India is undergoing cultural renaissance: Minister Shekhawat
By Arun Kumar Das
Ujjain (MP), Aug 29 (BVI): India is undergoing a Cultural Renaissance, with the young generation taking pride in the country’s traditions and this resurgence will power the nation to become the world’s third-largest economy soon.
This is what Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Shekhawat said at the 2nd Global Spiritual Tourism Conclave organised by PHDCCI, a leading chamber of business and commerce.
“Religion and culture know no frontiers, they are India’s eternal soft power,” he said.
Spiritual tourism is one of the largest collective movements in the world. According to the Tourism Ministry data over 1.4 billion pilgrims visits took place in India in 2022 alone, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all domestic tourism. The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 saw 66 crore devotees, the largest gathering in human history.
Hailing Ujjain’s spiritual heritage as a beacon for global tourism, Shekhawat said, “Our culture survived 2,000 years of invasions and 200 years of colonial rule, yet it remains vibrant and unbroken. From Adi Shankaracharya’s 24,000-kilometre journey spreading Indian wisdom to the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj uniting every sect and tradition, India has always guided humanity spiritually.”
Union Minister further recalled Ujjain’s glorious history, from King Vikramaditya to Lord Krishna’s learning at Sandipani Ashram, stressing that India’s cultural influence once extended far beyond today’s borders. “Religion and culture know no frontiers, they are India’s eternal soft power,” he added.
Participating in the event, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mohan Yadav said Baba Mahakal’s divine presence has made Ujjain a global destination symbolising India’s living traditions.
“Our temples are not only places of devotion; they are foundations of democracy. With projects like the Mahakal Lok Corridor, Omkareshwar, Chitrakoot and Amarkantak developments and preparations for Simhastha 2028, we are building a model where devotion and development walk together. This conclave is a platform to showcase India’s heritage and forge global partnerships for spiritual tourism.”
Delivering the keynote address, Dhira Gaura Das, Spiritual Leader, ISKCON Ujjain, remarked, “Cities around the world are built with purpose – Las Vegas for entertainment, Mumbai for business and Ujjain for spirituality. With state-of-the-art facilities, Ujjain is fast emerging as one of the world’s leading pilgrimage centers. Spiritual tourism already contributes 2.5 per cent to India’s GDP and with vision and planning, this can grow much further.”
Rajan Sehgal, Co-Chair – Tourism Committee, PHDCCI, remarked, “This conclave has brought together an extraordinary confluence of leaders from government, spiritual institutions and industry. Together, we must carry forward India’s eternal role as the land of spirituality.”
The inaugural session witnessed the release of the PHDCCI-KPMG Report on Spiritual Tourism, ‘Faith & Flow: Navigating Crowds in India’s Sacred Spaces’, which analyses the economic impact of pilgrim flows, identifies opportunities for technology & wellness integration and recommends models of sustainable pilgrim management.
A closed-door Government-Industry roundtable chaired by CM Yadav with Union Minister Shekhawat, featured corporates, temple trusts, wellness experts, tech companies, hospitality leaders and aviation players. Investment announcements included Sage Group’s Medicity projects in Bhopal and Indore, Radisson Hotels’ expansion in Ujjain, Sri Mandir’s digital pilgrim services and Indigo Airlines’ plan to increase flight frequency ahead of Simhastha 2028.
A knowledge-sharing session connected Mahakal Temple administrators and district collectors of MP with Mela Authority of Prayagraj and temple heads of Tirupati and Shirdi, exchanging best practices on crowd management, sanitation and technology, paving the way for a collaborative framework of temple management across India. (BVI)
