“Indian philosophy recognises the whole earth as Mother Earth. It is this philosophy that has given birth to the idea of ‘Vasudhaiva-Kutumbakam’ or ‘the World is one family.
— Usha Thakur, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Madhya Pradesh
Usha Thakur, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Madhya Pradesh said that millions of visitors visit the state to attend colorful festivals and rejoice, discover their spiritual connect. That is what Madhya Pradesh offers to tourists.
Speaking to ETTravelWorld, she said that the philosophy in the Indian Vedas and Upanishads propounded that the ‘individual’ or ‘samasti’ or society and ‘srishti’ or universe or creation and ‘Parmeshthi’ or ‘Ishvara’ were all interconnected. “We do not see them in isolation but as a whole. This philosophy recognises the whole earth as Mother Earth. It is this philosophy that has given birth to the idea of ‘Vasudhaiva-Kutumbakam’ or ‘the World is one family,” she said.
She went on to point out that the Indian Sanatan culture was based on the idea of Karma, in which the confluence of values, traditions, generosity, love and tolerance was visible. This was what India’s and Madhya Pradesh’s big draw among tourists, both domestic and international. “We are the spiritual capital of the world that draws people from far and wide. That is a large part of why nearly 90 million tourists throng to our state each year.”
“Culture is the cornerstone of the four tourist circuits that have been created in Madhya Pradesh: Gwalior-Shivpuri-Orchha-Khajuraho, Indore-UjjainMaheshwar-Omkareshwar-Mandu, Jabalpur-Bedaghat-Mandla-KanhaBandhavgarh, and Sanchi-Bhopal-Bhojpur-Bhimbetka-Pachmarhi.”
She also said that with the passage of time, great cultures of the world like the Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Iranian and Roman dissolved slowly while Indian culture has continued to flourish and thrive. “I think the main reason for this is that even today Indians are connected to their roots and their attachment to their religion and faith is deep. This has been made possible by the relentless efforts of all Indians to save the culture through generations by safeguarding various traditions, customs, religious rituals, dance, music, and literature,” she said.
Culture, she said was the cornerstone of the four tourist circuits that have been created in Madhya Pradesh: Gwalior-Shivpuri-Orchha-Khajuraho, Indore-UjjainMaheshwar-Omkareshwar-Mandu, Jabalpur-Bedaghat-Mandla-KanhaBandhavgarh, and Sanchi-Bhopal-Bhojpur-Bhimbetka-Pachmarhi. These tourist attractions were a showcase of the cultural heritage and ethos of the state.
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