PROJECT REPORT ON

Amarkantak JainTemple
(PTS-4 Tourism Culture)

Submitted By: Arvind .Vijaykumar.Rao

Enrollment No: 126637188
Bachelor in Tourism Studies (BTS)
Guided By: Dr. Suhas Rao

School of Tourism Hospitality Service Sectoral Management (SOTTSM),

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Maidan Garhi, New Delhi –
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 PTS4- Tourism Culture ( Amarkantak Jain Temple)

PROJECT PROPOSAL

Date:- ______________

Course Code:- PTS 04

Name:- Arvind.Vijaykumar.Rao

Programme Code:- BTS

Enrollment Number:- 126637188

Address:- B-602,Keshav Kunj-3, plot no-19, sector-14, Off palm beach

road, besides Bank Of Baroda Sanpada (East) Navi Mumbai- 400705.

Regional Centre:- Mulund,Mumbai.

Study Centre:- K.J.Somaiya College, Mumbai

Study Centre Number:-1601

Title of the project:- Amarkantak Jain Temple

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LETTER / CERTIFICATE OF PROPOSAL

[By the Supervisor]

I hereby certify that the proposal for the project ____________________

_____________ by _________________________________ has been

prepared after due consultation with me. The proposal has my approval

and has, to my knowledge, the potential of developing into a

comprehensive project work. I also agree to supervise the above

mentioned project till its completion.

[Signature of the supervisor]

Name: ____________________________

Designation:______________________________

Address:

___________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I sincerely acknowledge the Academic Coordinator (BTS) IGNOU, New

Delhi for having given me a valuable opportunity to prepare this project report on

(PTS-4) On Amarkantak JainTemple

I thank my project supervisor Dr. Suhas Rao of 1601, Mumbai for having

guided me for preparing this project report.

I would also like to thank the travel and trade industry stalwarts, my family

members and friends who continuously encouraged me in completing this project

report successfully.

Name: Arvind.Vijaykumar.Rao

Enrollment NO: 126637188

Course: BTS/PTS-4

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Table of Content
Sr No Contents Page No
1. Introduction 6
2. History 6
3. Architecture And Construction 8
4. Temple Complex, Main Temple, Temple Deities, 11
Adjoining Structures Myths, Features, Murals,
Temple Personnel
A Narmada Kund 11
B Significance Of Narmada 12
C The Source Of Narmada 14
5. Festivals, Cuisine, Nearby Places To Visit, Travel 16
Information, Fast Facts, Bibliography
A Tourism 16
B How To Reach 16
C Significance Of The Temple 17
D Mai Ki Bagiya 17
E Places To Visit In Amarkantak 18
F Flora And Fauna 21
G Etymology 22
H Demographics 23
I Climate 23
J Accommodation 24
K Destination Environmental Analysis And Change 26
6. Conclusions 39

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INTRODUCTION
Amarkantak is a combination of two Sanskrit words, Amar (immortal) and kantak
(obstruction). The poet Kalidas has mentioned it as Amrakuta, which later became
Amarkantak. The Amarkantak region is a unique natural heritage area and is the
meeting point of the Vindhya and the Satpura Ranges, with the Maikal Hillsbeing the
fulcrum. This is where the Narmada River, the Son River and Johila River emerge.
Popular 15th-century indian mystic and poet Kabir is said to have meditated on Kabir
Chabutra, also called the platform of Kabir, situated in the town of Amarkantak.
Amarkantak Jain Mandir is a unique Jain Temple situated in the Amarkantak area of
Madhya Pradesh which is known for its great architecture and its great diversity.
HISTORY
The history about amarkantak reveals that during the Chendi dynasty hold the region
was followed by the kalchuris in the 10th century. The region in the earier days was
belived to be known as the ayodhya, as mentioned in our vedas, puranas that there
was a ashram for the saints of kapil muni and rishi markand. Stories from the various
books suggests that the pandavas of the mahabharat epic had spent their years of exile
here. region was later in the 15th century was handed over Baghelas and in 1808, the
bhosle of nagpur ruled out the region. Finally in went in the hands of minister of state
goverment. In the hindu mythology, Narmada is one of the seven sacred rivers of
India. Pilgrims bathe in its holy water to wash away their sins. legend has it that once
every year, the mighty Ganga comes to Narmada to take a holy dip into its water at
the place of its origin.
Puranic name of Amarkantak was Riksha parvat. It is not only the Narmada
which arises from Amarkantak, because theson River, initially referred to as
Jwalawanti of Johila, the Mahanadi and the Amadoh, which is a major early tributary
of the Godavari, all rise from within the Amarkantak plateau.Among all the sacred
rivers of India, the Narmada occupies a unique place. Legend has it that Lord Shiva
blessed Narmada with unique purifying powers. Whereas to purify himself, a devotee
requires taking one dip in the Holy Ganga, seven days' prayers on the banks of
Yamuna and three days prayers on the banks of Saraswati, the mere sight of Narmada

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is enough. A charming folk tale describes the superiority of Narmada over Ganga.
Once every year, after she herself is polluted beyond tolerance, Ganga visits Narmada
dressed like a dark woman and takes a cleansing purifying dip in its waters! Narmada,
which is more than 150 million years older than the Ganges RiverGanga and is
considered by many Hindus to be the most sacred for all the rivers of India,
Amarkantak (NLK Amarakaṇṭaka) is a pilgrim town and a Nagar
Panchayat in Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
METHODOLOGY
I have gathered all the information for the temple from internet as well as from one of
my friend who is from Madhya Pradesh.

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CHAPTER 1
ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION.
Amarkantak, also known as "Teerthraj" (the king of pilgrimages) is located
amidst the exemplary Vindhya and Satpura mountain ranges in Madhya Pradesh.
Amarkantak is situated at an altitude of 1065 meters making it a hill station with
some of the most exquisite temples that one will ever see.
It is been said that the Son River and Johila River originated from Narmada and it is
due to this fact that Amarkantak enjoys so much historical significance."

