'Spiritual tourism will promote socio-economic development in Puducherry'

PUDUCHERRY: President Droupadi Murmu, who is on a two-day visit to Puducherry, on Monday said she was glad to find that spiritual tourism was getting a boost in the Union Territory.

Inaugurating virtually a 50-bed Ayush hospital at the civic reception accorded at JIPMER by the Puducherry government to her on Monday during her first visit to Puducherry, the President said that Puducherry was a wonderful destination for spiritual tourism and added that spiritual tourism was emerging fast as a global trend.

The President said that spiritual tourism has the potential to boost socio-economic development in Puducherry. The President also said that the central government has taken several measures under Swadeshi Dharshan to tourism and tourism-related activities in Puducherry.

The President, who earlier inaugurated the Rs 17 crore advanced linear accelerator equipment for treatment of cancer patients in JIPMER said that this facility would minimize radiotherapy exposure. She virtually inaugurated the Rs 10.51 crore Ayush hospital set up in the neighbouring Villianoor.

She said that the hospital had come up under the National Ayush Mission and would provide affordable and holistic health care under the three systems of medicine namely Ayurveda, Siddha and Homeopathy. Praising the multifarious development Puducherry had made in the field of literacy and education, the President said that Puducherry demonstrated the blending of different cultures and measured up to the spirit of the saying that there was unity in diversity. President Droupadi Murmu is on a two-day visit to Puducherry and this was her first visit to the Union Territory after becoming the President.