"During my recent visit to Kashi, I was astonished to learn that the city welcomes nearly a million (800,000) pilgrims daily during Mahakhumbh—a number Nepal struggles to achieve in an entire year, even with planned tourism campaigns," Gagan Thapa, general secretary of Nepali Congress, said while addressing a party program in Rolpa on February 23. "If Kashi can attract 580 million pilgrims annually, why can't Nepal bring in 10 million to visit Pashupatinath and Muktinath?"

He suggested launching a campaign that promotes Nepal as an essential extension of the Kumbh pilgrimage. "A pilgrim’s Kumbh journey is only truly complete if they visit Pashupatinath and Muktinath in the same year as Kumbh," he said.

Since January 13, 2025, the Indian city of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh has been in the global spotlight with the commencement of Mahakumbh 2025. This monumental religious gathering, occurring approximately once every 144 years, has attracted over 650 million devotees worldwide and is expected to generate more than $23 billion in economic activity, according to Indian authorities.

The Indian government, led by the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has invested significant resources in ensuring the event’s success. Beyond meticulous planning, it has strategically positioned Mahakumbh as a symbol of India's soft power on the global stage.

While India capitalized on Mahakumbh’s potential, Nepal faced controversy over a proposed 2.7 km-long cable car project at Pathibhara, a revered pilgrimage site in the country's east. Every year, thousands of Hindu devotees visit the Pathibhara Temple (Mukkumlung), perched atop a hill at the edge of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area.

Local organizations in Taplejung argue that constructing the cable car contradicts the beliefs outlined in Mundhum, the sacred scripture of the Kirat community. The Mukkumlung Conservation Joint Struggle Committee, leading the opposition, insists that the project threatens the cultural and spiritual identity of the Limbu/Yakthumba people, who have lived in the region for centuries.

The fate of the cable car project remains uncertain, but if completed, it could transform Pathibhara into a major pilgrimage destination.

Tour operators believe Nepal should take a cue from Mahakumbh’s success and strategically market itself as a spiritual hub, particularly given that its southern neighbor is home to 1.1 billion Hindus. Sacred sites like Muktinath, Pashupatinath, Lumbini, Swargadwari, and Janaki Temple hold immense significance for Indian pilgrims, presenting Nepal with a major opportunity to boost pilgrimage tourism.

Ramesh Ojha, the owner of Ojha Holiday and Tour - a leading religious tour operator specializing in the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, said that Nepal can learn valuable lessons from the Mahakumbh's economic impact by recognizing the untapped potential of its religious tourism sector.

Nepal’s sacred sites have long attracted Indian pilgrims. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Indians visit the revered Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. The Muktinath Temple in Mustang has witnessed a surge in Indian visitors after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the temple in 2018. The Janaki Temple in Dhanusha district also gained significant attention in India following Modi’s visit in the same year.

Following China’s decision to limit Kailash Mansarovar Region to foreign nationals, while barring Indian citizens in April 2023, many Indian pilgrims canceled their pilgrimage to the sacred site. Instead, they traveled to Muktinath and Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. This unexpected diversion resulted in Nepal experiencing an unprecedented surge of Indian visitors throughout 2023.

Nepal’s Spiritual Allure and Global Influence

Religious tourism accounts for more than a third of international travel worldwide, with approximately 450 million trips made annually. This segment is expected to expand significantly in the coming years, with projections estimating a 9.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2024 and 2034.

In December 2023, Hollywood star Jet Li visited Nepal, calling his journey "one of the most special Christmas weeks of my life”. Accompanied by his family, he attended a six-day Buddhist teaching session led by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and visited sacred sites in Kathmandu, including the Asura and Yanglesho caves in Pharping.

This was not the first time that Nepal’s spiritual mysticism attracted global icons. Keanu Reeves’ 1992 film Little Buddha introduced Lumbini to the world, while Morgan Freeman visited Nepal in 2018 to film The Story of God for National Geographic.

For centuries, Nepal has served as a spiritual sanctuary. From the ancient stupas of Swayambhunath and Bouddhanath to meditation caves and the sacred grounds of Lumbini, the country has preserved an unbroken spiritual lineage. Today, modern-day spiritual travelers continue to flock to Nepal, drawn by the wisdom of revered masters and the profound energy of its sacred sites. However, despite being the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, Nepal has yet to fully capitalize on its Buddhist tourism potential.

Pilgrimage Potential

Pilgrimage tourism holds immense potential for Nepal, but its success hinges not only on well-crafted policies but also on their effective execution.

While the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has worked to establish Lumbini as a premier tourist destination, challenges such as inadequate lodging, particularly during peak travel seasons, have limited its potential.

The effective branding of Hindu pilgrimage sites like Pashupatinath, Muktinath, Barahkshetra, Janakpur and Pathibhara—which have the potential to attract millions of Hindu devotees from India—remains unrealized. Similarly, Buddhist sites such as Lumbini, Bouddha (Kathmandu), Namobuddha (Kavrepalanchowk), and Swoyambhunath (Kathmandu) could be strategically interconnected and branded to enhance their global appeal.

Traditionally, Indian tourists have been drawn to Nepal’s revered religious sites, primarily Pashupatinath, Lumbini and Muktinath. They also travel to Kailash Mansarovar in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China via Nepal.

A substantial number of Indian tourists enter Nepal by land, often traveling by bus to major holy sites like Pashupatinath, Lumbini and Muktinath. However, these growing numbers often go unrecorded in official statistics, leading to an underestimation of its true economic and cultural impact.

Despite its potential, pilgrimage tourists represent a relatively small share of Nepal’s total tourist arrivals. Government data shows that pilgrimage tourists typically account for 13% to 15% of overall visitors. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in arrivals, but as travel restrictions eased, numbers rebounded, reaching 132,949 in 2023 - a testament to renewed global interest in Nepal’s spiritual and cultural offerings.

Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, remains a major attraction for Indian pilgrims. Visitor numbers have surged, increasing from 37,206 in 2020 to 260,010 in 2023—a more than six-fold rise.

Chinese tourists have also emerged as an important segment of Lumbini’s visitors. With half of the world’s Buddhist population residing in China, Lumbini’s historical and spiritual significance presents substantial opportunities for further growth in religious tourism.

Strategic Enhancements for Religious Tourism

Despite its immense significance, Lumbini faces challenges such as limited accommodations and inadequate tourism infrastructure. Similarly, major pilgrimage sites like Muktinath and Halesi Mahadev struggle with poor road conditions and water shortages which have limited their potential.

Bundling destinations — such as Lumbini - Muktinath or Janakpur - Barahkshetra — could enhance the appeal of these destinations, according to Shiva Hari Dangal, Executive Chairperson of Trade Tower Group, which operates Hotel Crystal Pashupati in Gaushala, Kathmandu. Nepal can also capitalize on India’s religious tourism initiatives, such as the Ramayana Circuit. Key sites like Janakpurdham (Sita’s birthplace), Pashupatinath, Lumbini, Muktinath and Manakamana hold significant appeal for Indian religious tourists.

A more holistic and tech-savvy branding approach is necessary to bridge the gap between strategy and execution. Developing strategic marketing initiatives, similar to those employed in India, could attract more visitors and foster a thriving economy centered around faith-based travel.

Ojha calls for leveraging public-private partnerships while reevaluating the effectiveness of existing strategies, such as appointing tourism ambassadors abroad, to exploit Nepal’s religious tourism potentials. "The focus should be on attracting high-quality tourists and improving supporting infrastructure to enhance the overall visitor experience," he added.

(This news report was originally published in   March 2025   issue of New Business Age Magazine.)