Amarkantak itself is sacred to the Hindus and is deemed to be a door-way to

‘nirwana’. HISTORY The history about amarkantak reveals that during the Chendi
dynasty hold the region was followed by the kalchuris in the 10th century. The region
in the earier days was belived to be known as the ayodhya, as mentioned in our vedas,
puranas that there was a ashram for the saints of kapil muni and rishi markand.
Stories from the various books suggests that the pandavas of the mahabharat epic had
spent their years of exile here. region was later in the 15th century was handed over
Baghelas and in 1808, the bhosle of nagpur ruled out the region. Finally in went in the
hands of minister of state goverment. In the hindu mythology, Narmada is one of the
seven sacred rivers of India. Pilgrims bathe in its holy water to wash away their sins.
legend has it that once every year, the mighty Ganga comes to Narmada to take a holy
dip into its water at the place of its origin. TOURISM Amarkantak receives large
number of tourists throughout the year. Being a pilgrimage destination, majority of
them are Hindu devotees. Apart from being a pilgrimage destination, it is also a
popular hill station. So for those who are interested in hill station pilgrim then it is the
best option in Central India. Being origin of Holy Narmada river, devotees takes this
place with great devotion and respect. While visiting Amarkantak we can see various
temples, Kapildhara, Temple of Kalchuri era & Narmada Kund from where river
Narmada originates and number of Ashrams. Hindu saints see this place with great
respect and visits for meditation and feel the holiness of atmosphere. In addition to a
holy place, forest area of Amarkantak generates the feeling of wilderness of

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surrounding. This valley is popular among Botanist for huge variety of medicinal
plants. Some of them are rare by nature. After visiting temples and other holy places,
tourists have chance to visit nearby villages to experience the tribal culture and their
rituals. Surrounding villages are of Central India Tribes where we can see they life
style, housing pattern, know about their livelihood, customs, rituals, social pattern etc.
Being located in South-East of Madhya Pradesh, it shares border with Chattisgarh
state in which Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary forest is another wildlife attraction for
visitors.
To reach Amarkantak Jain Mandir you can go by train and also by road. Amarkantak
Express is the train which takes goes till Katni district of Madhya Pradesh and from
Katni it is a 4 hours drive till Amarkantak Jain Mandir.

Amarkutt Hill Station of Amarkantak Jain Temple Amarkantak is a combination of

two Sanskrit words, amar (immortal) and kantak (obstruction). The poet Kalidas has
mentioned it as Amrakuta, which later became Amarkantak.
The ancient temples of Kalachuri period are in the south of Narmadakund, just behind
it. These were built by Kalachuri Maharaja Karnadeva (1041–1073 AD).

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CHAPTER 2

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Temple Complex, Main Temple,Temple Deities, Adjoining Structures, Myths,

Features, Murals, Temple Personnel,

Amarkantak is a land of several stories and it has witnessed several empires,

starting from the Pandavas to foreign rulers to the modern times. There are plenty of
temples in Amarkantak that describes the era of different rulers. According to one
story rumoured here, when Lord Shiva destroyed Tripura by fire, the ashes fell on
Amarkantak, which turned into thousands of shivalingas (symbols of shiva). One
such symbol can be seen in Jwaleshwar. Since, then it is believed that whoever dies at
this destination is given a place in heaven.The great temples close to Narmada River
are best place to visit in Amarkantak. Narmada River is having areas for swim and the
open pond is recognized as Narmada Kund. Countless temples are located close to the
pond of Narmada such Shiva temple, Ram-Sita temple, Kartikey temple, Annapurna
temple, Shurya Narayan temple, Gorakhnath temple, Durga temple, Vangeshwar
Mahadev, Shiv Pariwar, Radha-Krishna temple, Siddheswar Mahadev temple, 11
Rudra temple and some more.

Narmada Kund:

Once you reach this area you can enjoy the swimming in pond and can attain to take
blessings of Hindu Gods in ancient temples. Maximum shrines are made of Kalachuri
period. However, you have to go to southern area of Narmada Kund to reach
Kalachuri temples. Such shrines are constructed by King of Kalachuri Mr. Karna
Deva. Sources say the shrine was constructed in the mid of 1042 to 1072 AD. You
must visit the Machhendra Nath temple and Pataleshwar shrine located in this area.
Keshav Narayan shrine is also the one that visitor must not miss. It was constructed
by the ruler of Nagpur City known as Bhonsle.

Significance of Narmada

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Narmada is the fifth largest river and among the five holiest rivers of India. It
is considered as holy as the Ganges (Ganga), as a legend mentions that when Ganga
was polluted due to extensive usage, she turned into a black cow and took a bath in
river Narmada to cleanse herself. Narmada has been mentioned in many Hindu
scriptures like Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. It covers a wide area and hence
is the lifeline of the central provinces of India where it flows westwards till it meets
the Arabian sea.

Udgam sthal of Narmada River at Amarkantak

A picture of 'udgam sthal of Narmada River at amarkantak', this photo is taken in the
destination of Amarkantak in the state of Madhya Pradesh in the country of India.
Bhavishya Purana mentions that Tapati, the daughter of Surya and Chaya, was
married to Samvarana, the son of Rksa who was a king of Krtayuga. Surya blessed
Tapati on her marriage and said that she would thereafter flow west from Vindhya as
a river named Narmada. Hence the present holy river Narmada is but Tapati Devi
transformed.

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Once Narada said to Yudhisthira about the river Narmada as follows: “Ganga has
more divinity in Kanakhala and Sarasvati has more divinity in Kurukshetra. But
Narmada is a holy river everywhere, whether in the villages or in the forests.
Sarasvati purifies us in three days and Ganga in one day. But the moment we see
Narmada we are purified.”

Padma Purana mentions that one who controls his organs of senses and takes fast for
one night and then bathes in this river would be prosperous for hundred generations.
This great river is hundred yojana (about 1200 km) long and two yojana (about 24
km) wide. There are sixty crores and sixty thousand holy ghats in this river around the
mountain Amarkantak. Anybody who dies by fire, by drowning or by fast on this
mountain, Amarkantak, will never have rebirth.

Narmada is mentioned many times in Mahabharata. She is said to be staying in the

Palace of Varuna. Yudhisthira visited Narmadadevi with his brother during their stay
in a forest. A king named Duryodhana who was ruling over Mahishmati once got
married to Devi Narmada. A daughter named Sudarshana was born to them.
Ashramavasika Parva of Mahabharata mentions that once Narmada took Purukutsa,
the son of Mandhata, as her husband.

