Gujarat has decided to ‘rope in’ Lord Ram and Mahatma Gandhi to give a boost to its tourism. The move will be a big draw, said government spokesman and Tourism Minister Jay Narayan Vyas.

The government plans to connect all the places having historical or mythological link with Gandhi and Lord Ram and market inbound tours. The “Gandhi Tour” – as it will be titled – is part of the Central Government’s Rs 1,600 crore initiative to use the name of the Father of Nation as a tourist attraction. Gandhi’s grandson and West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi will oversee the development of the project.

“Gujarat has places linked to the important stages of Gandhi’s life. It begins with his birthplace Porbandar, followed by Rajkot and Ahmedabad from where he started the freedom movement and where his ashrams still exists. Finally, it ends at Dandi where he broke the salt law that shook the British Empire. There is also the old Circuit House where he was tried by the British,” Vyas said.

The tour will have stopovers at these places and is designed to attract tourists not only from India but also abroad. Vyas said: “Gandhian thought is becoming more acceptable globally, with leaders like Mandela and Obama invoking his name in public speeches. Likewise, vegetarianism and abstaining from alcohol are becoming more fashionable among the elite classes.”

The “Ram Tour” will operate on the same line, Vyas said, linking places in various areas mythologically associated with the deity.

“There are areas in the southern districts of Dangs, such as Gautam Ashram, which are mythologically associated with Lord Ram. There are other places on the border as well where lakhs of people come each year. We will capitalize on those areas as well,” he said.

“If Sri Lanka can cash in on Ramayana to promote tourism, then why not Gujarat? We have old temples and sites which have been mythology woven around them. These will be of interest to both domestic and international tourists,” he said.