Executive Summary

Tourism Master Plan

of Braj Region

Prepared by a consortium of:

The Braj Foundation IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation

C-6/28, SDA, Hauz Khas, New Delhi – 110016 Limited
Tel: 011 – 26566800, 26519080 Office Complex, Hotel Shangri – La, 19 Ashoka
303 Keshav Kunj, Vrindavan – 281003 Road, New Delhi 110001
Tel: 0565-2540084 Phone: +91(11) 4300 2100, 4300 2300 Fax:
www.brajfoundation.org +91(11) 4350 5802
www.ilfsindia.com  
 Table of Contents 
1.0  INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................ 3 
2.0  VISION OF THE PROJECT ............................................................................................ 4 
3.0  APPROACH & METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 5 
4.0  IDENTIFYING THE PLACES OF INTERVENTION ........................................................... 7 
5.0  STRUCTURING OF THE PROPOSALS ........................................................................... 9 
6.0  HIGHLIGHT PROPOSED PROJECTS ........................................................................... 10 
6.1  Developments in Cluster 1: Barsana - Nandgaon .............................................. 10 
6.2  Developments in Cluster 2: Goverdhan ............................................................. 15 
6.3  Development in Cluster 3: Mathura – Vrindavan .............................................. 17 
6.4  Development in Cluster 4: Mat Cluster.............................................................. 18 
6.5  Development in Cluster 5: Gokul Cluster .......................................................... 20

7.0  FINANCIAL SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 22 

8.0  LIMITATIONS .............................................................................................................. 22 

 
1.0 Introduction

The Braj region is known for its rich cultural, architectural, ecological and spiritual
heritage. There used to be over 1000 splashing water bodies in the entire region having
beautiful architectural constructions around. Over 137 lush green forests used to adore
this fabled land. More than 18000 acre of hilly terrain used to provide the natural barrier
for the spread of the Thar desert. Hundreds to beautiful mansions and temples have been
built in the entire region during the course of history. The cultural and spiritual traditions
of the region have been sung and eulogised far and wide. Braj is one of the most visited
regions in UP because of its rich religious & cultural heritage. The region’s true culture
lies in its rural belt and not the urbanized areas. It is in these rural villages that the true
essence of Braj and Radha-krishna leelas can be experienced.

Over 50 million pilgrims/tourists visit this small geographical area having a spread of
around 5000 sq. km. The region spans the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, portions of
Bharatpur district of Rajasthan and that of Palwal district of Haryana. The region lies
very well within the Golden Triangle of Delhi-Jaipur-Agra and is strategically located
centrally amidst three world heritage sites – Taj Mahal, Keoladeo National Park and
Sariska Tiger Reserve.

The Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA), an Authority involved in the

development of Mathura Vrindavan region, had floated an invitation for expression of
interest dated 19 August, 2008, inviting Technical & Financial proposals for the project
titled “Preparation of Tourism Master Plan in the Region of Braj, District Mathura”. In
pursuance thereof, the consortium of IL&FS Infrastructure Development
Corporation Limited (IIDC) and The Braj Foundation were selected as the project
consultants to prepare the Tourism master Plan of Braj region, in a competitive bidding.

Braj is the Land of Lord Krishna, the land where the Divine got simplified. Undoubtedly
Braj is always associated with spirituality to offer with. But this is a myopic view of the
potential of Braj. Spiritualism is ingrained in the anatomy of the land, but there is more.
The richness and continuum of cultural traditions exist only in Braj. Round the year
festivity and celebrations is unparalleled in the world. Braj heavily influences all the
theatrical, musical and other art forms of India. The system of social gatherings and
community feelings is unique to Braj only. The hospitality and warmth extended to the
guests is incomparable in the world. The bliss and satisfaction levels are the best here.
The cuisine of Braj is irresistible. The natural scenic beauty is among the best. The
peaceful and sustainable co-existence of human life with nature is the only example of its
kind in the world.

 
2.0 Vision of the project

Most of the tourists visiting Braj remain limited to the popular townships of Vrindavan,
Mathura, Goverdhan, Gokul, Mahavan, Baldeo. Due to lack of awareness and
development the larger portion of Braj region remains unexplored and untapped. It is
important to understand that the “Braj” is spread in over 5000 sq. Km, in over 600
villages abounding its cultural, ecological and architectural heritage

(In Srimad Bhagwatam, while advocating for the worship of Goverdhan, 7 year old
Krishna argues with 70 year old Nand Baba “The cities, the cultured lands nor the
villages their houses are ours, we are the forest people dear father, we always live in the
forests and on the hills”)

The consultants plan to exhibit and develop this value of Braj and make the impending
visitors feel the inherent spirit of the place, in the Tourism Master Plan of the region.