Narmada is known as Rewa (due to the sound of its flow), Maikalsuta (originating
from the Maikal mountain range hence the daughter of the Maikal) and Shankari
(born from the sweat of Shankar or Shiva hence Shankari). Narmada-parikrama is a
very austere journey which many pilgrims take up from the Arabian Sea in Gujarat to
the origin of the Narmada at Amarkantak. There are many pilgrimage sites across the
length of this river including Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Nemawar etc.
There are many legends associated with the origin of the Narmada. Vayu and Skanda
Purana talks a lot on the origin and greatness of this river. It is said that once Shiva
took up a severe meditation that he started perspiring. His sweat got accumulated in a
tank and started flowing in form of a river which came to be known as Narmada.

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Another legend states that two teardrops fell from the eyes of Brahma and took form
of Narmada and Sone rivers on the earth.

As per another legend, once upon a time there was gwalin (cowherd) who had a
beautiful daughter named Narmada. Narmada daily used to carry her father’s
breakfast to the fields where he tended his cattle. There was a ashram of an ascetic on
the way to the fields. The girl used to spend some time with the ascetic. This lasted
for some time but one day the girl committed suicide for some unexplained reasons.
The ascetic used to enjoy the infusion of bhang. One day while he was enjoying his
drink, he came to know about the death of this girl. He was not able to swallow his
drink out of shock and died. A stream of water issued from his throat which came to
be known as Narmada.

Another version of this legend mentions that the girl committed suicide, finding
herself likely to become a mother, by throwing herself over the falls of Kapila Dhara.
The river then came to be known as Narmada. These legends are common in Gonds
however denied by Hindu brahmanas.

Narmada is specially associated with Shiva and many stones found near the riverbed
are worshiped as a symbol of Shiva. These stones, known as Banalinga, are usually
found in cylindrical shape which resembles with the shape of a Shivalingam. These
are much sought after among the pilgrims and are used as a worship object.

The source of Narmada – The present belief is that Narmada originates from a tank
which is inside the Narmada temple complex. Beglar reports that the original source
of Narmada is not this tank but a rivulet which is locally known as Savitri Nala. He
reasons that this Savitri Nala carries a long volume of water in comparison to the
stream coming out of the tank. The small water stream which issues out from the tank
meets Savitri Nala a little after. Beglar further says that Savitri Nala receives the
drainage of a vast country while the tank stream only gets drainage of a small country

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of about 1 km square. Also, Savitri Nala originates from a plateau which lies above
the plateau on which the present tank is situated.

CHAPTER 3
FESTIVALS, CUISINE, NEARBY PLACES TO VISIT, TRAVEL
INFORMATION, FAST FACTS, BIBLIOGRAPHY

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TOURISM
Amarkantak sightseeing is ideally considered for one full day. Most of the time,
tourists, stay for one night in this destination. Amarkantak receives large number of
tourists throughout the year. Being a pilgrimage destination, majority of them are
Hindu devotees. Apart from being a pilgrimage destination, it is also a popular hill
station. So for those who are interested in hill station pilgrim then it is the best option
in Central India. Being origin of Holy Narmada river, devotees takes this place with
great devotion and respect. While visiting Amarkantak we can see various temples,
Kapildhara, Temple of Kalchuri era & Narmada Kund from where river Narmada
originates and number of Ashrams. Hindu saints see this place with great respect and
visits for meditation and feel the holiness of atmosphere.

In addition to a holy place, forest area of Amarkantak generates the feeling of

wilderness of surrounding. This valley is popular among Botanist for huge variety of
medicinal plants. Some of them are rare by nature. After visiting temples and other
holy places, tourists have chance to visit nearby villages to experience the tribal
culture and their rituals. Surrounding villages are of Central India Tribes where we
can see they life style, housing pattern, know about their livelihood, customs, rituals,
social pattern etc. Being located in South-East of Madhya Pradesh, it shares border
with Chattisgarh state in which Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary forest is another
wildlife attraction for visitors.

HOW TO REACH
By Air:
Jabalpur & Raipur are the nearest airports for reaching Amarkantak. Jabalpur is about
250kms from Amarkantak and can be reached by road & train from Amarkantak.

By Train:
Madhya Pradesh State is well connected by Indian railways network. Most of
the major railway tracks passes through this state due to its central location. All

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important cities and tourist destinations are linked with direct trains to Madhya
Pradesh like: Jaipur, Agra, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata,
Ranthambore, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Puri, Haridwar, Varanasi etc. Their are number
of railway junctions inside Madhya Pradesh like Itarsi, Katni, Bina, Indore, Ujjain,
Gwalior, Chhindwara, Dewas, Khandwa etc. Recently luxury tourist train called
"Maharaja Express" has been started which passes through Madhya Pradesh station
like Gwalior, Khajuraho and Umaria (Bandhavgarh).

By Train:
Madhya Pradesh State border touches 5 state: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar
Pradesh, Chattisgarh & Maharashtra. All these states are well linked from cities and
towns of Madhya Pradesh by road. Some major National Highways like NH-7, NH-
12A, NH-25, NH-26, NH-27, NH-69, NH-3, NH-92, NH-12 etc. passes through this
state. Major tourist destinations close to Madhya Pradesh, linked by Road are: Agra,
Jaipur, Varanasi, Tadoba National Park, Ranthambore, Raipur, Vishakhapattnam,
Ajanta, Ellora, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Mount Abu, Chambal Sanctuary,
Lucknow etc.

Significance of the Temple

A sanctified place of pilgrimage for Hindus which has a great area of natural beauty
enhances its popularity. Amarkantak is the source of one of the most venerated rivers
of central India, the mighty Narmada as also of the River Sone. For the people of
Chhattisgarh state the Narmada River is more than a holy river; its waters are the
wellspring of life and prosperity in the region. The Narmada begins its earthly
journey at a place called Mai ki Bagiya in Amarkantak - that plus the waterfalls of
Dugdha Dhara and Kapil Dhara attracts both the religious and the secular traveller.

Mai ki Bagiya
About 1 Km. from the auspicious Narmada kund, Mai ki Bagiya is one of the prettiest
locations in Amarkantak which is spotted with endless varieties of Mangos, Bananas

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and many other fruits along with flowery plants. It is popularly believed that Narmada
devi used to pluck flowers in this garden. Mai ki Bagiya is quite famous for large
varities of medicinal herbs and plants.

Places to visit in Amarkantak

Sonmuda
About 2 km away from Narmadakund in Amarkantak is the Sonemuda which is the
origin point of Sone River. The location is awesome with its scenic beauty and is
famous as a "sunrise" point.

