EXISTING HERITAGE SITES IN NCR.

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1 13 Heritage and Tourism 13.1 BACKGROUND Tourism plays an important role in promoting faster, sustainable and more inclusive economic growth. It has better prospects for promoting pro-poor growth than many other sectors. The XII th Five Year Plan has estimated to creation of 78 jobs per million rupees of investment in the travel and tourism as compared to 45 jobs in the manufacturing sector. The NCR is endowed with a vast and multilayered history of diverse cultural heritage and natural resources with prospects to develop the Region a globally competitive tourism destination. The Region has ancient cultural sites of international, national, regional, and local significances. The natural expanse of the NCR is diverse in terms of vast forest areas; hills and ridges part of Aravalli ranges; rivers, large wetlands; arid hinterlands which are home to large number of flora and fauna. All these tourism resources attract a large number of domestic and international tourists in NCR (Map 13.1) EXISTING HERITAGE SITES IN NCR. Man-made Heritage There are 258 centrally protected monuments protected by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and 20 State protected monuments protected by State Archaeological Departments in the constituent States of NCR (Table 13.1). NCT Delhi has the highest number of Centrally protected monuments (166) followed by Haryana Sub-Region (63) and Uttar Pradesh Sub-Region (26). State protected monuments are more in Rajasthan Sub-region. However, there are a larger number of unprotected monuments. The unprotected monuments are those monuments, which have not yet been identified as culturally valuable, but may be good examples of cultural/historical heritage that is being slowly obliterated is traditional urbanscape. This is because neither of the Centre/State Archaeological Protection Acts recognizes them as possessing heritage value. These areas may or may not contain individual buildings, which qualify for protection, but when considered as an ensemble, they represent valuable heritage worthy of conservation. Table 13.1: Number of Protected Monuments in various Sub-Regions of NCR Protection/State Haryana Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh NCT-Delhi Total Centrally Protected State Protected NA 20 Source: Study Group Report on Environment including tourism, heritage, pollution, disaster management etc In addition to the above legally protected monuments, the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has also listed 1,627 monuments and 26 conservation areas in the region that need to be protected. As much as 74 percent unprotected monuments are located in Haryana Sub-region. State wise details are given in Table These heritage sites need to be identified and marked for appropriate protection.

2 188 Regional Plan 2021 Table 13.2: Number of Monuments and Conservation areas listed by INTACH Sub Regions Haryana Uttar Pradesh Rajasthan Delhi Total Monuments 334 NA 85 1,208 1,627 Conservation Areas 0 NA Source: Indian National Trust for Arts and Culture Heritage, 2010 Monuments Box 13.1 The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 defines an Ancient Monument as follows:- Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years and includes i. Remains of an ancient monument, ii. Site of an ancient monument, iii. Such portion of land adjoining the site of an ancient monument as may be required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving such monument, and iv. The means of access to, and convenient inspection of, an ancient monument; Archaeological site and remains means any area which contains or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of historical or archaeological importance which have been in existence for not less than one hundred years, and includes Such portion of land adjoining the area as may be required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving it, and The means of access to, and convenient inspection of the area; Source: Archaeological Survey of India 13.3 SUB-REGION WISE MAN-MADE HERITAGE SITES NCT-Delhi In 1911, Zaffar Hasan an historian had identified 1,321 monuments in Delhi which have also been reflected in MPD Over the years this number, according to INTACH, reduced to 1,208, which included 166 centrally protected monuments by ASI under ASI Act, 1958 The Municipal Corporation of Delhi had notified these monuments as heritage buildings. Besides, State Government is in the process of notifying about 150 monuments in NCT Delhi. The Government of NCT Delhi is also in the process of enactment of a Heritage Building Act for preservation of the buildings, which are more than 100 years old. In fact distinctive historical pattern of Delhi has a large number of highly significant heritage resource mainly dating from 13 th century onwards. Heritage typologies include archaeological sites, fortifications, citadels, religious complexes, tombs, historic gardens, water harvesting structures, historic walled city etc Rajasthan Sub-Region There are four centrally protected monument in Rajasthan Sub-Region listed below in Table 13.3.

