Religious Tourism - A Great Potential for Nation Building: A case study of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine

Tourism is the pilgrimage to a sacred place; however, it is little understood. The function of pilgrimage is that it allows us to understand our cultural heritage while searching for a harmonious relationship between man and the sacredness of a given place. Keeping this in view, the paper consists of a prominent religious tourist station in India known as Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine which is located in hills of the northern most State of India i.e J&K, examined its potential in transforming the region and helping the society purely from the offerings/donations it receives from the devotees visiting it. The amount which comes in the form of donations and offerings can very well be utilized by the society for its welfare. It has not only improved facilities for the tourists but also created great assets for the nation by way of establishing university, state of art hospital and undertaking various social missions. Governments and managements of religious tourist destinations must take cue from the glaring example of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board with the aim to fruitfully utilize the enormous amount of money which is generated at these places.