Human beings have traditionally been regarded as rational creatures who weigh every decision on the scales of profit and loss. Indian society, however, has quietly challenged this assumption for centuries. Markets flourished in temple courtyards, trade prospered in the shadow of fairs and pilgrimage centres, and economies thrived alongside religion on riverbanks. The ghats of Kashi, the narrow lanes of Mathura and the banks of the Saryu in Ayodhya were not merely places of worship; they were also economic centres of their time.
Uttar Pradesh is now reviving this forgotten tradition in a new language. Underlying this approach is Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s belief that faith is not an economic burden but a form of capital that, if recognised and nurtured, can become a source of employment, investment and confidence. This approach is as significant from an economic perspective as it is from an ideological one, and deserves to be examined with equal depth.
Let us begin with the facts. According to government data, more than 950 temples and pilgrimage sites across Uttar Pradesh have been renovated, expanded or reconstructed since 2021. More than 650 projects had been completed by 2025, while around 300 were at advanced stages of implementation. There is perhaps hardly any constituency among Uttar Pradesh’s 403 Assembly constituencies where work has not been undertaken at one to five religious sites.
The number of domestic tourists has risen from 23 crore in 2017 to 156 crore by the end of 2025. This is no coincidence. “This is a shift in the economy from graveyards to temples.” Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s words undoubtedly carry a political edge, but they also reflect a serious proposition: the path to development can run through a society’s own cultural memory.
The question, then, is: what is the ideological core of the concept of religious tourism? Imported models of development often assume that modernity requires a departure from tradition. Factories and corridors, cities and pilgrimage centres are seen as moving in different directions. Uttar Pradesh’s experiment rejects this dichotomy. It argues that in a society where faith is one of its deepest forms of capital, development plans cannot be drawn up by disregarding that capital.
From this perspective, a village temple is a centre of collective memory where people come together, celebrate festivals and experience their shared identity. In rural and semi-urban Uttar Pradesh, temples serve as social and cultural hubs, and strengthening them deepens the government’s connection with the people. Economists call this social capital.
Consider the infrastructure that translates this philosophy into reality. When a village temple is equipped with boundary walls, drinking water facilities, toilets and solar lighting at a cost ranging fromRs. 40 lakh to Rs.1.5 crore, it means that public amenities are reaching the doorsteps of villages under the aegis of faith.
At the foundation of this structure lie the construction or restoration of district-level dharamshalas, ponds and parking facilities. At the other end are investments running into thousands of crores of rupees at destinations such as the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, Ayodhya and the Vindhyavasini Corridor. Faith, in this framework, becomes more than an emotion; it underpins an entire value chain encompassing construction, transportation, hospitality and handicrafts. Boatmen, flower sellers, guides and artisans who prepare prasad are all participants in an economy driven by the movement of pilgrims.
Ayodhya offers a compelling example, having witnessed a historic economic surge following the consecration of the Ram Temple. According to a detailed case study by IIM Lucknow, the city has recorded substantial growth in tourism, investment, employment and revenue. With an average of more than two lakh devotees visiting daily, the hospitality industry has received a major boost. More than 150 new hotels and homestays have been established, while online travel bookings have increased as much as fourfold.
Demand for handicrafts, souvenirs and idols has directly benefited artisans. Around 6,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been established, while the daily income of street vendors has reached Rs. 2,500. Tourism-related tax revenue is estimated to reach Rs. 20,000-25,000 crore, with approximately 1.2 lakh jobs expected to be created over the next four to five years.
Now consider another dimension of the economy linked to faith. The figure of 156 crore tourists includes repeat visitors and one-day travellers. Therefore, the real questions concern expenditure per visitor, length of stay and the income generated locally. Jobs in tourism are often seasonal and informal. The faith-based economy can become sustainable only when it also provides decent incomes and opportunities to develop skills. Under the Yogi government, this has become possible.
Alongside faith, industry, agro-processing and the services sector are also receiving equal emphasis. Such a multidimensional approach is essential if Uttar Pradesh is to achieve its target of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy.
The way forward lies in maintaining this ideological balance. Instead of treating temples as isolated projects, they should be integrated into pilgrimage circuits so that devotees stay for several days rather than visiting just one destination. Homestays, local handicrafts and regional cuisines should receive further encouragement so that employment opportunities reach an even larger number of local people. The Uttar Pradesh government is working in this direction.
Religious tourism brings faith and economics together, and the approach has also secured broad public support. In eastern Uttar Pradesh, the key destinations include Kashi and Vindhyachal; in Awadh, Ayodhya and Naimisharanya; in western Uttar Pradesh, Shakumbhari Devi and Augharnath; in Bundelkhand, Kalinjar and Chitrakoot; and in the Braj region, Mathura and the Govardhan Parikrama.
Modern amenities developed at these destinations have strengthened the government’s positive image among the public. The provision allowing every MLA to recommend the upgradation of one to three temples institutionalises this connection with the people.
Perhaps this explains why opinion polls appear to favour the government. An April 2026 survey by Dainik Bhaskar projected the BJP ahead in 256 of the 403 Assembly seats, while surveys conducted by News Leader and Matrize in September gave the BJP-led alliance 267 seats. Opinion polls are not electoral mandates, but they indicate that the combined image of Hindutva and development continues to resonate with voters.
This experiment in religious tourism is seeking a new answer to an age-old question: what does development mean? If development is defined solely in terms of production and consumption, temples become nothing more than tourism products. But if development means moving forward while keeping society connected to its roots, faith itself becomes a form of capital.
It is a form of capital that does not diminish when spent; rather, when nurtured properly, it grows. Uttar Pradesh has placed its bet on this very belief. The 2022 electoral mandate indicated that the people had accepted this proposition.
(The author, Prof. Anup Mishra, is Economist, DAV PG College, Varanasi. The views are personal)