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from Upali Rupasinghe in New Delhi

India is planning to open a free airport at Buddha Gaya, where flights from any corner of the world could land without being restricted by bilateral agreement.

A vast land between Buddha Gaya and Gaya town has been earmarked for the proposed project by both Union government and the Bihar State government in consultation with aviation authorities.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Shahnawaz Hussain told newspapers that just as Jeddah has become a round-the-year global hub because of Mecca, the government want to make Buddha Gaya something similar.

Buddha Gaya where the Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment is one of the sacred Buddhist sites beside Sarnath, Kushinara, Shravasthi, Vaisali, Sankassa, Rajgiri, Nalanda and Kapilawastu. All these sties are within the Buddhist Circle in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

At present, Buddhist pilgrims from abroad has to travel to Buddha Gaya after reaching Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata or Mumbai international airports.

Hoteliers and travel agencies feel the move could usher in a bonanza for them. If the free airport at Buddha Gaya opens as it was proposed, the sacred tiny city could become a kind of catchment centre from where tours to other nearby Buddhist centres and even to the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal could be worked out.

Beside around 20 mini hotels and three large hotels are to be constructed for tourists within one km of the sacred area. Nikko Hotels, a Japanese group, has already bought up the Tourist Development Corporation Hotel at Buddha Gaya, realising its potentials.

Under pressure from its own religious groups, the Japanese government has long been keen to help the Indian authorities to develop the region. interest in the Buddhist sites is also high in other countries like South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Japan.

According to civil aviation officials, the opening up of the Buddha Gaya free airport, however, could lead to demands to open more airports. 

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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