Kapildhara
from a distance of 8 Km of the origin of river Narmada in Amarkantak, Kapildhara is
an eye catching waterfall of 100 ft. height, famous for its heavenly feeling. It is
believed that the Kapil rishi meditated here. Adjacent to Kapildhara, there is a
beautiful garden which is another attraction for tourists.
Dudh Dhara
Fom a distance of 1 Km. from Kapildhara in Amarkantak, Dudh Dhara is a quite and
tranquil falls with only just 10 ft. high stream, famous for the scenic beauty.

Dhuni Pani
Dhuni Pani in Amarkantak is a natural Hot Spring and is been believed that the water
of the spring has an elixir like property by which it can heal the people from fatal
diseases.

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Narmada Udgam

Narmada Kund Temple the origin of Narmada River

It is one of the ancient temples of great traditional value, Narmdeshwar temple

which is dedicated to Narmada Devi is in Amarkantak. Narmada Udgam is an open
'kund 'at the origin of river Narmada in Amarkantak. As per mythological belief, the
holy river Narmada takes its origin from Lord Shiva and descended from heaven at
Narmada Udgam in Amarkantak. Pilgrims and the tourists visit Narmada Udgam to
perform rituals and prayers. There are about twenty small temples around this 'kund',
like Shiva temple, Kartikey temple, Shri Ram Janki temple, Annapurna temple, Guru
Gorakhnath temple, Sri Shuryanarayan temple, Vangeshwar Mahadev temple, Durga
temple, Shiv Pariwar, Siddheswar Mahadev temple, Sri Radha Krishna temple,
Eleven Rudra temple,etc. Evening Aarti at temples in Amarkantak is another
attraction for visitors and devotees.

Bhrigumandal
Around 3 Kms on a difficult forest trek route, Bhrigumandal is the place where
Bhrigu Rishi has been believed to have meditated.

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Jwaleshwar Mahadev

Dhuni Pani in Amarkantak is a natural Hot Spring and is been believed that the water
of the spring has an elixir like property by which it can heal the people from fatal
diseases.

Flora and Fauna

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The town of Amarkantak is surrounded by a rich variety of flora with medicinal

properties. The Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary, is located at a distance of no more
than 40 km from the town of Amarkantak in the state of Chhattisgarh on the road
to Bilaspur .The enchanting lush green forest belt in Amarkantak is a part
of Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve. The forests of Amarkantak are
linked with the forests of Kanha National Park. Amarkantak falls on the Kanha-
Achanakmar Corridor, a hilly region covered with dense forests. Kanha and
Achanakmar are both conserved wildlife parks in India famous for Bengal tigers.

The ancient temples of Kalachuri period are in the south of Narmadakund, just behind
it. These were built by Kalachuri Maharaja Karnadeva (1041–1073 AD)

Situated at an altitude of 1000 m, Amarkantak is a well frequented Hindu pilgrimage

center which is popularly known as ‘teerthraj’ or ‘the king of pilgrimages’. It is
surrounded by three mountain ranges, Vindhya, Satpuras and Maikal. Bordered with
lofty hills and dense forests, Amarkantak is very significant from ecological point of
view. It is much sought after by the environmental enthusiasts and nature lovers. It

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also enjoys the reputation to have the origins of the two large rivers, Narmada and
Sone.

Beglar visited this town in 1873-74 and reported that Amarkantak was always
crowded with the pilgrims who pay a visit either on the way to Jagannath Puri or after
returning from the there. Beglar identified Amarkantak with the Amarkuta which
finds a mention in the Meghaduta of Kalidasa.

Amarkantak is mentioned as a mountain in the Puranas where some parts of Tripura,

an mythological palace-city, fell when it was burnt down by Shiva. The Adi-Khanda
of Padma Purana mentions that one who goes to Amarkantak mountain will enjoy the
fourteen worlds of thirty-seven thousand crores of years. Afterwards he will be born
on earth as a king and reign as supreme emperor. A visit to Amarkantak has ten times
the values of an Ashvamedha. If one has Shiva’s darshan there, one will attain the
heaven.

The books further mentions that at the time of an eclipse, all kinds of holy things
converge towards Amarkantak. Those who take bath in Jvaleshvara will enter the
heaven. The dead will have no rebirth. Those renounce their lives at Jvaleshvara will
live in Rudraloka till the time of the great deluge. In this valley live the Devas known
as Amaras and numerous sages. Amarkantak kshetra has a circumference of one
yojana, about 12 km.

Etymology

Amarkantak is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India at 22.67°N 81.75°E. It

has an average elevation of 1048 metres (3438 ft).The nearest railway stations
are Anuppur and Pendra Road 43 km via Keonchi and only 28 km via Jwaleshwar.
The nearest airport is Dumna Jabalpur (Jabalpur Airport) in the city of Jabalpur,
Madhya Pradesh (240 km) which has daily flight service to Delhi and Mumbai.

Demographics

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As of 2001 India census, Amarkantak had a population of 7074. Males constitute

54% of the population and females 46%. Amarkantak has an average literacy rate of
68%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 62% of the males and 21% of
females literate. 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.

CLIMATE
Amarkantak is a hill station where temperature remains good in compare to
plains of Central India. It has a subtropical climate. Like most of north India it has a
hot dry summer(April-June) followed by monsoon rains (July-September) and a cool
and relatively dry winter. The average rainfall is about 1,370 mm (53.9 in). It
decreases from east to west. The south-eastern districts have the heaviest rainfall,
some places receiving as much as 2,150 mm (84.6 in), while the western and north-
western districts receive 1,000 mm (39.4 in) or less.
Amarkantak is a popular pilgrim destination. Although it is a hill station but
more popular as a pilgrim destination. Being a important tourism region and sacred
place it is visited by tourist through out the year by tourists and holy saints. Most of
the visitors prefer to visit in winters and summers season as these are the best time for
tourism activities in nearby tourist attractions and climate also favors traveling. Best
time to visit Amarkantak is from August to April. During winters and summers its
near by tourist destinations like Kanha national park, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
remain open for visitors so tourists makes their plan according to cover nearby tourist
attractions along with Amarkantak. During monsoon season, it receives healthy
rainfall and its surrounding greenery attracts nature photographers. Despite of this, if
visitor wishes to visit in odd time, he/she can visit as it is open throughout the year for
pilgrims and tourists.
ACCOMMODATION
For accommodation, one can find hotels in Amarkantak. It is not a big city but
a small town. There are few budget category Amarkantak hotels and only one good
category standard hotel of Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation.