3 Heritage and Tourism 189 Table 13.3: Centrally Protected Monuments in Rajasthan Sub-Region, (Alwar District) S. No. Name of Monument/ Site Location 1 Shiva temple Neelkanth 2 Ancient site Bhangarh 3 Ancient remains Pandrupol 4 Lal Masjid Tijara Source: Archaeological Survey of India In addition, there are 14 monuments that are on the State protected monuments list under the Rajasthan Monuments, Archaeological Sites and Antiquities Act, Natural heritage sites in the Sub-region are given in Table Table 13.4: Natural Heritage Sites in the Sub-Region S.No Name of the Area Category 1 Sariska National Park Special Protected Area 2 Aravalli Hills Hilly Areas 3 All natural and man-made water bodies including village ponds Uttar Pradesh Sub-Region River systems, wetlands and water bodies e.g. Siliserh Lake, Jaisamand Lake, Vijay Sagar Bund are major water bodies which are also famous picnic spots. There are 26 centrally protected monuments under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Act of which 10 each are in Meerut and Bulandshahr District, 3 in Baghpat, 2 in G B Nagar and 1 in Ghaziabad. There are two State protected sites (Baleshwar Nath Mandir and Begum Samaru Mahal in Meerut) under the Directorate of Archaeology, UP. Besides these legally protected monuments, the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has listed a large number of monuments worthy of receiving protection. In addition, there are several ancient and medieval archeological sites primarily located in Meerut which are of interest to both the scholars as well as the tourists. Natural heritage There are a large number of Natural heritage sites in the Sub-region, viz. Hastinapur Sanctuary, River Yamuna, Ganga, Wetland, etc Haryana Sub-region Haryana Sub Region is abundant in built and natural heritage sites associated with mythology and history in the region. Built Heritage includes buildings, artifacts, structures, areas and precincts that are of historic, aesthetics, architectural or cultural significance, precincts of the environment significance or scenic beauty etc. Natural Heritage: Haryana Sub region is gifted with a number of natural sites which illustrate the bio diversity of the Sub Region. It includes Hilly areas: Aravallis at Gurgaon, Faridabad and Mewat River Systems, Yamuna Wetland Systems, Damdama Lake, Gurgaon, Sohna Lake / Hot water Spring, Gurgaon Badkal and Surrounding Lakes, Faridabad Kotla Dhar Lake, Mewat,All existing man-made and natural water bodies including village ponds,special Protection Areas: Sultanpur national Park Gurgaon, Bhindawas Birds Sanctuary Jhajjar. Legal instruments for regulations of Heritage areas. Recent amendments in the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act,2010 has made it mandatory to identify the prohibited and regulated areas around centrally protected monuments (Box 13.2) this will help in regulating the surrounding areas of protected monuments.

4 190 Regional Plan 2021 Box 13.2 PROHIBTED AND REGULATED AREAS (Section 20 A and 20 B) Every area, beginning at the limit of the protected area or the protected monument, as the case may be, and extending to a distance of one hundred meters in all directions shall be the prohibited area in respect of such protected area or protected monument. Provided that the central Government may, on the recommendation of the Authority, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify an area more than one hundred meters to be the prohibited area having regard to the classification of any protected area. REGULATED AREA: Every area, beginning at the limit of prohibited area in respect of every ancient monument and archaeological sites and remains, declared as of National importance and extending to a distance of 200 meters in all directions shall be regulated area in respect of every ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains. HERITAGE BYE-LAWS(Section 20 E(1) The competent authority, in consultation with the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage, being a trust registered under the Indian Trusts Acts, 1882, or such other expert heritage bodies as may be notified by the Central Government, shall prepare heritage bye-laws in respect of each protected monument and protected area. The Heritage bye-laws include matters relating to heritage controls such as elevations, facades, drainage systems, roads and service infrastructure (including electric poles, water and sewer pipelines. The Central Government shall, by rules specify the manner of preparation of detailed site plans in respect of each protected area or protected monument or prohibited area or regulated area, the time within which such heritage bye-laws shall be prepared and particulars to be included in each such Heritage bye-laws. Source: The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, TOURISM Tourism involves a number of activities, services and industries comprising of transportation, accommodation, eating and drinking establishment, retail shops, entertainment business and other hospitality services provided to individuals or tourist groups traveling for leisure, business or other purposes. Considerable development of tourism has taken place in Sub-regions through the respective Department of Tourism. The respective State Departments have been very active and have developed a variety of tourist places in their Sub-Regions. Tourism has the potential to stimulate other economic activities through forward and backward linkages. The tourism policy should be pro-active to diversify the options available to the tourists and activities through the development of smaller tourism circuits so that tourists have wider options to choose from a sample of the diverse range of tourism sites available within the region TOURIST FLOW IN NCR In 2009, the Delhi Airport received 31.8% of the total million international tourists visiting India. Delhi had the highest number of international tourists visiting NCR. About 42% of the total foreign tourists visited the tourist places in Delhi, 32% in Uttar Pradesh, 23% in Rajasthan and 3% in Haryana. In respect of domestic tourists visiting NCR, Uttar Pradesh (80%) attracted a large share followed by Rajasthan (15%), Haryana (4%) and Delhi (1%) (Table 13.5 and Figure 13.1 & 13.2).

