Authors: Ruchi Gandhi
Abstract: Religious tourism is one of the most important and significant sectors of the Indian tourism industry. It plays a major role in contributing to economic growth, employment generation, infrastructure development, cultural preservation, and regional development. Gujarat is the one of the states from India which has rich religious heritage and some of them are known worldwide such as Somnath, Dwarka, Ambaji, Dakor and Palitana. However, some other religious destinations are underdevelopment though they have tourism potential. One such destination is Kameshwar Mahadev Temple, situated on the bank of the Ambika River in Gadat village, Navsari District, Gujarat. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the potential for sustainable development of Kameshwar Mahadev Temple as a regional religious tourism destination. The study evaluates the temple’s historical significance, geographical setting, tourism resources, visitor characteristics, existing infrastructure, environmental attributes, and socio-economic context. Furthermore, it examines opportunities and constraints associated with tourism development through SWOT analysis and sustainable tourism assessment frameworks. The research uses the mixed-method approach which is based on secondary data, demographic analysis, tourism statistics, infrastructure assessment, policy review, and qualitative evaluation. Findings indicate that Kameshwar Mahadev Temple possesses significant strengths including religious importance, strategic accessibility, natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and an established visitor base. Nevertheless, deficiencies in tourism infrastructure, accommodation facilities, sanitation, destination marketing, and community participation continue to constrain its development potential. This study introduces a master plan for tourism that combines better roads and facilities, environmental protection, community involvement, smart marketing, and teamwork among local authorities. The findings show that focusing on sustainable tourism can turn the Kameshwar Mahadev Temple into a major regional pilgrimage site. This development will boost the local economy and create jobs for residents while fully protecting the surrounding natural resources.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21033316