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Hotel Holiday Homes in Amarkantak is the best option to stay. It is the best option
for stay, offering both Air-cooled and Air-conditioned category rooms
The major Jain temple in the region is sarvodaya Jain temples. This temple is
under construction. It is considered a construction marvel. Cement and iron have not
been used in this temple and the weight of the idol to be placed in the temple is
around 24 Tones. A lot of money is given by many Jain pilgrims to make this site is
world heritage. This temple in the India is unique types because of it is heavily deity.
This is visited by lot of the religious peoples due to its pleasant location.
Madhya Pradesh's love for poha is widely known, but that's not all the central state of
India has to offer. Make a trip to the region and you will soon learn that it is a food
haven for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, and the passion for food runs deep in
the veins of its people. It is not at all surprising to walk down a narrow lane and find
yourself losing all inhibitions and indulging in crisp jalebis, piping hot samosas with
tangy chutney, Khasta Kachori, or the most-loved local street food - Bhutte Ka Kees
(corn kernels cooked with milk and spices).

If you are a street food lover then Indore is bound to lure you into its spell. Here,
there is a street called Sarafa which is dedicated to serving lip-smacking snacks,
namkeen, chaats and decadent sweets like Khopra Pak, Peda, Lavang Lata, Kusli,
Malpua, Rabdi and Imarti till 2 at night! These local delicacies can also be savoured
in nooks and corners of other cities such as Bhopal, Ujjain, Khandwa, Gwalior, etc.

Hotels in Amarkantak
Amarkantak Hotel, Lodge and Resort- 9424973602

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Destination Environmental Analysis and Change

Tourism is an industry but it is also a form and agent of development and
change and must be recognized as such. If, controlled and managed properly, it can
be a non or low-consumptive utilizer of resources and can operate on a sustainable
basis. However if developed beyond the capacity of the environment, the resource
base, and the local population to sustain it, it ceases to be a renewable resource
industry and it instead becomes…..a boom-bust enterprise. (Butler 1992, p.34).
Beyond its economic importance, tourism development can promote the preservation
of cultural and social values, including historical places of interest that might
otherwise be lost. This is particularly true for nature tourism because it promotes
culturally and ecologically sensitive travel. Environmental strategies for tourist
destinations are implemented by putting “Environmental and Accessibility Strategies
together (Murphy, P.,1983; p. 60-78).” Because accessibility, very often, resurrects
the place itself but at the same time degrades wilderness of that area and as such the
core point of strategy is how to seek balance between tourism development and
conservation. Practically we have to consider the balance among tourism,
conventional economic development, and conservation which are interrelated,
interdependent, and intricate and in some cases inter-contradictory. By grouping these
forces we get some factors initiating changes while others are resisting the same. Here
lies the introduction of a detailed macro and micro environmental analyses and
consequent change management and development of proactive future strategies,
based on sustainable use. Kotler (1982, p. 84) argued that if an organization is going
to adapt to changing circumstances, it must figure out what it must adapt to. So,
keeping in view all these forces, we can prepare a ‘force field’ as introduced by Kurt
Lewin. Here we are modifying Lewin’s model with respect to a destination although
the basics are the same.
Kurt Lewin introduced a Three-Step Model of understanding change that we can
discuss with respect to a destination as there is a little difference in the concept of
change for an organization and that of the destination.According to Lewin (1947)
organizational (destination) changes could be understood in terms of three

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consecutive processes: unfreezing i.e. shaking up the organization to adopt or accept

new change, moving i.e. bringing about the requisite change (structural change or
change in internal system etc.), refreezing i.e. cementing in or locking in the changes
and prevent the organization from going back to its old days. Unfreezing involves
introducing measures that will enable employees to abandon their current practices or
cultural norms in preparation for the change. In many organizations nothing has
changed for many years and unfreezing is necessary as a ‘shaking-up’ phase. The
impetus for unfreezing can come from either inside or outside the organization itself.
Changing market conditions, for example, sometimes give employees warning that
change will be imminent. A particular market crisis may precipitate the expectation
amongst employees that change must happen as a result. Internally, a management
shake-up, a profit warning or talk of restructuring may bring about similar
expectations. Moving to the new level involves bringing about the requisite change
itself. The time period given over to this phase varies widely. Structural change can
usually be brought about relatively quickly. Changes in internal systems sometimes
take longer (such as the introduction of new quality or information systems), whilst
changing culture can take years. Refreezing is necessary to ‘lock in’ the changes and
to prevent the organization from going back to its old ways. Again, we would usually
take cultural changes to require more ‘cementing in’ than some other changes and
some resolve might be required on the part of senior management. Again the pace at
which change happens can usually be divided into two categories step and
incremental (see Exhibit 13.5). There are two factors that determine which is the most
appropriate (Quinn and Voyer, 1998).

All broad issues of the macro destination environment should be categorized.

One of the well accepted techniques is STEEP (Socio-Demographical, Technological,
Economic, Environmental and Political) Analysis for a destination. While discussing
STEEP Analysis it should be noted that some factors are generic and others are
typically oriented to travel and tourism. Peattie and Moutinho (2000) provided a
review of some of the major environmental influences in travel and tourism using an

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extended framework, which they termed SCEPTICAL1 analysis. This acronym stands
for Social, Cultural, Economic, Physical, Technical, International, Communications
and infrastructure, Administrative and institutional, Legal and political. Lockwood
and Medlik (2001), Bulhalls (2001), Vogel (2001), Cooper and Gilbert (1998) and
Vanhove (2001) also give some interesting and delicate insights in discussing the key
macro environmental factors affecting the travel and tourism industry. In her analysis,
Auliana Poon (1993) explained the issues of radical changes and found out that a new
tourism was developing to replace the old tourism based on mass tourism. The five
key forces (consumers, technology, production, management and ‘frame conditions’)
which had served to create mass tourism in the first place were themselves changing
to create the new tourism. The Porter (1980) model emphasizes the competitive
forces of enterprises and (to a lesser extent) of destinations, and the related generic
competitive strategies. Porter (1990) model emphasizes the home environment and
related determinants.
Destination environment changes with the passage of time and so the planning
process. Planning process generally changes from active to reactive as tourism
develops into mass tourism (Butler 1992; p.39). There is a need to continually review
strategic objectives because the environment is always changing. The purpose of
strategy is to make an organization/ destination to fit into its environment. By
achieving this, the probabilities that it will survive and prosper are enhanced. There
are a number of areas of which we need to be aware in order to effectively implement
a strategy for a travel and tourism destination. Implementation of a destination
development strategy typically involves the (i) adequacy of a destination’s resource
base; (ii) the readiness of the destination’s culture and structure to undertake the
proposed strategy; (iii) the management of any changes that are needed to implement
the strategy; (iv) the extent to which the organization positions itself in respect to its
geographic coverage and international presence.

