PRASAD Scheme

The PRASAD Scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) is a central government initiative of India aimed at the holistic development of pilgrimage and spiritual destinations across the country. It is designed to promote tourism, enhance infrastructure, and preserve the cultural and spiritual heritage of India while improving the overall experience for pilgrims and visitors.

Background and Evolution

The PRASAD Scheme was launched by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in the financial year 2014–15. Its full form stands for “Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive.” The scheme was formulated in recognition of the immense tourism potential of India’s pilgrimage sites and the need to develop them in an integrated and sustainable manner.
In 2017, the scheme was expanded and renamed as PRASHAD — the National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive — to include heritage development alongside spiritual tourism. This rebranding aimed to integrate spiritual, cultural, and heritage elements under one mission, ensuring inclusive growth and sustainable tourism practices.
The PRASAD Scheme complements other flagship tourism programmes such as the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, which focuses on thematic tourism circuits, and the Iconic Tourist Sites Development Initiative. Together, they form part of India’s broader strategy for tourism-driven regional development and heritage preservation.

Objectives of the Scheme

The PRASAD Scheme has several clearly defined objectives:

• To develop and beautify pilgrimage destinations by providing integrated infrastructure.
• To enhance the visitor experience through improved facilities such as sanitation, drinking water, accessibility, and interpretation centres.
• To preserve the spiritual and cultural identity of heritage sites.
• To promote local art, culture, handicrafts, and cuisine, thereby generating employment for local communities.
• To adopt pro-poor and community-based tourism practices that empower local populations.
• To ensure sustainable tourism by incorporating eco-friendly technologies and responsible waste management.
• To strengthen infrastructure for accessibility and safety, particularly for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

Features and Implementation Mechanism

The PRASAD Scheme is centrally sponsored and funded by the Government of India through the Ministry of Tourism. The implementation mechanism includes the following core features:

• Central Financial Assistance (CFA): The central government provides financial support to states and union territories for infrastructure development at identified pilgrimage destinations.
• Project Identification and Planning: Sites are selected in consultation with state governments based on religious importance, heritage value, and tourism potential.
• Detailed Project Reports (DPRs): Each project is executed on the basis of a detailed plan outlining proposed works, cost estimates, timelines, and sustainability measures.
• Integrated Development Approach: Projects under PRASAD focus on the development of approach roads, lighting, parking, landscaping, public amenities, information kiosks, and water and waste management systems.
• Monitoring and Supervision: The scheme is overseen by a Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) and a National Steering Committee (NSC) to ensure transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
• Partnerships and Convergence: It encourages Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and convergence with other government programmes such as Swachh Bharat Mission, Smart Cities Mission, and AMRUT to optimise resources and outcomes.

Major Pilgrimage Sites Covered

Since its inception, the PRASAD Scheme has covered numerous religious sites representing diverse faiths. Some key destinations include:

• Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) – development of ghats and riverfront infrastructure.
• Amritsar (Punjab) – improvement of pilgrim amenities around the Golden Temple.
• Puri (Odisha) – infrastructure enhancement for the Jagannath Temple and related facilities.
• Ajmer (Rajasthan) – integrated development of Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Pushkar.
• Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) and Vellankanni (Tamil Nadu) – infrastructure and sanitation projects for temple and church precincts.
• Gaya (Bihar) and Patna Sahib (Bihar) – projects for Buddhist and Sikh pilgrimage tourism respectively.

As of 2025, more than 45 projects have been sanctioned under the PRASAD/PRASHAD scheme across 29 pilgrimage destinations, with many already completed or under advanced stages of implementation.

Funding Pattern and Governance

The funding pattern varies depending on the category of the state:

• For Northeastern and Himalayan states, the central government bears 100% of the project cost.
• For other states and union territories, the central government contributes up to 80%, while the rest is shared by the respective state governments.

A strong emphasis is placed on project governance, with detailed guidelines for procurement, financial management, environmental safeguards, and community participation.

Impact and Outcomes

The PRASAD Scheme has played a vital role in rejuvenating pilgrimage destinations and enhancing tourism infrastructure. Key outcomes include:

• Improved visitor amenities such as public conveniences, rest areas, parking spaces, and lighting systems.
• Boost to domestic tourism, with increased footfall at developed pilgrimage sites.
• Local economic development through employment in construction, hospitality, and handicraft sectors.
• Cultural revitalisation, as the scheme encourages preservation of traditional crafts, rituals, and architectural styles.
• Environmental sustainability, with several projects integrating solar lighting, rainwater harvesting, and solid waste management systems.

Challenges and Criticism

Despite its success, the PRASAD Scheme faces several implementation challenges:

• Project delays and cost overruns due to bureaucratic bottlenecks.
• Coordination issues between central and state authorities affecting project execution.
• Inadequate maintenance of facilities post-completion, leading to reduced longevity of infrastructure.
• Safety concerns, highlighted by isolated incidents such as the structural collapse at Simhachalam Temple, underscoring the need for stricter compliance with design and safety standards.
• Limited public awareness about the scheme in rural and less-developed regions, which restricts community participation.

Significance

The PRASAD Scheme holds great significance for India’s tourism and cultural policy. It not only strengthens the country’s position as a global centre of spirituality and religious tourism but also contributes to inclusive regional development. The initiative bridges the gap between cultural preservation and modern infrastructure by combining heritage protection with socio-economic growth.