri on the
tourist map and as
part of these
efforts a Shivpuri
Festival is being
organized on
February 4-5 at
Shivpuri.
The
endeavour is to
promote tourism as
an industry to
ensure employment
generation along
with tourist
development.
Madhya Pradesh
Tourism
Development
Corporation has
set up marketing
offices at Delhi,
Agra, Mumbai,
Hydearabad and
Kolkata. Besides,
regional and
tourist offices
have been opened
at Jhansi, Gwalior,
Khajuraho, Satna,
Jabalpur,
Pachmarhi, Bhopal
and Indore.
As
many as 44
residential units
have been provided
at 29 tourist
places and
cafeterias are
there at different
places. A total of
616 rooms are
available in the
hotels and motels
of the
Corporation. Boat
Clubs are running
at Bhopal,
Pachmarhi and
Bargi.
Air-conditioned
tourist buses are
being operated on
Bhopal-Indore and
Bhopal-Pachmarhi
roads. The fleet
of the Corporation
includes 56
tourist vehicles.
The
tourism policy of
the state provides
for exemption in
commercial taxes
and entertainment
tax and
availability of
government land
for tourism
projects. Under
the eco and
adventure tourism
policy places have
been specified for
nature trail,
trekking, rock
climbing, water
rafting and other
adventure sports.
The heritage
tourism policy of
the state provides
for capital
investment and
interest subsidy
for establishment
of heritage
hotels, energy
grant, concession
in stamp duty etc.
There is a
proposal to
develop heritage
villages at
selected places.
Stress
has been laid on
encouraging
private investment
for tourism
development in
Madhya Pradesh.
Besides, adequate
funds have been
provided for
infrastructure
development in
western regions of
the state. A
proposal has been
forwarded to
Government of
India for
inclusion of the
Stupas in and
around Sanchi in
the International
Buddhist Circle.
For
all these efforts
the tourism
potential of
Madhya Pradesh
still remains
under-realized.
Lack of basic
facilities has
been one of the
main reasons
responsible for
this. The state
government has
given priority to
construction and
improvement of
roads and special
importance has
been given to
roads leading to
tourist
destinations. Work
is in full swing
on the roads to
the tourist
destinations like
Shivpuri, Sheopur
Kalan, Gwalior,
Datia , Satna,
Khajuraho, Damoh,
Maheshwar,
Jabalpur ,
Omkareshwar,
Burhanpur,Pachmarhi,
Chhatarpur,
Bandhavgarh,
Mandla, Morena,
Mandsaur, Indore
etc. The Ministry
of Railways has
been requested to
sanction and
complete the
Lalitpur-Khajuraho
and
Jhansi-Mahoba-Khajuraho
rail lines in the
year 2006 itself.
Initiative has
been taken to
provide air link
between Gwalior
and Jabalpur and
to develop the
airports at
Bhopal, Indore and
Khajuraho as per
international
norms.The hotels
of the Corporation
are being
renovated with
provision of
better facilities.
The
fleet of the
Corporation has
been renovated and
the condition of
the vehicles
improved.
Transport facility
has been provided
at Gwlior, Ujjain,
Indore etc by
adding new
vehicles to the
fleet. A conducted
tour is organized
on every
Saturday-Sunday
from Indore to
Omkareshwar-Maheshwar-Mandu;
on Monday-Tuesday
Ujjain Darshan is
organized and on
every
Saturday-Sunday a
conducted tour
from Bhopal to
Islamnagar-Sanchi-Udaigiri
is organized.
Viewing buses have
been started in
Kanha and
Bandhavgarh
national parks.
Orcha,
Chitrakoot, Maihar,
Ujjain,
Omkareshwar,
Maheshwar and
Amarkantak have
been declared holy
cities where
special attention
has been paid to
improve basic
facilities for the
devotees and
tourists. All
these efforts are
going a long way
in putting Madhya
Pradesh on the
world tourism map
prominently.
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