1
SCEPTICAL Analysis stands for Social, Cultural, Economic, Physical, Technical, International,
Communication and Infrastructure, Administrative and Institutional, Legal and Political Analysis with
exhibited factors.

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In implementing the strategic process it is necessary to be aware not only of changes

occurring to the internal and external environment, but also of changes to the subject
matter itself.
While analyzing the environment of Lachung district, Sikkim as a destination,
following factors we can consider to categorize its features and to describe the
strategic orientation.. These are-
(i) Economic environment,
(ii) Physical/ ecological environment,
(iii) Technological environment,
(iv) Social environment,
(v) Cultural environment,
(vi) Political environment,
(vii) Legal environment.
All these issues are revolving around a typical geographical segregation viz. within
the destination and outside the destination, though this kind of specification is not
fully free from criticism. The following issues of discussing all the aspects of
environment should be discussed from within the destination and outside the
destination but the actual fact is how the intricate issues involved in each aspect of
environment are interacting and synthesizing among themselves and integrating with
other aspects. Political environment accentuating the major decisions relating to other
aspects of the environment is typically preceding and interacting with the socio-
cultural issues of the society but political ideology of a society is responsible for the
major decisions of tourism development and management. Economic environment is
also influenced by political aspects for the generation and distribution of financial
resources, institutionalized and structural issues of tourism in an economy. The
interaction of the economic issues from within the destination and with the outside
the destination should be properly assessed to analyze economic conditions and
related significant changes therein. Legal environment is intended to be proactive,
futuristic and very often compared from one destination to another with reference to
these qualities. Legal environment has a conventional contradiction with the

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development procedure and as such seeks a balance between these two. Of late, all
places accept the increasing contribution of technology as a key factor of all business
and economic activities and in tourism the technological environment has an
extensive role to play with respect to each element and jointly with all.
The present study was intended to bridge the gap in the information relating to
estimated number of visits including overnight and same day visitors, and profile of
visitors, their expenditure pattern, purpose of visits, etc. The field survey in the State
was conducted for a period of 12 months in all districts of the State. A sample size of
600 visitors per district per month per destination was fixed for the destination
survey. When there is more than one destination in a district, the sample size has been
distributed more or less in equal proportion. The State level data has been derived by
aggregating the district level data for all the 4 districts. A sample size of 400 visitors
per district per quarter was fixed for interview at the exit points of the headquarters of
each district. The State level data has been derived by aggregating the districts level
data for all the 4 districts. The field survey was conducted for a period of 12 months
during June 2011 to May 2012 at selected destinations. In a particular month at a
particular destination the survey was conducted for seven days covering two specified
weeks. For collection of information four questionnaires were developed. These are
€Accommodation survey (Quarterly), €Accommodation survey (Monthly)•, €Short
survey at Tourist Destinations• and €Tourist survey at exit points•. Data collected
from field surveys was analyzed and estimates for various parameters were made
using a pre-determined estimation procedure. The methodology envisages three stage
sampling. The first stage units were the towns important from tourism perspective,
the second stage units were the tourist destinations in the selected town or linked to
the selected town, and the visitors within a tourist destination was constitute the third
stage units. Weather condition in Sikkim is one of the major determinants of tourist
arrival. In case of Domestic Tourists; the survey findings suggest that peak month for
overnight and same day tourist visits was May. Overall, lowest arrivals of domestic
tourists were measured during the months of August and February. Furthermore, In
the case of Foreign Tourists, a peak month for overnight tourist visits for Sikkim was

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April. Whereas there were no same day visits were made by foreign tourist during the
year 2011/2012. The total numbers of leisure tourists (571912) were higher than non-
leisure tourists (83562) during the year 2011/2012. The maximum number of leisure
tourists and maximum number of nonleisure tourists visited Sikkim during the month
of May. Furthermore, In the case of same day visitors the survey findings suggest,
total numbers of leisure tourists (146741) were higher than non-leisure tourists
(42060) during the year 2011/2012. The maximum number of leisure tourists visited
Sikkim during the month of April, whereas maximum number of non-leisure tourists
visited Sikkim during the month of July. Total numbers of leisure tourists were higher
than non-leisure tourists during the year 2011/2012.Hotel was first choice for the
domestic tourists, followed by staying at friends/relatives place and staying
elsewhere.
Contribution of West Bengal state was highest (55.8%) in contribution of
domestic tourists for the state of Sikkim, followed by Sikkim itself (12.2%), Delhi
(7.4%) and Assam (5.1%). On the other hand, the contribution of others in domestic
tourists for the state of Sikkim was only 1.5%. Contribution of USA was highest
(21.0%) in contribution of foreign tourists for the state of Sikkim, followed by U.K.
with 12 %.On the other hand, the contributions of Russia and China in foreign tourists
for the state of Sikkim were only 0.8% while Netherlands and South Africa were only
0.7%. In total 644 accommodation units were available during the year 2011/2012,
including 8132 rooms. 891 numbers of employees were working in the 644
accommodation units. Out of 644 accommodation units, 333 were less than 11 rooms,
215 were between 11-20 rooms and 96 were above 20 rooms. Out of 610
accommodation units, 19 were Star Hotels, 591were Non-Star Hotels and 34 were
others. Out of 19, four were four star Hotels, 12 were 3 star Hotels and 3 were 2 star
Hotels. Out of 1283 accommodation units maximum (341) numbers of the
accommodation units were owned by Proprietor / Partnership. In the Present survey,
44% of male (age 25 ‚ 34 Years) domestic overnight visitors were selected for the
study, followed by 45 Percent female (age 25 ‚ 34 Years) domestic same day visitor.
Whereas, 39% of male (age 25 ‚ 34 Years) foreign overnight visitors; followed by

