Madhesh Province Submits 10-Point Memorandum to Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for ‘Visit Madhesh, Understand Madhesh’ Campaign
The Madhesh Province Government has taken a significant step to advance its ambitious project, “Visit Madhesh, Understand Madhesh”, by handing over a 10-point memorandum to India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh.
On Thursday in New Delhi, campaign coordinator Bikash Kumar Thakur personally met Minister Singh and delivered the memorandum. The document emphasizes the need for deep coordination between Nepal and India to realize the shared potential of religious tourism.
The main points of the memorandum include:
- Construction of a Janakpur–Ayodhya religious tourist corridor.
- Operation of bus/train services from India to religious sites in Madhesh Province.
- Launch of a direct air service from Ayodhya to Janakpurdham.
- Special inclusion of Janakpurdham in the Ramayana Circuit within both Nepal and India’s tourism policies.
- Promotion of Janakpurdham in India under the slogan “Ram is incomplete without Sita”.
- Digital boards in Ayodhya and Varanasi to promote Madhesh’s religious sites.
- Support for the internationalization of Madhesh’s key religious destinations.
- Listing Madhesh’s religious sites as cross-border tourism destinations in India’s tourism policy.
- Joint promotional campaigns for the religious sites of both countries.
The memorandum specifically mentions major religious sites in Madhesh such as Janakpurdham, Gadhimai, Dasharath Tapu, Devghat, and Chandragiri Hill, underscoring their role in strengthening the shared cultural history between Nepal and India.
According to coordinator Thakur, “This is not just about tourism; it is a movement for cultural revival. If these demands are implemented, the relationship between Madhesh and India, as well as religious tourism, will reach historic heights.”
This meeting is expected to inject new energy into Nepal–India cooperation in religious tourism, with the “Visit Madhesh, Understand Madhesh” campaign now having reached the highest political levels in India.