Tourist trips to Braj tend to be 1-2 day visits and such short duration tourism does not
contribute significantly to revenue or development of the region. By developing more
sites in and around the major centers of Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, etc and
marketing them as a comprehensive package, tourists can be persuaded to stay in the
region for longer periods of time. The average visitor should be encouraged to not only
visit the temple sites but also experience the Krishna way of life by being part of the
areas where the various Krishna leelas were performed, picturesque rural landscapes and
native hospitality.

All tourism development should provide maximum benefit to the local community and
not make the cultural resource or improved infrastructure inaccessible to it.

 
3.0 Approach & Methodology

Therefore the approach to the master plan has been:-

The opportunities in Braj can be summarized into –

• One of the most internationally popular pilgrimage destination in Uttar Pradesh
(specially after Uttarakhand getting separated)
• Very popular Krishna Leelas
• International attention & devotees
• Braj is a “region”, full of folklore
• Splendid nature and culture resources

The Tourism Master Plan has outlaid a time frame of five years to initiate development
across the Braj region. The proposals have been envisioned in three phases:-

• I phase: Projects to be initiated in First year

(Projects adding basic infrastructure, preparing ground for Private investments)
o Projects largely to be done with Government funds laying basic
infrastructure i.e. accessibility, electric & water supply etc.
o Projects identified to avail the Grants & subsidies from State/ Central
government schemes
o Projects to be done with Community participation/ NGOs in reviving the
Ecology of the region (Kunds, forests etc)
o Advertisement and Marketing of the region

 
 • II phase: Projects to be initiated in Second & Third year
(Projects with private investments of lesser risks, with some viability gap funding)
o Projects to be done with PPP mode with a Viability gap Funding approach
o Projects with approved support of Grant & subsidies for State/ Central
government under different schemes
o Projects to be done with Community participation/ NGOs

• III phase: Projects to be initiated in Fourth & Final year

(Projects with private investments of higher risks)
o Large Tourism Projects to be done with PPP
o Projects with a support of Grant & subsidies from State/ central govts
under different schemes
o Projects to be done with Community participation/ NGOs
o Projects linking the developments coming from different agencies.

So far the tourism /pilgrimage in Braj was limited to the major urban destinations like
Mathura, Vrindavna, Goverdhan, Barsana, Nandgaon, Gokul, Baldeo only. However, the
seat of real Braj culture and innumerable pastimes of Sri Krishna remained in the rural
hinterland of Braj which remained largely secluded from the impending visitors and more
importantly from the purview of the planners & administrators.

The methodogly adopted in the Tourism Master plan preparation is:-

• Focus on Cluster wise development (speading development)
• Each block has series of Villages of some ‘legends of Krishna Leelas’ of great
mythological importance
• These villages have unique sites of interest, including temples, Kunds,
Forest/Grooves, heritage sites etc.
• These villages have been prioritized
• The current Master plan focuses on the developments in I, II, III priority villages

 
4.0 Identifying the places of Intervention

To ensure a balanced development in the the

entire Braj, the region has been mapped into
Five Sacred clusters. These cluster are as per
the existing administrative blocks.
1. Barsana Nandgaon Cluster
• Nandgaon Block
• Chhata Block
2. Goverdhan Cluster
• Goverdhan Block
3. Mathura Vrindavan Cluster
• Mathura Block
• Chaumuha Block
• Farah Block
4. Gokul Cluster
• Baldeo Block
• Raya Block
5. Mat Cluster
• Mat Block
• Naujhil Block

In these five sacred clusters, around 150 village of significance were therefore identified
and well documented in this Tourism Master Plan. The cultural history of these villages
and the sites of interest present in them has been vividly recorded which would be the
basis of future development.

The selected villages were thereafter graded into A, B and C categories depending on the
basis of the following set of parameters:
• Mythological and historical significance of the village and its sites
• Archaeological and Architectural significance of the village and its sites
• Accessibility of the village and the sites within
• Available tourism infrastructure within the village and its sites

These villages were thereafter mapped to their respective administrative blocks and five
tourism clusters. Based on the perimeter above these selected villages are the
development target of this Master Plan.

