Varanasi/Bhopal, March 31 – In a significant step to promote cultural and religious tourism between two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled neighboring states – Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh – the state governments have signed two crucial agreements during a business summit held in Varanasi on Tuesday.
One agreement was signed between the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust (in Varanasi) and the Mahakaleshwar Temple Trust (in Ujjain), and the other between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to promote cooperation in the field of "One District-One Product" (ODOP) products, according to an official statement.
This development occurred during the 'Madhya Pradesh-Uttar Pradesh Cooperation Conference' held in Varanasi in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and several Cabinet Ministers from the Uttar Pradesh government.
Addressing the conference, Chief Minister Yadav said that just as Varanasi holds great religious and cultural significance, Ujjain also has a special spiritual importance.
He added that both states share geographical, cultural, spiritual, and historical ties.
Chief Minister Yadav said that recognizing the immense potential for religious tourism in both cities (Ujjain and Kashi), Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated major development works.
Addressing the program, the Chief Minister added that both states are ushering in a new era of spiritual and religious tourism.
"Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are jointly developing a shared religious tourism circuit, which will accelerate tourism and provide devotees with a seamless and enriching pilgrimage experience," he said.
The 'Sammelan' (conference) was organized to provide a common platform for the industrial strengths, traditional crafts, ODOP, and GI-tagged products, agricultural and food products, investment opportunities, and tourism potential of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
On this occasion, Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Minister Nand Gopal Gupta expressed that the 'Sahyog Sammelan' (Cooperation Conference) was a clear example of the deep understanding between these two neighboring states.
He also noted that the Baghelkhand, Gwalior–Chambal, and Bundelkhand regions of Madhya Pradesh share close ties with Uttar Pradesh.