5 Heritage and Tourism 191 Table 13.5: Domestic and International Tourist Visits to NCR Participating States State/Year Domestic Tourists(in lakh) Foreign Tourists(in lakh) All India Delhi Uttar Pradesh Haryana Rajasthan Source: India Tourism Statistics 2007, 2008 & 2009, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Figure 13.1: Percentage of Domestic Tourists visiting Figure 13.2 Percentage of Foreign Tourists visiting NCR States (2009) NCR States (2009) Source: India Tourism Statistics, 2009, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India NCT Delhi The National Capital Territory of Delhi, which is strategically located at the centre of the region comprehensively reflects ancient past with contemporary cosmopolitan cultural expressions. The capital city of Delhi is rich in culture, architecture and human diversity, varied history, monuments, museums, galleries, gardens and exotic shows. The city houses the diverse range of natural and man-made built assets form Indraprastha (rule of Pandavas of Mahabharata fame) rein to contemporary British rule. The National Capital has numerous edifices of cultural, archaeological, historical, architectural, educational, economic, social and natural significances in forms of forts, monuments, tombs, historical precincts, cultural landscapes, religious structures, historical settlements, colonial architecture, natural parks, recreational facilities, urban cultural centres, etc. that is why it attracts a large number of tourists and visitors to the city. Delhi is the potential hub of connectivity and destination to most of the tourist circuit and destinations in the Northern Plains as it strategically connects to rest of the pan northern areas and popular and remote destinations by virtue of its logistical facilities and compatible visitor infrastructure. Delhi is already an established destination of the golden tourism triangle of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur. Delhi also acts as international and national tourism transit destination for the tourists bound to Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh, thus establishing it as the tourism gateway to northern India with immense potential and opportunities which can be exploited for benefit of the NCR. In the NCT Delhi, the following two circuits have been identified for integrated development. Circuit 1: Heritage circuit covering the heritage monuments and structure in the NCR Circuit 2: Religious circuit, covering the important places of worship such as Akshardham, Bahai Temple, Jama Masjid, Nizamuddin Dargah, Gurdwara Bangla Sahab, etc.

6 192 Regional Plan 2021 In majority of domestic as well foreign tourists visited archaeological protected monument like Qutub Minar and Red Fort area.both these monuments as well as Humanyun s Tomb are the rich cultural Heritage in the city and are listed as World Heritage Monuments by UNESCO.Breakup of tourist sites visited by the domestic as well foreign tourists is given in Annexure 13/I. Tourist destination like Purana Qila, Jantar Mantar, Safdarjung tomb, Bahai temple, Raj Ghat, Lodhi Garden etc. are also frequently visited by the domestic and foreign tourists as these sites have good supporting infrastructure Uttar Pradesh Sub-Region Several areas of the State included in NCR are of religious, historical, cultural and archaeological importance. Most of these destinations find mention in the epic Mahabharata. The Garh Mukteswar is the closest point to reach the holy River Ganges from the National Capital at a distance of 100 km. Tourist destinations noted in the state within NCR are listed in Annexure 13/I.Tourists visiting some of the destinations in Uttar Pradesh Sub-region are given in Table A. Religious sites There are 39 religious/ pilgrimage sites which are visited by various religious groups. Domestic religious tourism accounts for the maximum tourist traffic. These sites have low spending domestic tourist traffic. These sites face the problems of encroachment, poor conservation, maintenance, tourist amenities, nonavailability of signages and parking during festivals. B. Eco -Tourism Sites Various ecologically sensitive sites of the UP Sub-region are divided into (i) 1 Special Protected Area (ii) 3 Eco-sensitive Reserved Forest Areas and (iii) River Systems (Ganga, Yamuna, Hindon), Wetlands and Water bodies. The entire zone is ecologically protected and provides an excellent site for mini tours and recreational trips in the natural environment. Table 13.6: Tourists Visiting some of the Destinations of Uttar Pradesh in NCR ( ) Destination Tourists Overnight staying tourists Number % of State Number % of total tourists Garh Mukteswar % Hasthinapur % Meerut % Uttar Pradesh Source: Tourism Statistics of the State of Uttar Pradesh, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, In Uttar Pradesh, the following four tourism circuits have been identified for integrated development. (Table 13.7) Table 13.7: Tourism Circuits listed by Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh, 2011 S.No. Tourism Circuit Destinations 1 Mahabharata Circuit Hastinapur, Baghpat, Bijnor. 2 Circuit related to Ist War of Independence in 1857 Jhansi, Meerut, Lucknow, Raibareilly, Unnao, Kanpur, Bithoor, Sitapur, Badaun, Bareilly, Hathras, Shahjahanpur, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Gorakhpur, Devaria, Azamgarh, Balia, Varanasi, Allahabad, etc. 3 Christian Circuit Meerut-Sardhana, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Gorakhpur etc. 4 Handicraft Circuit Lucknow, Agra, Aligarh, Firozabad, Rampur, Kanpur, Kannauj, Vrindavan, Muradabad, Khurja, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Chunar, Jaunpur, Gorakhpur, etc. Source: Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh

7 Heritage and Tourism 193 Survey of the Ministry of Tourism held in reported few tourists visited the destinations in the districts of Uttar Pradesh included in NCR. A. Tourists Infrastructure in UP Sub-region In UP Sub-region, maximum number of tourist interest sites are in Meerut district especially in Meerut town. The number of tourists visiting these tourist destinations and fairs during festivals are showing an increasing trend for both domestic and foreign tourists. Most of the tourists from foreign countries come to Sardhana to visit Begum Samru church and Hastinapur.Tourist accommodation mainly includes Hotels, Bed and Breakfast facilities, Dharamshalas and tourist Bungalow in the Sub-region. Districtwise details of accommodation facilities is given in Table Table: 13.8 Tourist Accommodation Facilities in the Sub-Region, 2010 (District wise) Districts No. of Hotels No. of BnBs No. of Dharmshalas Tourist Guesthouse(Government) UPSTDC Rahi Tourist Bungalows Baghpat Meerut Ghaziabad G.B Nagar Bulandshahr Hapur Total Note: BnB stands for Bed and Breakfast units Source: Regional Tourist Office, Meerut, Rajasthan Sub-Region The tourist places in Alwar district are listed in Annexure-13/I. Alwar District (RSR) has a strategic location for tourism. The sub- region is situated within the popular and famous Golden Triangle Circuit connecting Delhi Jaipur Agra. According to tourist estimates, about 60% of international tourists visiting India come to these three places. Moreover, the Perspective Plan for Tourism in Rajasthan 2021, suggests, Alwar (RSR) as part of Brij Mewat Circuit, which is for wildlife tourism enthusiasts. It includes Alwar-Sariska-Deeg-Bharatpur- Dholpur-Karauli-Sawai Madhopur. Tourism statistics available from the Department of Tourism, GoR, show that the main centres for tourism in the sub-region are Alwar, Sariska, Siliserh and Behror. Tourist arrivals in these four centres are shown in Table 13.9 below. Table 13.9: Tourist Arrivals in Major Centres in the Sub-Region, S.No Location Year 2007 Year 2008 Foreign Total Domestic Foreign Total Domestic 1 Alwar Sariska Behror Siliserh Source: Statistics of the Tourist Arrivals in Rajasthan, Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan Based on the tourist arrivals, the above four tourist destinations are ranked among the major tourist destinations in Rajasthan state. From the above table it is clear that Alwar is the most visited destination in the sub-region followed by Sariska. A. Accommodation In the Rajasthan sub-region, Alwar Town has a well-developed hotel accommodation. Alwar Town is also the predominant destination of choice due to its convenient location in respect of the tourism destinations as well as the availability of hotels and guest houses for tourists. Alwar Town offers a wide range of accommodation options for tourists in the form of hotels, guest houses, dharmshalas, etc.

8 194 Regional Plan 2021 The tourism accommodation in the area ranges from heritage hotels offering luxury stay and services to budget hotels. The room availability in all the different classes of hotels and guest houses is 1229 and the availability in number of beds is 2773 (Table 13.10). Table 13.10: Accommodation Facilities in Rajasthan Sub-Region (2011) Location Category No. of Hotels No. of Rooms No. of Beds Alwar Ordinary Heritage Star Resort Dharamshala Sub-Total Alwar Sariska RTDC Ordinary Sub-Total Sariska Behror Ordinary Sliser RTDC Bhiwari Ordinary GRAND TOTAL Source: Department of Tourism as on , Alwar Haryana Sub-region The Haryana sub region has a mix of tourism experiences, combining both history/nature/culture with recreational and entertainment facilities. The Sub-region has many listed national monuments, archaeological sites of Harrapan civilization significance and Sarswati Valley Civilization, natural wetlands, reserve forests and sanctuaries, recreational zones, adventure experiences, etc. supported by world class urban experience in the form of shopping malls, entertainment facilities, civic amenities, multimodal transport oriented development, etc. Haryana tourism is one of the successful entrepreneurship examples in public-private partnerships in creating tourism facilities and amenities. The forte of Haryana s tourism development has been highway tourism, wayside tourism, night-halt/motel tourism, recreational/ leisure centres, etc. which are the strengths that give impetus to non-itinerary scheduling of the tourists and visitors In Haryana Sub-Region, the following tourist circuits have been identified Circuit 1: Kalka-Panchkula-Naraingarh-Yamuna Nagar-Kurukshetra-Thanesar-Pehowa-Panipat Circuit 2: Rohtak-Meham-Hansi-Hissar-Dabwali Circuit 3: Surajkund Damdama Lake-Faridabad (Badhkal Lake)-Palwal During , about 31.8 lakh tourists visited Haryana Sub-Region which included 95% domestic and 5% foreign tourists (Table 13.11). Table 13.11: Tourists Visiting Districts in Haryana Sub-Region District Number of Tourist Number of Visitors Spots Foreigner Indian Total Haryana State Panipat Sonipat Rohtak Jhajjar Rewari Gurgaon Faridabad Total Source: Haryana Tourism Department