 
 Block Total Selected Priority Priority Priority
S.No Cluster Name
Name Villages Villages A B C
Barsana – Nandgaon 46 27 02 18 07
1. Nandgaon
Chhata 67 24 - 09 15
Cluster
Goverdhan
2. Goverdhan 48 19 01 04 15
Cluster
Mathura – Chaumuha 60 18 01 02 15
3. Vrindavan Mathura 84 30 02 03 25
Cluster Farah 75 0 - - -
Naujhil 93 2 - - 02
4. Mat Cluster
Mat 52 7 02 - 05
Raya 96 1 01
5. Gokul Cluster
Baldeo 72 7 02 01 03

These 150 selected villages have over 700 sites of interests, where Krishna leelas have
been performed. The consultants are of strong opinion that developing these sites with a
mythological folklore is the real development of Braj. These sites of interest like kunds,
groves, temples and architectural & archaeological structures are categorized phase out
the development process.

Cluster Name Kunds Groves Temples Architectural &

Archaeological
Structures
Category A B C A B C A B C A B C
Barsana - 51 21 68 8 12 22 7 13 32 21 29 26
Nandgaon
Goverdhan 12 18 28 2 6 0 4 6 11 5 6 0
Mathura - 5 14 45 7 8 12 5 8 25 8 16 8
Vrindavan
Mat 5 6 2 3 3 0 3 6 6 5 5 0
Gokul 6 3 4 5 2 0 13 16 0 16 15 6
Total 79 62 14 25 31 34 32 49 74 55 71 40
7
Gross Total 288 90 155 166

 
5.0 Structuring of the proposals

While developing the proposals in the Tourism Master Plan, it is intended to –

• Integrate and Balance the proposals across the Braj region (cluster wise)
• Not overlap, with other proposals/ projects.

Therefore, the Tourism Master plan-

PART ONE - Facilitates the Implementation of “already laid projects”
PART TWO - New developments proposals in every cluster

In the Part one, the Tourism Master Plan suggests development options and the
implementation methodology of the already laid out projects in the Braj region-
• Heritage and Tourism Projects of Rs 269 crores as per the CDP of Mathura under
JNNURM scheme for Mathura
• Integrating with the development projects announced by the Hon’ble Chief
Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh on August 6th, 2008.
• The ten unit location development project of MVDA ,intending to make the
“Travelers on highway” the “Tourist in Braj”

In the Part two, the Tourism Master Plan suggests development of a varied list of
proposals. A large intent of these proposals was to gather stakeholders from the entire
arena i.e. State government funds/ Central government funds under different scheme and
also promote Private participations. Public Private Partnership projects have been given a
priority as well.
• Basic infrastructure projects through government funds
• Projects to be developed & clustered, trying to avail the grant/subsides of
different schemes of Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India.
• Development of selected places of interest (Kunds, Grooves etc) availing State
government funds.
• Projects to be developed with Community participation/ NGO’s.
• To enable destination development in every cluster, a major tourism attraction to
be developed with Public Private Partnership is suggested.

The Tourism Master Plan has tried a comprehensive development approach taking the
opinion of the people of all walks of Braj region. Several meetings and presentations
were held during the course of preparing the Tourism Master Plan in cognizance with
MVDA. The most important one was held on 19th of October 2008 under the
chairmanship of the Principle Secretary, (Tourism), GoUP Mr. Sushil Kumar. Several
suggestions and inputs were floated by the public representatives, members of the civil
society and other prominent dignitaries. All these components have been considered and
duly incorporated in the tourism master plan.

 
6.0 Highlight proposed projects

Amid many proposals proposed in the Tourism Master Plan, some of the highlight
projects are listed below in every cluster.

6.1 Developments in Cluster 1: Barsana - Nandgaon

• Developing a ropeway from PilIi Pokhar to Radha Rani temple

Selected
Ropeway
alignment

Vision for the project:

To create an environmentally-friendly means of transport,
to help religious tourists reach Radha Rani shrine and add
suitable infrastructure to enable Barsana to have tourists all
round the year”. The ropeway alignment to be designed
ensuring minimum infringement upon Forest, Power
Transmission Lines, Roads, Habitation etc.
The project should be developed with a Public Private
Partnership.

Estimated ropeway length- 900 meters

Estimated project cost: Rs 20 crores

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 • To enable destination development in every cluster, a major tourism
attraction, to be developed with Public Private Partnership is suggested.

