COVID 19 AND RELIGIOUS TOURSIM

Recently I travelled to Shri Sammed Shikharji, a pilgrimage site in Giridih district, Jharkhand, India.?It is located on Parasnath hill, the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand. One of the main occupation of people living here is of doli (a sort of palanquin) lifters. These lifters transport persons who are unable to ascend the 650 stairs to the summit of 24th tonk (Shri Parshwanath Tonk). Carrying devotees to the top of the hill in a doli requires particular talents, since the lifters must be precisely synced and their pace and height must not change. These lifters from Shikharji, Jharkhand, on the other hand, are experts. They are dedicated to their profession, which includes adhering to a strict diet.

The members of this group are from families who have been lifters for generations. They have developed a special expertise. Besides carrying the dolis, they also make the dolis themselves in Shravanabelagola.

There I met Mukesh, one of the doli lifter who carried us to the top of the hills. During the journey, ?he told us about his poor financial situation due to covid-19. Carrying doli to the top of the hills requires strength and proper diet. Also, he is the breadwinner of the family. Since Covid 19 hit the world, tourist stop visiting the holy place resulting in major decline in their business.

Considering the economic downfall that the world is still facing due to COVID-19, a thought came in my mind while having conversation with Mukesh, 'If individuals like us who are facing issues to look forward and keep building our economic foundations, what about people like Mukesh, those doli-wale, flower-seller outside the temples, etc. who earn and have hope for a daily living just by earning today?" They don't ask money for free but in return they offer one of the most important services and that is to make our reach to God more easy.

?COVID-19 is devastating the religious tourism industry in terms of economic, social, food, employment and faith related impacts. Pilgrimages are being stopped, and mass gatherings are halted. Religious tourism is one of the oldest types of tourism and one of the most important sectors of the tourism and travel business. It is an important component of the tourism business that attracts 330 million foreign tourists worldwide (UNWTO, 2014) and has a beneficial economic impact on the areas visited. Apart from offering numerous job possibilities, religious tourism plays a vital role in infrastructure development.

India is a place where we have so many different religions and paths, we follow different ways to reach to God. That is why there is not only one service like the doli-wala, there are uncountable services offered by different people who belong to different religions, be it Jainism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, etc. The value of these people here is much more than we can see and thus due to Covid-19 and Government regulations, these people are also among the ones who have suffered.

?Talking about government regulations, not only Indian Government, but government from all around the world are striving to strike a balance between keeping their economy afloat and avoiding dangerous levels of unemployment and hardship by taking these steps. This is an unusual circumstance. Few measures that could be done to better the situation are as follows:

• Any face-to-face religious tourism in the near future will require all visitors to wear a mask and sanitize their hands, as well as observe all required hygiene etiquette.
• Tourist attractions and places must maintain strong social boundaries, and management must monitor and restrict public access to their facilities.
• Professionals in the travel industry and government should focus on customizing travel infrastructure to the needs of visitors. The ideas may assist to alleviate outbreak-related tensions, provide traveller with fresh and enhanced experiences, and offset the impact of COVID-19 on the religious tourism business to some extent.
• This tragedy should be properly considered by tourism researchers and practitioners, as well as how it could inform industry and societal policies.
• By encouraging staycations and micro-holidays, as well as reforming current programme like the Swadesh Darshan and the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive, religious sites might play a significant role in restoring the Indian tourist economy (PRASAD).
• ?Collaboration with other well-known tourist attractions, such as Yoga, Wellness, and Ayurveda, which have deep ties to Hinduism, might also be a useful tool in reactivating the industry; these findings are encouraging even at this point of India's crisis.\

The?research?clearly?indicates?that?COVID-19?brought?religious?tourism?to?a?halt. India is still recovering from the outbreak, and it's difficult to say how long it will take for the country to get back on its feet. COVID-19, on the other hand, gives the tourist industry, politicians, and governing bodies a clear indication of the impacts of various alterations. The goal today is to recover from this worldwide disaster so that tourism may be revitalized and transformed.

Thinking about why so much regulations? Because religious places are considered as hotspot for COVID-19 Outbreak. It might still seem normal to us and a little hard to cope up again with the economy, but think about the people like doli-wala Mukesh.

For them it might be a strong jolt on their livelihood. When we are waiting to go back to pilgrims and temples, they are waiting for us to come back.