9 Heritage and Tourism PROBLEMS, ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES Despite the impressive range of its superb cultural, natural, and spiritual endowments and sharp increase in tourist arrivals in recent years, the region s share of world tourism remains insignificant Connectivity Problems: NCR s connectivity is limited and focal to NCT, thus acting as a constraint to tourism growth in the region. There is only one major domestic and international airport at New Delhi thus restricting the air access within the NCT. The road connections to the destinations within the NCR are limited to the state and national highways but not as effective last mile connections to the specific sites.in order to provide easy and quick access to these destinations within the NCR a tourist specific multi-modal transit facility should be planned ranging from Heli-services, NCR cab services, Tourist coach services, dedicated tourist suburban railway trains, etc Inadequate Destination Infrastructure: Utilities and civic services, such as water, sanitation, and solid waste management are inadequate and do not provide safe and attractive environments for visitors. Lack of visitor information and interpretation facilities is limiting proper interpretation of the NCR s cultural heritage. There is an urgent need to improve the infrastructure and services in these sites most of which are National and State protected monuments Lack of Product Identity: The cultural and natural edifices/resources in the region seriously lack any product identity or brand identity. The experience of the visitors and tourists to these sites are fragmented. There are no blueprints for integration and management plan for the tourism resources of NCR. The delineation of theme based destination, circuit, trail and night halts need to be executed to determine the tourist experience and movement pattern within these sites in the region Weak Heritage Protection and Destination Management: The regions enormous potential for tourism development is further constrained by inadequate institutional capacity and human resources of sector agencies to plan, develop, protect, and manage these cultural and natural heritage destinations and deliver quality tourist experiences. Though all districts of NCR have their own tourism development master plans prepared by their respective states, they need to be in sync with regional goals Lack of Host Community Participation: The heritage sites in the region offer great potential for diversifying and spreading tourism benefits in the region.lack of tourism-related skills among the local populations, and weak supply chain linkages between the local economy and tourism. There are immense opportunities to promote inclusive tourism and community tourism products in and around these cultural and natural sites through infrastructure development and special efforts for mobilizing communities to engage in the tourism economy Inappropriate Land-use and Circulation Patterns: The current designated land uses in and around most of these sites of NCR have non compliant land-uses which dominate the character of the place. These land usage and the resulting services in return have started generating negative impact on the historic environment of the place. These development need to be regulated according to indigenous site conditions. Site to site assessment of its character and influence zones will determine the parameters of future development Limited Private Participation: Currently the private sector provides hospitality services, including accommodation, retail, and tour operations. Investments to improve connectivity and destinations, which are identified in close consultation with the industry, will induce private investments in complementary hospitality services Participating State Governments Policies: All of the NCR States policies promote sustainable and inclusive development. Most of the tourism strategy documents of these participating State Governments affirm the need for the regional and cross state border tourism promotion, but it is imperative to develop a regional policy for better management and governance Regional Cooperation in Tourism: The participating State Government and state tourism departments jointly need to carve out a niche market with tapping of potential synergies of tourism

10 196 Regional Plan 2021 endowments available in the region. The participating tourism nodal agencies need to work together and promote tourism in the region. There is the need of convergence of individual state tourism strategies/policies/development plans and adopt a single framework for operation of tourism activities within the NCR Towards Joint Development of Infrastructure: There is a need for participating states commitment to joint development of infrastructure along defined multi-state circuits that combine complementary state assets into marketable regional tourism products National Capital Regions Tourism Development Vision: The vision of NCR tourism goals requires commitments from the participating states mainly focussed on protection, development planning and promotion of the natural and cultural resources available in the NCR POLICIES AND PROPOSALS Protection of Man-made Heritage Sites Central and State Legislations ensure physical protection of the buildings/sites but they have not been able to control the development of the land appurtenant to the actual protected area. This is where it is possible to employ the instrument of the Town and Country Planning Legislation to protect the area around the protected monument. In view of this, following policies/strategies are proposed: i) The listing of monuments and conservation areas of all the towns/districts in NCR should be completed on priority basis. All the centrally protected, state protected and listed buildings should be identified with their footprints on the Master/Zonal Plans of each town and in the District Plans in the region. Specific requirements for their protection should be highlighted in the said plans and may vary according to their level of significance. A distinction needs to be made between the legally protected buildings and the 'listed' buildings. The 'listed' buildings do not require the same level of scientific protection as the centrally and state protected monuments. ii) Town and Country Planning Legislations of the constituent States have provisions for the development of "Special Areas". Each State should use this instrument to declare the area around the protected monuments to be special areas and prepare area level plans for an area covering 300 metres around it. These plans should clearly indicate the nature of development, permissible and nonpermissible activities within this area in conformity with the prescriptions provided in the central and state archeological protection legislations. iii) The respective departments of archaeology should indicate where they reasonably expect to find underground ruins, and these areas should be duly identified in the Master Plan for each town and the respective district level plans. Buildings proposed to be constructed in these areas should require a no-objection certificate from the relevant departments of archaeology before the building plans are sanctioned. iv) In order to implement these policies, if any amendment is required in the Town and Country Planning Act of the constituent States, it should be done Protection of Natural Heritage Sites i. All the identified areas of natural heritage should be protected in terms of land use and pollution control in the vicinity to ensure the protection of biodiversity and urban ecosystems. Afforestation with right type of species and control of growth of monoculture should be taken up in hilly areas. ii. Right type of agricultural practices including social forestry, energy plantation and agro-forestry would go a long way to improve the natural environment.

