BHUBANESWAR: BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra on Wednesday met Union minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and sought inclusion of Odisha’s globally significant Buddhist heritage sites under the Centre’s Buddhist circuit and related tourism initiatives.
Patra submitted a memorandum and said the ‘Diamond triangle’ comprising Ratnagiri, Udayagiri, and Lalitgiri, together represent one of eastern India’s most important Buddhist monastic and scholastic landscapes.
These sites reflect the evolution of Buddhist traditions from early Buddhism to Mahayana and Vajrayana influences, while also showcasing ancient Kalinga’s maritime and cultural linkages with Southeast Asia, he added.
The Buddhist sites were recently included in India’s UNESCO tentative list, creating a significant opportunity for heritage conservation, tourism infrastructure development and international Buddhist tourism promotion, Patra added. The Union minister assured him that the matter would be appropriately looked into.
