Need for a narrative: Religious tourism in Assam

Ranjan Kumar Bhagobaty

(The writer can be reached at rbhagobaty@gmail.com)

Religious Tourism in Assam is Need of the Hour

Julia Roberts portraying the life of American journalist Elizabeth Gilbert in the movie 'Eat Pray Love' travels to India to discover the Power of Prayer. Globally India has always been revered for its spirituality and mysticism. India's soft power or as some like to put it as its 'Vishwa Guru' role is now beginning to manifest itself in numerous ways possible. From renowned personalities like Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Inc.) who had visited India for spiritual guidance to the present-day scenes of Yoga and Ayurveda becoming integrated regimens for health and fitness across the world, India has indeed come a long way. Religious tourism which is the backbone of the tourism industry in India contributes to around 45 per cent of the total export incomes derived annually and is steadily on the rise. However, for it to happen in the ashtalakshmi i.e., the North-Eastern states of India like Assam on a greater scale and pace, a scriptwriter with a penchant for history and brand building is required. Let's examine how …

The buzz created during the tussle between the states of West Bengal and Orissa for claiming historical originator (geographical indicator rights) for one of India's most loved sweetmeats 'Rosogolla' is still fresh in everyone's memory. Finally, based on the claims made both states were given the Geographical Indications (GI) tag for two different variants of the same popular sweet dish. Similarly, the narrative built around historical realities/ legends does go a long way in establishing the brand image of a particular region or state when it comes to religious importance for tourism. The story of Kerala Tourism with its 'God's Own' tagline and Ayurveda promotion is well known. About the religious tourism sector, the examples of states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, which have subtly mainstreamed the Devo Bhoomi description through their government portals are interesting.

I got curious to find out more about religious tourism from a tweet asking twitteratis about whether they have visited the Twelve Jyotirlingas located in India. A search on the worldwide web revealed that dual or multiple references (narratives) from different Indian states with regards to the religious importance of a temple or historically significant site located within their territory is quite common. For example, the location of Bhima Shankar Jyotirling (one of the twelve revered Jyotirling of Shiva in India) is claimed in Rajgurunagar near Pune (Maharashtra), Pamohi near Guwahati (Assam) and Bhimpur (Orissa). Most of these narratives can be accessed on Wikipedia pages however reference to Bhimshankar Jyotirling being located in Kamrupa (Assam) was also found by me in the book: Immortal India -Volume 2 by Jayantakrishna Harikrishna Dave.

Another such duality of narrative which has intrigued me for quite some time now is the reference to the legend of the love affair between Aniruddha (Krishna's grandson) and Usha (the daughter of King Banasura). For us, in Assam, the images that flash across once somebody mentions the legend is that of the historic city of Tezpur and the stone sculptures on Agnigarh and Chitralekha Udyan. A detailed web search however does spring up more surprises as the same legend is narrated for the place known as Ukhimath in Uttarakhand. Many more such narratives based on history/ mythology/legend can be found in the case of Gupt Kashi (a town near Kedarnath in Uttarakhand with Vishwanath Temple) and Biswanath Chariali located in Assam with Biswanath Ghat Temple and archaeological remains which are also referred to as Gupta Kashi. It is also interesting to note here that the railway station of Biswanath Chariali town in Biswanath district of Assam is named as 'Viswanath Charali' (station code VNE) and not 'Biswanath Chariali' as commonly pronounced or written in the state.

People's beliefs and the ensuing religious practices (also the hospitality /food industry that develops around such sites) over some time, cannot however be changed or contested. A recent research paper published in the year 2020 in the International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, highlights the strategy of boosting domestic tourism by using the Indian cultural dimensions of religiousness as a primary step for recuperating the Indian Tourism Sector post the Covid-19 pandemic. The creation of tourist infrastructure and amenities which are also equally important should ideally revolve around the story (narrative) developed for each of the religious sites. It is therefore imperative that lesser-known places with the historical religious significance of Assam are projected to the domestic and foreign tourists interested in religious/pilgrimage tourism with a revamped set of well-researched narratives.

Assam's experiences in the past with regards to narratives (reports/dossiers) for world heritage site recognition, incorporation of Assamese language in a separate slot in Unicode, GI recognition for Bhoot/ NogaJolokia (Nagaland has managed to secure GI rights for King Chilli), have not always led to desirable results. Recently, I came across a press release stating that Assam has exported 'Burmese Grapes' or Leteku to Dubai. Interestingly, many common English names are ascribed to the fruit, such as Latka, Lutco, Lotqua, Leteku (accepted from Assamese vernacular), Baccaurea, Mafia including the name 'Burmese Grapes'. Scientifically the tree is named Baccaurearamiflora and/or Baccaureamotleyana. Most of the news reports however choose to prefer the name 'Burmese Grapes'. The best approach would have to simply name the fruit 'Leteku'. The narrative or the description, therefore, plays a vital role in enhancing an objects unique branding both domestically and globally. It also prevents possibilities of future disputes arising due to multiple claimants for the uniqueness/ characteristics or origin.

Promotion of lesser-known historic sites of religious importance found in Assam has the potential to generate much-needed employment opportunities for the youth in their home state during these new normal times. A concerted effort from all stakeholders led by the State government towards achieving this task of clear and prominent projection of Assam's rich religious heritage for enhancing the potential of Religious Tourism in Assam is, therefore, the need of the hour.