11 Heritage and Tourism 197 Map 13.1 Tourist Destination in NCR DELHI MEGA DESTINANTION FARIDABAD-GURGAON-MEWAT CIRCUIT JHAJJAR- REWARI CIRCUIT PANIPAT- SONEPAT- ROHTAK CIRCUIT BULANDSHAHR- GAUTAMBUDH NAGAR CIRCUIT MEERUT-BHAGPAT- GHAZIABAD CIRCUIT ALWAR CIRCUIT iii. The enforcement of the prohibition, directions notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India dated [under Section 3(1) and 3(2) (v) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and rule 5(3) (d) of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 restricting certain activities in specified area of Aravalli Range which are causing environmental degradation in the region] should be ensured while taking up developmental activities in the region. A special Conservation Plan for the above notified areas should be prepared by the respective State Governments/Authorities Development of Tourism Sites Tourism Development Plan should be prepared highlighting the smaller tourist circuits with one to four days trip within the region to promote tourism incorporating following policies and strategies:

12 198 Regional Plan 2021 i) The heritage and tourist sites should be used as instruments to direct land use policy towards more decentralized patterns of development. They should be clearly identified on the land use plan to prevent encroachment and inappropriate development and should be integrated with the potentials for cultural and leisure tourism. ii) iii) iv) Tourism circuits covering tourism, leisure, cultural and heritage sites should be created with one to three days trip and should be given priority in development of transportation and other infrastructure. Fiscal incentives should be provided for the purpose. Private sector should be encouraged to help in development of tourism and also invest in maintenance & upkeep of tourist destinations in the region. Tourism should be recognised as an important source of employment. Proper database for heritage and tourism sites should be developed and updated from time to time. v) Publicity of the heritage and tourist sites in the National Capital Region should be done through media.

13 Heritage and Tourism 199 ANNEXURE 13/I: Most Visited Tourist Destinations in Delhi Most Visited Tourist Destination Figures in Percentage Domestic Overnight Domestic Day Foreign Overnight Visitors Visitors Visitors Qutub Minar Red Fort Delhi Zoo Pragati Maidan Dilli Haat INA Jama Masjid Akshardham Mandir The Bahai Temple (Lotus Temple) Hazrat Nizam-ud-din Shrine National Science Centre Museum Purana Qila National Rail Museum Gurudwara Bangla Shahib Gurudwara Sis Ganj Raj Ghat ISKCON Temple Humayun's Tomb Chhatarpur Temple India Gate The Garden of Five Senses National Museum Palika Bazaar Jantar Mantar Laxmi Narain Temple (Birla Mandir) Indira Gandhi Smriti Lodhi Tomb Mughal Garden Gandhi Smriti Nehru Museum Gurudwara Rakab Ganj National Museum of Natural History Nehru Planetarium Shankar's International Dolls Museum Craft Museum Yog Maya Mandir Buddha Memorial Ahimsa Sthal Air Force Museum Safdarjung Tomb Sanskriti Museum Dilli Haat - Pitampura National Gallery of Modern Art Kotla Feroz Shah Tughlaqabad Fort Rahim- Khan- I-Khana Sultan Ghari's Tomb Asola Wild Life Sanctuary Source: Tourism Survey in the State of Delhi -Annual Final Report (Ministry of Tourism, Department of Tourism, Government of India)

14 200 Regional Plan 2021 A) Tourist destinations of Uttar Pradesh in the NCR District Tourist destination Nature of touris m Description Baghpat Badagaon Cultural Jain temple. Stone idols with inscriptions of 12th/13th century Pura Mahadev (Baloni) Lakshagarh (Barnava) Valmiki Ashram (Balani) Cultural Cultural Cultural Shiva temple founded by Lord Parasuram on the bank of river Hindan. Area developed in 9th century. Finds mention in Mahabharat. Shrines of 17th century are present. Panchamuki shiva-lingam temple. Legends say that this was ashram of Rishi Valmiki and Sita stayed here during vanavas. Sita gave birth to Luv and Kush in this place. Nearest important destination City Delhi Meerut Meerut Meerut Distanc e (km) 22 km 36 km 42 km 29 km Meerut Hastinapur Cultural Jain temples of more than 160 years old. It was mentioned in Mahabharata as capital of Kaurava and Pandavas. Place of archeological importance. Meerut Cultural Pond built in 17th century. Baba Manohar Nath temple build in the period of Shajahan. Chanda Devi Temple. Mansa Devi Temple. Bargah of Bale Miyan built in Jama Masjid of Angharhnath temple. Vidhura ka tila. Draupadi ki rasooi. Very ancient Mausoleum of Shahpir. Digambar Jain temple. Sandhana Cultural Place of historical importance. Church built in 1820 and fort. Mawana Cultural Place of historical importance. Finds mention in Mahabharat. Parikishat garh Cultural Place of historical importance. Gandhari Talab, Rishi Shran Ashram. Believed that Maharishi Ved Vyas started to write Mahabharat here. Meerut Delhi/ Lucknow Meerut Meerut Meerut 37 km 70 km 21 km 26 km 22 km Pura Cultural Shiva temple founded by Lord Parasuram Meerut 32 km Karkhanda Cultural Place finds mention in Mahabharata. Meerut 18 km Lawar Commu nity Handicrafts village. Handlooms and kambal works. Meerut 16 km Bahsuma Cultural Place of historical importance. Finds mention in Mahabharat as Treasury of Kauravas and Pandavas. Meerut 35 km Barnawa Cultural Place finds mention in Mahabharata. Meerut 36 km Ghaziabad Mound of Cultural Place where civilisation of 2500 BC was noted. Mohan 2 km Kaseri Nagar Garh Mukteshwar Cultural Place of historical and religious importance, associated with Mahabharata. The closest point from the capital where river Ganges flow. Mukteshwar Mahadeva-Ganga temple. Kot Village Cultural Place of historical importance. Samundra Gupta performed Ashwameda yaga here. Delhi 100 km Delhi 100 km Ajrara Cultural Place of historical importance. Fort built in Hapur 13 km Bahadurgarh Cultural Place of historical importance. Handicrafts village for handlooms, pottery. Ghaziabad 48 km

