Buddhist Tourism Trail project is aimed at Theravada Buddhism travellers. Theravada is the most ancient branch of extant Buddhism today. It developed in Sri Lanka and then spread over other Southeast Asian countries. Nowadays, apart from Sri Lanka, it is the dominant religion in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar with up to 90% of the population in these countries being Theravada Buddhists. There are also minority groups that practice Theravada in India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, and Vietnam. It gives Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau confidence that the project will prove a successful one.
The website will contain information on Buddhist tourist attractions including ancient temples, Buddha statues and meditation centres. There will be instructions on how to get to the sites, opening hours, admission fees and other useful tips and hints for visitors.
Some of the most populat attractions in Sri Lanka connected with Theravada Buddhism include: the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, a resting place for Buddha's tooth allegedly saved from his funeral pyre; Adam’s Peak, or the Sri Pada, an important pilgrim site with the sacred footprint of Lord Buddha on the summit of the peak; the Rock Temple of Dambulla in Mahavamsa, the last capital of the Sinhalese kings, on the main road to Anuradhupura.
Buddhist Tourism Trail Project to Attract Buddhist Travellers to Sri Lanka
News in AsiaThe Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau has laucnhed 'Buddhist Tourism Trail' website. The promotional website targets Buddhist travellers and educates visitors on Buddhism related attractions of the country.