THE Madhya Pradesh Government, under the leader ship of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, is firmly committed to the cultural resurgence of the state and to positioning Madhya Pradesh as one of the finest tourism destinations in India and on the global map, said State Minister for Tourism, Culture, Religious Trusts and Endowments (Independent Charge) Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi. Addressing a press conference in Bhopal on the completion of two years of development and public service, Minister Lodhi said India is witnessing a phase of cultural renaissance under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Madhya Pradesh is playing a leading role in this transformation. 

 

He said tourism-rich Madhya Pradesh, known as the “Heart of Incredible India”, holds immense potential in heritage, culture, wildlife and spiritual tourism. Highlighting key achievements, the minister said that more than 14 crore tourists visited Madhya Pradesh last year, marking a growth of nearly 25 per cent, the highest in the country. Over the past two years, the Tourism Department has received more than 18 national and international awards for excellence. He added that the government aims to increase tourism’s contribution to the state’s GDP to 10 per cent.

 

Minister Lodhi said that more than Rs 900 crore is being spent on the development of 20 cultural and religious destinations across the state. Omkareshwar is being developed as ‘Advait Lok’, with the 108-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya already installed, and over Rs 2,400 crore sanctioned for the second phase. He also highlighted projects such as the Ram Van Gaman Path and the Krishna Pathey Yojana, which focus on preserving and pro India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.

 

On rural tourism, the minis said that over 400 homestays have been developed in the last two years, generating more than Rs 7 crore in direct income for rural families. The government now plans to expand this number to 1,000 homestays. Through events like the Regional Tourism Conclaves and Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart, investment proposals worth nearly Rs 10,000 crore have been received.

 

He said that Madhya Pradesh has 18 heritage sites out of India’s total 69 UNESCO recognised sites, and efforts are underway to add more locations to the UNESCO World Heritage and Tentative Lists. Developing Bhopal, Indore and Maheshwar as UNESCO Creative Cities is also a key priority of the government. Minister Lodhi also shared achievements of the Religious Trusts and Endowments Department, including the successful operation of the Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana, renovation of 132 government managed temples, increased honorariums for priests, and digitisation of temple records across districts.

 

The Culture Department, he said, has made significant strides in heritage conservation, museum development, cultural festivals, documentation of tribal traditions, and preservation of ancient manuscripts and monuments. Madhya Pradesh has also set several Guinness World Records in classical music, dance and cultural events over the last two years.