After PM’s push: Govt to develop 31 forts in Bundelkhand as tourism centres

A week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about the fort tourism industry of Europe and urged the Uttar Pradesh government to work on a tourism circuit for forts located near the Bundelkhand Expressway, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced that the state would be developing 31 historical forts in Bundelkhand region as tourism centers. In the meeting, the chief minister also directed officials to start with the restoration of forts, develop heritage hotels and water sports facilities for tourists.

In a meeting in Lucknow on Saturday, the CM directed the officers to prepare a concrete work plan for tourism development in Bundelkhand considering the historical and cultural significance of the region. He also directed them to get a coffee-table book published with all information about the archaeological, cultural and historical importance of the various forts in districts like Jhansi, Banda, Jalaun, Lalitpur, Hamirpur, Mahoba and Chitrakoot.

During a discussion about the Kalinjar fort that is spread across a 542-hectare area, the CM said a light and sound show, façade lighting and activities like camping, trekking and rock climbing should be organised by encouraging participation of private enterprises. He asked directed officials to explore the possibilities of activities like star gazing at night and nature trails at these forts.

The officials were told to work out plans for developing forts of Barua Sagar, Tahrauli, Digara ki Garhi, Champat Rai ka Qila, Mahal Mahipal Niwas and Raghunath Rao ka Mahal into heritage hotels and beautify these monuments with facade lighting. The government will also be looking into starting water sports and adventure tourism activities in the lakes located near Barua Sagar and Talbehat forts.

Adityanath directed the officials to follow the public private partnership model for funding restoration projects for forts and other heritage sites. The CM said that the officials could explore corporate social responsibility opportunities for funding these initiatives and that the state government would also fund these projects as per requirements.

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During the meeting, officials told the CM that the Archaeological Survey of India-protected Talbehat fort was in a good condition and it was a major centre of attraction for the tourists. The CM directed officials to work on improving the quality of roads leading up to the fort. He added that a professional agency should be roped in to conduct a study for the restoration of Bundelkhand’s forts and exploring more tourism opportunities in the region.