Kushinagar city has got into headlines as a new International airport is going to be inaugurated there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the international airport at Kushinagar on October 20. It is the site of Buddha’s Parinirvana and this initiation will place the city in the Buddhist tourism circuit. The inauguration ceremony is expected to be graced by more than 100 priests and eight high priests from Sri Lanka along with the Sri Lankan Prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s minister son Namal Rajapaksa. It is also expected that ambassadors of 10-15 countries will also be present there. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also attend the ceremony and the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister will address a political rally later.

Significance of Kushinagar

Kushinagar is said to be the place where Buddha died and achieved Parinirvana. The two places-the temples where Buddha died and the Stupa where he was cremated are the most visited places for Buddhists to visit. The place signifies Buddha’s death. PM Modi will visit the Parinirvana stupa. According to historical facts, it is said that Maurya King Ashoka visited the place, and the site was expanded to install a reclining statue of Buddha during the Gupta period. The present temple was built by the Central government in 1956.

It has been proved by the excavations by Indian and foreign archeologists during the past century that Piprahwa was the site of the ancient city of Kapilvastu, which was the capital of the Shakya kingdom. It is said that Siddharth (Gautam Buddh) had spent twenty-nine years of his life. Piprahwa is the place where a stupa was found buried with relics of Buddha engraved on it. Piprawah is nearly 100 km away from Kushinagar. The inauguration of an International airport will promote pilgrimages and religious tourism as the city is related to Buddhist sites.

As stated by the UP government officials, there will be more than 110 Buddhist priests and eight high priests coming from Sri Lanka along with Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa for the delegation. Religious ceremonies will be performed by the priests at the Parinirvana Stupa.

Usually, people living outside India have to take an international flight and then have to take domestic flights to reach their destination. Having an international airport in small cities will be convenient for people. Earlier in 2020, the cabinet approved an international airport in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. As it is ready for inauguration, it will be available for domestic and international flights. In countries, where Buddhism is a dominant religion, people can have a direct landing at Kushinagar International airport. The inauguration of the airport will not only serve a religious purpose but also bring other benefits to India. The tourism sector in India holds a lot of employment opportunities. After the airport starts, there will be a huge inflow of tourists which will provide small-scale business opportunities to the people of India. It will certainly strengthen the Indian economy. Uttarakhand government has also initiated the proposal for an International airport in Pantnagar. Once the Central government approves, it will also be available to receive tourists from countries across the World.