15 Heritage and Tourism 201 District Tourist Nature destination of Description Dasna Cultural touris Place of historical and religious importance. Temple of Sati Malindi Devi. Farid Nagar Cultural Place of historical importance. Palace of Nawab Farid- Ud-Din-Khan of Akbar regime. Nearest important destination Ghaziabad Ghaziabad 10 km 30 km Hapur Cultural Place of historical importance for buddism. Delhi 65 km Loni Cultural Place of historical importance. Antiqutes, shiva temple, Delhi mosque are present. Modi Nagar Cultural Temple built in 19th century. Ghaziabad 25 km Murad Nagar Cultural Mausoleum of Mirza Mohammed Murad Mughal. Ghaziabad 14 km Bulandshar Karnavas Cultural Place finds mention in Mahabharata. Godess Kalyani temple exists. Ahar Cultural It is on the river Ganga. Temples of Godess Avantika and Shiva exists. Bulandsar Bulandsar Belon Cultural Temple of Godess Belon is situated. Bulandsar Anoopshahr Cultural An old town famous for pilgrimages. Situated on the river Ganga. Bulandsar Rajghat Cultural On the bank of Ganga, with several temples. Bulandsar Valipura Natural A scenic place on the river. Bulandsar Khurja Commu nity Source: Functional Plan for Tourism NCR. Pottery town Bulandsar 17 km B) Tourist destinations of Haryana in NCR District Tourist destination Nature of tourism Description Nearest important destination City Distance (km) Gurgaon Damdama lake Natural Boating and scenic landscape. Eco-tourism. Gurgaon 5 km Sultanpur Natural Birds sanctuary. Eco-tourism. Gurgaon 10 km Dhankot, Saiyad Cultural In Mahabharat times, Gurgaon was a thick forest Gurgaon 3-11 km in which ashram of Guru Dronacharya existed. Here, Pandav and Kaurav princes got their training in warfare. Also found in Buddist literature. Adi Cultural Center of art and architecture of Gujara- Pratiharas. Idols of medieval period present. Sohna 3 km Malab Cultural Place of archaeological importance. Nuh 5 km Sanghel Cultural Place of archaeological importance. Gurgaon 10 km Ujina Cultural Place of archaeological importance. Delhi 32 km Sohna Natural Natural hot water spring. Gurgaon 30 km Farukhnagar Cultural Jami Masjid built of Agra red stone. Shrine of Budho mata. Place of historical importance Gurgaon 21 km Pataudi Cultural Place of historical importance. Palace of Nawab of Pataudi. Gurgaon 26 km

16 202 Regional Plan 2021 District Tourist destination Nature of tourism Description Sonepat Sonepat Cultural Place finds mention in Mahabharata. Finds place in Ashtadhyayi of grammarian Panini. Town in existence since 600 BC. Antiquiets excavated. / Handicrafts. Wooden furniture (pidhis) woven with cotton thread/sutli. Pottery. Gohana, Ganaur, Kharkhoda, Rajlu Garhi, Murthal, Rai, Khanpur Kalan, Mundlana, Butana, Baroda, Bhatgaon, Kathura, Akbarpur Barota, Kundli and Shamri, Purkhas, Gujjar Kheri, Bal Gram, Rai.(places of interest) Faridabad Badkhal lake Natural Bird watching, water sport, picturesque locations of Aravalli hills. Surajkund Cultural Ancient reservoir of 10th century. Asola Bhatti Wild life sanctuary. Sun temple. Faridabad Cultural Forts, Palaces, tank and mosque built by Shair Farid of 1607 AD. Akshardham, Birla Mandir, Lotus mandir. Nearest important destination Delhi Delhi Delhi 32 km 10 km 25 km Jhajjar Bindawas lake Natural Birds sanctuary. Lake resort. Jhajjar 18 km Rhotak Tilyar lake Natural 132 acre lake with resorts. Delhi 70 km Rohtak Cultural Finds mention in Mahabharata. Place of historical and archaeological importance. Antiquities of ancient civilization found, Asthal Bohar. Delhi 71 km Meham Cultural Jama Masjid converted to Gurudhwara. Several mosques of historical importance. Gaokaran tank, temples of Lord Shiva, Devi and Hanuman. Rewari Rewari Cultural Place of historical importance and finds mention in Mahabharata. Bada Talab-Hanuman mandir of year Lal Masjid build during Akbar regime in Panipat Panipat Cultural Place of historical and cultural importance. Ancient monuments are present. Grave of Ibrahim Lodi.Kabuli Bagh (1557 AD). Sala Gunj Gate.700 years old tomb Dargah of Shah Kalandar Khizar Khan Kala Amb Cultural The site has a ancient brick Piller with an iron rod and the structure is surrounded by an iron fence.the country side is no less famous than the city of Panipat remnants of various buildings and structure along with archaeological interest. Mewat Mewat Community Land of the Meos, has its genesis in its tribal inhabitants, the Meo tribals, who are agriculturalist. The area is a distinct ethnic and socio-cultural tract. The Meos, who trace their roots to the early Aryan invasion of Northern India, call themselves Kshatriyas and have preserved their social and cultural traits. A place of historical importance. Source: Functional Plan for Tourism NCR. Rohtak Delhi Karnal Panipat Gurgaon 30 km 82 km 46 km 8 km 30 km