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63.9% female (age 25 ‚ 34 Years). In the case of domestic visitor•s percentage of

male overnight and same day visitor were higher than female visitors. On the other
hand, in the case of foreign tourists Percentage of female visitor were higher than
male. Maximum domestic visitors were married, 77.7% overnight visitors and 68.6%
same day visitors. In the case of foreign visitors were equally, they were divided in
married and unmarried. 69.2% of the domestic overnight visitors were coming under
the household annual income range of Rs.60, 001 ‚ Rs.1, 00,000, whereas 56.1% of
the domestic same day visitors were coming under the household annual income
range of Rs.60, 001 ‚ Rs.1, 00,000. 46.2% of the foreign overnight visitors were
coming under the household annual income range of $.60, 001 ‚ $.80, 000. 68.2% of
the domestic overnight visitor•s education level were graduate and above, whereas in
the case of domestic same day visitors, for most (64.3) of the respondents maximum
level of education were also graduate and above. Furthermore, most (52.6%) of the
foreign overnight visitors were educated to the level of graduate and above. The study
shows that 36.1% of the domestic overnight visitors and 26.0% domestic same day
visitors visited Sikkim for their business purpose. In the case of foreign overnight
visitors, most (76.5%) of them visited Sikkim in their Holidays, Leisure &
Recreation. 43.5% of the domestic overnight visitors selected train as mode of
transportation, whereas 26.8% of the domestic same day visitors selected their own
vehicle as mode of transportation. In the case of foreign overnight visitors, 32.9% of
them selected taxi as the mode of transportation. 42.4% domestic overnight visitors
were traveling once in 6 months and domestic same day visitors (39.8%) were
traveling once in a year, whereas 93.8% foreign overnight visitors were traveling less
often. 97.1% domestic overnight visitors and 96.9% same day visitors were not
availing tour package. On the other hand, 75.0% of the foreign overnight visitors
were availing tour packages. Majority of the domestic overnight visitors (97.9%) and
same day visitors (96.3%) were arranging the travel mode by themselves. On the
other hand, 64.7% of the foreign overnight visitors were arranging the travel mod
with the help of travel operator. Private Guest houses (39.36%) were the major stay
places for the domestic overnight visitors. On the other hand, 3 star hotels (35.3%)

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were the major stay places for the Foreign Overnight Visitors. Restaurants were the
major eating place for the majority of the foreign overnight visitors (68.3%), domestic
overnight visitors (77.2%) and domestic same day visitors (67.1%). Most of the
domestic overnight visitors (80.4%), domestic same day visitors (78.7%) and foreign
overnight visitors (94.1%) selected the option ƒAs per expectation„.
This exploratory work aims to further the study of the interdependent bonds
which characterize the relationship between tourism and the environment, promoting
wider perspectives and a more holistic approach to environmental matters and related
practices involved in tourism, travel, hospitality and leisure sectors, which are
nowadays essential to ensure and sustain excellence of tourist destinations. That is to
acknowledge the relevance of the role that each territory and its particular
environment plays in any tourism development process while considering the concept
of a tourist area cycle of evolution and its implications for management of resources.
In this sense, the quality and the competitiveness of any local tourism industry is
submitted along time to different factors of environmental change that are not
exclusively due to just tourism production and consumption processes. In fact, alike
as one of many other economic activities competing in a territory, tourism
development needs to be planned and managed within a sustainable and integrated
framework at different spatial scales if environmental excellence of tourist
destinations wants to be enhanced and guaranteed. Sustainable development on global
and local scale basis comes forth nowadays as the renewed paradigm of an old
outlook, that is, the wise use of resources in order to guarantee development process
success in the long term run. As a new paradigm of development, sustainability has
being adopted by a growing number of local authorities and tourist entrepreneurs
worldwide. Therefore sustainable development has being seen by the tourism industry
as an opportunity competent in resources quality conservation through integrated
policy, planning and management. Thus, the basic principles which define sustainable
development are being introduced on the tourism sector during the past two decades
giving tourism the opportunity to gradually assume the challenge to put forward a
strategy towards sustainability in order to effectively contribute to sustainable

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development on a global scale. Notwithstanding, tourism industry is facing a series of

difficulties to go from theoretical principles to practice. Thus, and despite the
attractiveness and the necessity for achieving a more sustainable tourism
development, its implementation proves to be extremely difficult due the complex
nature of development processes and its multiple stakeholders, interests and values.
The full paper intends to analyze in the first place several factors of environmental
change that affect a tourist destination along its evolution cycle, verifying and
identifying for this purpose some of the existing interdependent bonds within the
conceptualization of a tourism/environment system. The analysis will continue after
through a seashore tourist municipality case study to illustrate the impact of
environmental change on the tourist destination activity and dynamism both in terms
of demand and supply. Afterwards, the research will focus on management practices
responses in order to contribute with a series of proposals to define a set of measures
aimed at minimizing the negative impact on the environment resulting from the local
tourist activity in the considered municipality. The impact of regional and global
factors of environmental change that affect the municipality as a tourist destination
will be also discussed. Finally, a series of conclusions derived from the analysis
conducted will be presented. This exploratory work aims to further the study of the
interdependent bonds which characterize the relationship between tourism and the
environment, promoting wider perspectives and a more holistic approach to
environmental matters and related practices involved in tourism, travel, hospitality
and leisure sectors, which are nowadays essential to ensure and sustain the excellence
of tourist destinations. That is to acknowledge the relevance of the role that each
territory and its particular environment plays in any tourism development process
while considering the concept of a tourist area cycle of evolution (Butler 1980) and its
implications for management of resources. In this sense, the quality and the
competitiveness of any local tourism industry is submitted through time to different
factors of environmental change that are not exclusively due to just tourism
production and consumption processes. In fact, alike as one of many other economic
activities competing in a territory, tourism development needs to be planned and