PROJECT IN BARSANA- NANDGAON CLUSTER-

Developing the Romantic trail around the Barsana node.

A) Barsana is a famous tourism and pilgrimage destination. Barsana, the land

of Radhaji,
can act as a node for development of sites, in its vicinity.

B) VILLAGES COVERED IN THE ROMANTIC TRAIL – Barsana –

Chiksoli – Manpur –Rupnagar - Dabhala – Rankoli – Unchagaon –
Ajnokh – Kamai - Karhala - Sunhaira (Rajasthan)

Picture- Clustering the places of interest around a node.

C) These villages have a legend and a popular folklore as their identity. One
unique location is selected in each of these villages. These locations are
pictures sites. An area of 2-5 acres of land should be made available for
development of the project.

Land Requirement &

S.No. Site selected
Availability
1 Vrishbhanu Kund, Barsana 17 acres
2 Dohini Kund, Chiksoli 8.5 acres
3 Gahvarvan, Manpur 2-5 acres

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4 Rup Kund, Rupnagar 2-5 acres
5 Ratna Kund, Dabhala 2-5 acres
6 Ranku Van, Rankoli 2-5 acres
7 Karah Van, Karhala 2-5 acres
8 Kamna Van, Kamai 2-5 acres
9 Anjan Van, Ajnokh 2-5 acres
10 Lalita Van, Unchagaon 2-5 acres

The sites selected adjacent to the Van, the development should be

proposed as per the Forest department guidelines.

D) One major development of a world class theme park is suggested in an

area of around 30-50 acres. This development has intentionally not
proposed at Barsana, so that it does not overpower the religious aura of the
Barsana town.

This development is proposed in between Bansana and Uchagaon village,

at the backdrop of Asth-Sakhi hills. This highlight of this theme park
would be a 100 feet Statue of Krishna- Radha, in a moment of love. This
statue would in the placed on a three floored structure which would be a
1500 pax Convention center for religious discourses.

Image- Proposed schematic plan of the Theme Park at Barsana

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 13

 
 This state of art, convention center would have a Exhibition gallery and
Library. A 100 bed accommodation can also be integrated to support the
convention center.

The Landscape in front of this building & the statue has musical fountains
which can be a venue to large cultural functions. A food court and an Art
& craft village, displaying the vernacular architecture and culture of Braj,
flank the landscape on both its sides.

E) The project cost for this project is estimated at around Rs 250 crores and
to be developed with a Public Private Partnership project. A project SPV
will be created, where the GoUP will consolidate the land required for the
project. The Land could be leased out to the SPV for a period of 30years
with an automatic extension of 30 years.

Investment Summary for Barsana – Nandgaon Cluster

S.No. Project Type Required Investment

1 Access and Connectivity (Roads) Rs 22 crores

2 Ropeway Rs 20 crores

3 Romantic Trail Rs 250 crores

4 Padav Sthals Rs 50 crores

5 Kund Rs 78.5 crore

6 Grove/ Forests Rs 50 crore

Architectural and Archaeological

7 Rs 35.85 crores
Sites

8 Temples Rs 19.75 crores

Total Investment for Barsana -

Rs 526.1 crores
Nandgaon Cluster

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6.2 Developments in Cluster 2: Goverdhan
• To enable destination development in every cluster, a major tourism
attraction, to be developed with Public Private Partnership is suggested.

Highlight Project in Govardhan Cluster-

Tourism Rail around Giriraj Parikrama

GOVARDHAN HILL FOREST LAND PROPOSED PARIKRAMA

TRAIN
IMAGE: PROPOSED SCHEMATIC SECTION OF THE GOVARDHAN PARIKRAMA

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Investment Summary for Goverdhan Cluster

S.No. Project Type Required Investment

1 Access and Connectivity (Roads) Rs 55.9 crores

2 RoBs Rs 40 crores

3 Parking Rs 3.25 crores

4 Padav Sthals Rs 10 crores

5 Kund Rs 28 crore

6 Grove/ Forests Rs 10 crore

7 Architectural and Archaeological Rs 6.75 crores

Sites

8 Temples Rs 8.75 crores

9 Tourist Train

Total Investment for Goverdhan Rs 162.65 crores

Cluster

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6.3 Development in Cluster 3: Mathura – Vrindavan

Investment Summary for Mathura-Vrindavan Cluster

S.No. Project Type Required Investment

1 Access and Connectivity Rs 42.0 crores

2 RoBs Rs 40 crores

3 Parking Rs 2.75 crores

4 Padav Sthals Rs 80 crores

5 Kund Rs 23.25 crore

6 Grove/ Forests Rs 34 crore

7 Architectural and Archaeological Rs 16 crores

Sites

8 Temples Rs 14 crores

Total Investment for Mathura Rs 252.00 crores

Vrindavan Cluster

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6.4 Development in Cluster 4: Mat Cluster
• To enable destination development in every cluster, a major tourism
attraction, to be developed with Public Private Partnership is suggested.

