Bhubaneswar: The exclusion of Odisha from the latest round of pilgrimage and heritage funding has raised eyebrows, particularly given the state’s status as a premier destination for spiritual tourism. According to a written reply in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Ministry of Tourism sanctioned numerous projects under its flagship PRASHAD and Swadesh Darshan(SD) schemes during 2025, benefiting 23 states across India. However, Odisha, home to the iconic Jagannath Temple in Puri and the historic temple city of Bhubaneswar, did not feature in the list of recent financial beneficiaries.
The PRASHAD and Swadesh Darshan schemes are central pillars of India’s strategy to modernize tourism infrastructure. They provide financial assistance to State Governments and Union Territories to develop major pilgrimage sites and temple corridors. The ministry’s objective is to enhance the visitor experience through holistic development, which includes the construction of queue management complexes, waiting halls, and the widening of approach roads to handle high footfalls.
The Union Minister’s statement detailed that these projects are developed through Detailed Project Reports created in consultation with local bodies and stakeholders. These reports are designed to ensure that the spiritual integrity and ingenuity of the sites remain intact while introducing modern amenities. Key interventions funded elsewhere in the country include CCTV surveillance for safety, solid and pious waste management systems, and sustainable features like rainwater harvesting.
Odisha’s absence from the 2025 funding cycle is notable because the state has been at the forefront of its own massive heritage overhauls, such as the Srimandir Parikrama Project in Puri. While the central schemes aim to boost local economies and conserve culture by strengthening infrastructure, the recent data suggests that the financial impetus for 2025 has been directed toward 23 other states, leaving Odisha’s famous spiritual hubs off the current central sanction list.
The Ministry continues to emphasize that its primary goal is to address environmental degradation and infrastructure strain in high-traffic religious locations. As other states move forward with central support for last-mile connectivity and interpretation facilities, the tourism sector in Odisha will be watching closely to see when the state’s major pilgrimage corridors might receive similar federal backing in future phases of these national schemes.