Sunday May 13, 02:54 AM
McNirvana
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By Banasree Purkayastha
Jessica Adams had no idea about Sikhism except helping her NRI Sikh husband in tying his turban. But now she can recite the "Eik Omkar" with finesse. This became possible only after the couple flew from Canada to Punjab, after opting for a Sikh tourism package. The trip was not devoid of fun. Not only did Jessica visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Damdama Sahib and Anandpur Sahib, she also indulged in a shopping spree that included the mandatory Punjabi jootis, parandeys and phulkari handiwork. Says Parvinder Singh, who organised the tour, "NRIs from Canada, US and UK are our main customers. The second-generation NRIs want to know about their culture and we offer them custom-made tours, keeping their comfort in mind." But it is not only NRIs who are opting for such spiritual tours sans the discomfort associated with it. For a lot of Indians, spiritual quest is no longer about slumming it out in a dharamshala. Spiritual travel has gone high-class, with all the trappings of luxury. People are queuing up with their Louis Vuitton bags to get their darshan, expenses notwithstanding. It is a mix of the esoteric and the exotic which high-end faith travellers are seeking. From travelling in private jets to sleeping in palaces, sumptuous meals to meditation ceremonies, personalised excursion trips led by guides who are experts in archaeology, art and history to having a physician on call - it's all that you could dream of. Points out Heena Akhtar, COO at Travel Port Holidays India Ltd, which organises trips to Kailash Manosarovar besides the more popular treks like the Amarnath Yatra, Vaishno Devi and the Shree Shikharji Yatra, "Religion has always been the top reason for travelling in India. The only difference now is that people do not want to huff and puff up the hill but arrive in style to receive blessings." Not just India, but across the world, there has been an increase in overall demand for religious travel by people and travel agents and tour operators are cashing in on these spiritual encounters. Between 2-3% of all worldwide tourists today are classified as religious or spiritual, according to Kevin Wright, executive director of the World Religious Travel Association, a trade group set up this year to help organise the faith-based market. "The worldwide religious tourism industry is valued at an estimated $18 billion; the worldwide international tourism industry (receipts) was valued at $680 billion in 2005," he says. The religious travel mart in India is put at around Rs 200 million. There are several key reasons for the growth, including people around the world seeking more "intimate" and meaningful vacation experiences; for many, this means combining their faith with travel. Explains Wright, "The trend of integrating faith with travel has grown in the past two decades because major tour companies and travel agencies are also entering the market now." TravelCorp India is one such tour operator that has seen the writing on the wall. The Kolkata-based company is putting the finishing touches to its plan to send around 700 Jains on a cruise along the South China Sea. The entire group will be flown on a charter flight to Singapore from where they will set sail for a religious meeting that will include a yagna on the high seas. Since the casinos or bars would be anathema, special films, religious discourses, satsangs have been planned, while traditional Jain meals will be prepared by a bevy of special chefs. Says TravelCorp executive director, Shekhar Niyogi, "The group wanted to have the yagna on the sea so we approached them with the cruise option. It will cost about $1000-1500 per person. We have earlier organised trips for Catholic groups to religious places in Europe We have approached church groups who have responded enthusiastically to the idea." The Buddhist circuit in India has always been popular with tourists flocking in from Sri Lanka, the Far East and Japan. In 2005, the number of tourist arrivals from Japan to India crossed one lakh. And while they are here, they also indulge themselves at luxury spas, throwing in some meditation and yoga. Says Ashok Khanna, Managing Director, IHHR, "People combine a wellness holiday with visits to ashrams and temples. Ananda in the Himalayas hosts people who come for a wellness holiday to detox and distress and combine it with an aarti on the banks of the river Ganges." The increased advertising and sales efforts by tourist boards catering to the religious market (examples include India, Jordan, Egypt and Scotland), the greater number of travel guide books being published on the subject - for example, one of the world's largest publishers Thomas Nelson is debuting in 2008 a new faith-based travel guidebook series - have contributed to the visibility and publicity of religious tourism. "Not just interest in one's own religion but curiosity about myriad faiths is also propelling this industry. So you have non-Buddhists going to Tibet or Myanmar, well-heeled Indians on a shamanic journey to exotic Egypt," says Niyogi. Tourist Packages 1 INDIA BY PRIVATE JET:
TCS Expeditions
The high-points of this 23-day trip are the stops at Golden Temple, Amritsar, Bodh Gaya, Varanasi, Bhubaneshwar and the Sun Temple, Ellora & Ajanta Caves.
PRICE: $44,950 Double
$48,150 Single
2 THE SOUL OF INDIA: AN EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY BY PRIVATE JET : Abercrombie and Kent
This trip takes you to Mumbai, Aurangabad, Kochi, Kumarakom, Agra, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur Varanasi, Khajuraho, Delhi.
Price : $70,339
3 GREAT FAITHS:
TCS Expeditions
Trip to major fountainheads of the world's religions: Vatican City, Jerusalem, Varanasi, Lhasa, Amritsar, Cairo:
Price: $42,950 Double
$45,650 Single
4 LANDS OF THE GREAT BUDDHA: Starquest Expeditions
Celebrating Buddhism's Cultural Treasures in China, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia
Price :$38,950 Double
$44,840 Single
5 OBEROI PHILAE NILE CRUISE: Cox & Kings : It offers a 10-night private journey, which visits the main sights of lower Egypt, and includes a 6-night cruise on the Oberoi Philae including flights from London, accommodation, full board on the cruise, guided excursions and transfers.
Price: £1,495 per person,
6 THE SPIRIT OF TIBET - 2007
This tour explores the remote and extraordinarily beautiful mountain kingdom of Tibet. After a brief visit to Beijing trips are organised for the Forbidden City and Great Wall.
Price : £2695 onwards
7 SOUTH KOREA: Cox & Kings
Vist to Buddhist temples in Seoul, Gyeongju besides a trip to the island of Jeju
Price: USD 3475
8 SIKH PILGRIMAGE TOUR: Sikh Tourism
A 7-day trip with stops at Golden Temple, Anandpur Sahib, Damdama Sahib besides smaller gurudwaras at Ludhiana, Patiala besides the three gurudwaras in Delhi
Price: Rs 35,000
9 KAILASH MANOSAROVAR BY HELICOPTER: Travelportindia
Price: Rs 1,35,000
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