17 Heritage and Tourism 203 C) Tourist destinations of Rajasthan in NCR Tourist Nature of Description Nearest destination destination tourism City Distance (km) Alwar Cultural Alwar fort (1550 A.D), Alwar Palaces Complex Delhi 170 km (Palace, Centotaphs, tanks), Rani Moosi Cenotaph of prominence, Vijay Mandir Palace, Hope circus (architectural monument), Jaisamand lake. Sariska Cultural / Natural Sariska Palace, Tal Vrakhsha temples, Sariska Alwar 40 km wildlife sanctuary and Tiger reserve, Kankwari, Tehla and Kushalgarh forts. Siliserh Cultural Siliserh lake Palace Alwar 5 km Tijara Cultural Religious place. Ancient Jain temple. Alwar Neemrana Cultural Fort. Alwar Tatarpur Cultural Fort. Alwar Bansur Cultural Fort. Alwar Taalvriksh Cultural / Natural Religious place and sanctuary Alwar Kesroli Cultural Fort. Alwar Kushalgarh Cultural Fort. Alwar Viratnagar Cultural Religious place. Alwar Bhartrihari Cultural Religious place. Alwar Pandupol Cultural Religious place. Alwar Kankwari Cultural Fort. Alwar Tehla Cultural Fort. Alwar Pratapgarh Cultural Fort. Alwar Rajgarh Cultural Fort. Alwar Ajabgarh Cultural Fort. Alwar Bhangarh Cultural Fort, religious place. Alwar Naraini Matha Cultural Religious place Alwar Source: Functional Plan for Tourism NCR. D) List of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of National Importance in Rajasthan Sub-region S.No. Name of monument/site Locality District 1 Shiva temple Neelkanth Alwar 2 Ancient site Bhangarh Alwar 3 Ancient Remains Pandrupol Alwar 4 Lal Masjid Tijara Alwar Source: Archaeological Survey of India. E) List of Protected Monuments in Rajasthan S.No Name of Monument Locality 1 Alwar Palace (including Govt. offices, Govt. Museum private parts of Maharaja and Zenana Palaces) Alwar 2 Tripoliya Alwar 3 Fateh Ganj Gumbad Alwar 4 Krishna Kunda Alwar 5 Raj Garh Fort Rajgarh 6 Bhartrhari Gumbad Tijara 7 Nau Gaja Neelkantha 8 Fort Indore Indore 9 Khan Zada ki Kabaren Indore 10 Ancient Palace of Bada Gujar Rajgarh 11 Someshwar Mahadev Temple Bhangarh 12 Pathan Kabaren Tijara 13 Cenotaph of Musi Maharani Alwar 14 Bala Kila Alwar Source: Archaeological Survey of India. F) List of Protected Monuments in Haryana Sub-Region S.No Name of Monument District 1 Shishmahal Gurgaon 2 Dehra Temple Gurgaon Source: Archaeological Survey of India.

18 204 Regional Plan 2021 G) List of Protected Monuments in U.P Sub-Region S.No Name of Monument District 1 Cemetery at the junction of Meerut - Delhi Road Meerut 2 Mound known as Ulta Khera and the mound or Raghunathji Meerut 3 Andhra Court, a high brick fortress supposed to have been built by Meerut Mahi 4 Cemetery of the Meerut racecourse Meerut 5 Tomb of Shah Peer Meerut 6 Begum's Palace Meerut 7 Roman Catholic Church Meerut 8 Tombs or Sardhana Cemetery Meerut 9 Two mounds (Kheras) named Khorkali and Jalapar Meerut 10 Archaeological Site & Remains comprised in Survey Plot Nos. 736, Ghaziabad 738/2, 738/3 & parts of Survey Plot Nos. 737, 738 / 1 and 738 / 1 and 738 / 4 as shown in the site plan 11 Raja Karan ka khera Ghaziabad 12 Several large tumuli (Kheras) in and about Ahar. Bulandshahr 13 Ruins of an old temple known as Chandrani-ka-Mandir Bulandshahr 14 Balai Kot or Upper Fort Bulandshahr 15 Large mound known as Moti Bazaar Bulandshahr 16 Two cemeteries Bulandshahr 17 Masonry tank and ancient temple Bulandshahr 18 Ahirpura mound or lesser temple mound Bulandshahr 19 Kundanpura mound or the great temple mound Bulandshahr 20 Lofty mound with a small village perched on the east northeastern Bulandshahr side of it. 21 Khera or mound called Talapatnagari or Myaji Khera Bulandshahr 22 Ancient mound at Kasuri Baghpat 23 Mound known as Parasu Ram ka Khera Baghpat 24 Mound known as Lakha Mandap Baghpat Source: Archaeological Survey of India.