Unlike the Buddhist sites in Bihar, Sikkim and the UP, which have been positioned in the world tourism map, the ones in Odisha have not been positioned, even though there are 200 such sites with 15 of them completely excavated.
The only attraction is the Buddhist triangle, popularly known as the Diamond Triangle of Odisha comprising Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and Udaygiri, which is about 100 km from Bhubaneswar. When it comes to Buddhism, Odisha has a rich heritage. But the Tourism Department of the state has not been able to market the state’s Buddhism tradition either within the country or outside.
This was observed by the speakers at the inaugural session of the three-day 4th Kalinga International Buddhist conclave which began at Udaygiri on Monday. Thousands of tourists from East Asia, Southeast Asia and Nepal visit Bodh Gaya in Bihar every year, but only a few of them come to Odisha. Until now, Buddhist sites in Odisha have been in the shadow of the popular Puri-Konark Hindu pilgrimage tourism.
To quote Sunil Patnaik, secretary, Odisha Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies (OIMSEAS), “We came to know about our rich Buddhist heritage only in the last two decades when excavations started. In other States, Buddhist sites were excavated and marketed much before which is why they are drawing so many tourists.” As many as 200 international and national Buddhist scholars, tour operators, monks, travel bloggers and writers participated in the event.
