Officials take part in the meeting on Saturday. Picture by Suman

Cultural programmes, sumptuous food and visits to Buddhist sites have been planned for foreign delegates at the three-day Buddhist conclave from September 26 to 28.

More than 150 delegates from 33 different Asian and European countries would participate in the conclave.

Union tourism secretary Girish Shankar, who presided over a meeting to review preparations for the conclave, said arrangements should be made in a manner so that participants act as brand ambassadors of India and the Buddhist countries on return to their countries.

Cultural programme of different states in India, food of respective countries and visiting Buddhist sites would be the features of the conclave.

The delegates would arrive in Bodhgaya by a chartered plane on the afternoon of September 26. They would be accommodated in eight different hotels identified by the tourism department where food either of their respective country or of their choice would be served. In the evening, participants would enjoy a cultural programme organised at the Kagyue Monlam auditorium of Tergar monastery, Bodhgaya. The delegates would be taken shown places of Buddhist importance in Rajgir and Nalanda via Jethian in Gaya district.

They would also visit important sites in Bodhgaya like Sujatagarh and the World Heritage Mahabodhi Mahavihara.

The delegates would be provided interpreters to avoid the language problem. On the evening of September 27, cultural groups from different states would perform programmes based on the culture of their respective states at Kalchakra ground in Bodhgaya. On September 28, all the delegates would fly to Sarnath after lunch.

The Union tourism secretary said the central government is not only making plans for development of the Buddhist sites but also providing funds for the same. Bodhgaya is the centre of the Buddhist circuit. A plan is also being worked out to develop Bodhgaya and other sites with basic infrastructure to attract tourists, he said.

The Union ministry of tourism has been organising the conclave since 2012 to promote tourism in India and apprising foreign delegates about the nation’s culture. Last year, the conclave started in Sarnath and then the delegates visited Bodhgaya.

Different committees such as reception, accommodation, transportation and fooding have been constituted to ensure success of the conclave. The Bodhgaya Nagar Panchayat would ensure cleanliness and the lighting arrangements in the heritage city. Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) has been asked to bedeck Mahabodhi Mahavihara campus and co-ordinate with other Buddhist monasteries in Bodhgaya.

State tourism secretary Deepak Prasad, Gaya district magistrate-cum-BTMC chairman Sanjay Kumar Agarwal and others participated in the meeting. Bodhgaya Tours and Travels Association handed over a memorandum to the Union tourism secretary demanding air service between Gaya and Nepal, bus service for Patna, Silliguri and Sarnath from Bodhgaya, direct train for metro cities and other tourist places and an international mall in Bodhgaya.