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managed within a sustainable and integrated framework at different spatial scales if

environmental excellence of tourist destinations (Wight, 1998) wants to be enhanced
and guaranteed. Sustainable development on global and local scale basis comes forth
nowadays as the renewed paradigm of an old outlook, that is, the wise use of
resources in order to guarantee development process success in the long term. As a
new paradigm of development, sustainability has being adopted by a growing number
of local authorities and tourist entrepreneurs worldwide. Therefore sustainable
development has being seen by the tourism industry as an opportunity competent in
quality resources conservation through integrated policy, planning and management
(Briassoulis, 2002; Butler, 1998; Coccossis, 1996). Thus, the basic principles which
define sustainable development are being introduced in the tourism sector during the
past two decades giving tourism the opportunity to gradually assume the challenge to
put forward a strategy towards sustainability in order to effectively contribute to
sustainable development on a global scale. Notwithstanding, tourism industry is
facing a series of difficulties to go from theoretical principles to practice. Thus, and
despite the attractiveness and the necessity for achieving a more sustainable tourism
development, its implementation proves to be extremely difficult (Avgerinou-
Kolonia, 1998; Lagos, 1988; Swarbrooke, 1999) due to the complex nature of
development processes and its multiple stakeholders, interests and values.
Globalization and the new internationality of the tourist perspective have transformed
any place into an appealing potential destination. As a result, travel and tourism
figures show global increase share in world-wide economy (Hillel, 2002).
Nevertheless, increasing tourism flows harm the environment on a global scale
whereas tourist destination development alters environmental conditions on a local
scale. Thus, international tourism growth implies more and more a greater pressure on
natural resources. Therefore, and in order to minimize a series of negatives impacts
on world’s natural environment brought about by international tourism growth, it is
imperative to adopt an integrated and holistic approach capable of assessing the
different agents and stakeholders involved in development processes. With this in
mind, the study of tourism development and its impacts on the environment needs to

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be conceptualised at different scales if a real progress towards a more sustainable

development of tourism wants to be achieve (Hall, 1998). Thus, global, regional and
local analysis is essential to grasp the existing interdependent relationship between
tourism and the environment and its implications for territorial management of
resources. 2 The global scale On a global scale it is necessary to stress the role that
the transportation phase plays within the existing tourism/environment system. In fact
and due to the spatial concentration in the destination of both production and
consumption processes the demand is unavoidably forced to travel to consume tourist
services. Therefore, the transportation phase derived from the territorial and
geographical specificity of tourist destinations is responsible for the ensemble of
domestic and international tourist flows. International Tourist Arrival Figures 1950-
2002 In thousand However, most of the different means of transportation used to
guarantee tourist flows are consuming non renewable resources producing in turn a
series of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere. Thus, both processes have collateral
negative impacts on the environment on a global scale. There is no doubt that the
growth of the transportation industry plays a fundamental role as it increases the total
number of tourist arrivals and expands the development of new tourist spaces and
products worldwide. In this sense, sophisticated means of transportation put within
reach nowadays the most distant and remote tourist destinations on Earth. Tourism
transportation is consequently contributing to the gradual exhaustion of several non
renewable energy resources, meanwhile multiple evidences on climate change - in
particular global warming- are threatening the environment on a planetary scale
undermining in this way the existing model of development adopted on a global scale.
To illustrate the implications of our present type of development it is worth
mentioning that “the 6.000 millions inhabitants of the planet are consuming in fossil
fuels in just one year what the Earth spent to store as geological deposit a million
years....it is evident that our conduct is unsustainable. We just not burn non renewable
resources but we also pollute” (Martín Vide 2003:33). 3 In this context, the
transportation industry is allowing a fast growth of tourist flows that unavoidably
contribute to deteriorate the general environment characterizing thus the present sign

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of the relationship within the tourism-environment system on a global scale. In this

sense, it is expected that air traffic will multiply by two in 2020 due mainly to the
tourist sector development (European Agency for the Environment, 2003). Therefore,
it is necessary to stress that even managing responsibly tourist destinations, that is to
say, acting locally in a friendly environmental way it is not possible to solve the
negatives impacts on the global environment derived from the transportation phase
which is intrinsically united with tourism practices. International warnings as Djerba
Declaration reflect indeed the links between tourist transportation phase and climate
change which as it is known constitutes nowadays a major environmental threat for
ourselves as well as for the flora and the wildlife of the planet Earth. In this sense the
First International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism, held in Tunisia in
April 2003 final declaration recognizes the key role of the Kyoto Protocol as a first
step in the control of greenhouse emissions in the line with the concerns, pursuits and
activities of the United Nations in the field of climate change, and more generally, in
that of sustainable development. This assessment brings up the complex relationships
between tourism and climate change particularly the impacts that the latter are
producing upon different types of tourism destinations while not ignoring that
transport used for tourist movements and other components of the tourism industry
contribute in return to climate change. The international community
acknowledgement that tourism is now fully integrated in the consumption patterns of
many countries makes it necessary to encourage the tourism industry, including
transport companies, hoteliers, tour operators, travel agents and tourist guides, to
adjust their activities, using more energy-efficient and cleaner technologies and
logistics, in order to minimize as much as possible their contribution to climate
change. Therefore the analysis of the relationship between tourism growing flows and
its impacts on the environment on a global scale implies to further the study of the
environmental alteration factors generated during the transportation phase towards
tourist destinations. Such a study exceeds the objectives of the present investigation,
nevertheless further research is fundamental for the consecution of a steady
improvement of the relationship between tourism and the environment on a global

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scale. The local scale On a local scale the tourism-environment system is subjected to
two fundamental variables. The first one is the location of the destination and its
environment. Both together define the characteristics and the structure of its tourism
market, inasmuch as the environment is the support and the primordial resource of the
destination supply as well as the principal attraction for the demand that frequents it.
The second variable is constituted by the particular evolution of the location
throughout the length of the process of tourist development in its territory, which
defines in every moment the characteristics of the tourist market structure and the
extent of the environmental alteration derived from tourism practices on the
destination (Boyra, 2005). Thus, the processes of production and consumption of
tourist services assembled in a specific geographical space that is in a particular
destination enable the study of the existing interactions within the tourism-
environment system during the operational phase. As a matter of fact, the tourist
operational phase implies different production and consumption processes which
cause a series of negatives impacts on natural resources that gradually contribute to
diminish the environmental quality of the tourist destination. As a result, the
environment is defined by its duality along the tourism development process as
resources provider and at the same time as depot of multiples residues (Furió Blasco,
2002). In this sense, the study of the interactions within the tourism-environment
system during the operational phase at the destination aims to identify the existing
relationship between the tourist activity and its environment in order to improve as
much as possible the sign of their relationship. Therefore, tourist operational
assessment on a local scale is a key issue to preserve environmental excellence in a
long lasting way at the destination.

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CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION
Amarkantak Jain Mandir is a unique Jain Temple situated in the Amarkantak area of
Madhya Pradesh which is known for its great architecture and its great diversity.

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