Highlight Project in Mat Cluster-

Vrindavan park

Prepared by: Prof (Dr.) Surinder Suneja

Head of the Department , Landscape Architecture, S.P.A New Delhi

- Only concrete roads backed by cycle track and tree lined pedestrian promenade.
- Mud treated cottages to impart an ethnic look. Meditation centre in Kadamb Van.
- Open air theatre for Raas Leela.
- 8m high wall for sound and light show.
- The ethnic village comprising of 200 cottages with community facilities based on
energy conservation pattern to encourage social interaction.
- Public amenities and shelters at strategic locations.
- Bon fire spaces for interaction
- Social congregation cum camping arena.
- Asia’s highest single jet fountain 140 ft high as a landmark of the entire site.
- Specialized channel sections designed with sand filters on the pushta
- Environmentally sensitive designed parking area at two tiers to accommodate 800
cars and 50 buses.
Proposed Investment: Rs 100 crores
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Investment Summary for Mat Cluster

S.No. Project Type Required Investment

1 Access and Connectivity Rs 1.5 crores

2 Yamuna Over Bridge near Gangroli Rs 50 crores

3 Kund Rs 8.5 crore

4 Grove/ Forests Rs 9 crore

5 Architectural and Archaeological Rs 6.25 crores

Sites

6 Temples Rs 6.75 crores

7 Vrindavan Theme Park Rs 100 crores

Total Investment for Mat Cluster Rs 182.00 crores

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6.5 Development in Cluster 5: Gokul Cluster

• To enable destination development in every cluster, a major tourism

attraction, to be developed with Public Private Partnership is suggested.

Highlight Project in Gokul Cluster-

Krishna Theme park

Description:
Krishna did spend his early two and half years here. In this phase of life, many
interesting leelas were performed by him. The proposed Theme park at Gokul intends to
display the most popular phase of Krishna’s life.

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The theme park is spread in 30 acres and would be located between Mahavan and
Gokul. Accomodation facilities in theamed landscape would give Gokul a much needed
Thurst in its growth. The theme park also includes a place for religious discourses.

Estimated project cost: Rs 120 crore.

Investment Summary for Gokul Cluster

S.No. Project Type Required Investment

1 Access and Connectivity Rs 16.2 crores

2 Kund Rs 8.5 crore

3 Grove/ Forests Rs 12 crore

4 Architectural and Archaeological Rs 21 crores

Sites

5 Temples Rs 17.75 crores

6 Krishna Theme Park Rs 120 crores

Total Investment for Gokul Cluster Rs 195.45 crores

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7.0 Financial Summary

All figures in (Rs Crores)

Assumption:
25% of Total Project Cost – GoI Contribution
25% of Total Project Cost – GoUP Contribution
50% of Total Project Cost – Private Investment

S. Location GoI GoUP Private Total

No Contribution contribution Investment
envisaged
1 Projects under 215.00 60.43 - 275.43
JNNURM
2 Projects of CM - 255.00 - 255.00
declaration
3 The 10 unit location 50.00 Contribution 108.00 158.00
project on Highway in terms of
land
4 Investments in 131.50 131.50 263.00 526.10
Barsana Nandgaon
cluster
5 Investments in 80.66 80.66 161.33 322.65
Govardhan cluster
6 Investments in 63.00 63.00 126.00 252.00
Mathura Vrindavan
cluster
7 Investments in Mat 45.50 45.50 91.00 182.00
cluster
8 Investments in Gokul 48.86 48.86 97.72 195.45
cluster
TOTAL 634.52 684.95 847.05 2166.63
INVESTMENT

8.0 Limitations

Since, it was for the very first time that the scope and expanse of Braj tourism was
enhanced to over 150 villages of Braj, the complexity of the entire process of planning
increased manifolds. The Tourism Master Plan of Braj region is an honest attempt by the
consultants, in the time frame granted for the entire exercise (a mere 45 days).

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