A review of religious tourism development: A study with special reference to Rash Mela / Rash Yatra of Nabadwip Town of Nadia District, West Bengal

Abstract: Rash Mela is the most celebrated festival in Nabadwip, Nadia district, West Bengal. The Rash Mela of Nabadwip is a famous festival celebrated thirty-five days after the autumnal Durga puja celebration or fifteen days after Kali puja in Kartik (Bengali calendar) Purnima. The most celebrated festival, Rash Mela of Nabadwip is flavoured by Shakta Rash or Shakta Rasa or Shakta Ras. The entire community of Nabadwip is eagerly waiting for Rash Mela all year. This festival is one of Nabadwip's major community-based events, or melas. Every year, thousands of people gather to celebrate in the hope of a new experience at the Rash Mela. This community-based festival captures the essence of a community's culture and heritage, while also promoting religious tourism in Nabadwip. Currently, tourism stands as the fastest-growing industry, focusing on the development of small-scale marketing perspectives. Rash Mela is a more than 500–600-year-old event known for preserving and showcasing the age-old barter system. The present study is an attempt to identify the different stakeholders in this mela and understand the major task areas of managing the religious festival.摘要：拉什集市（Rash Mela）是西孟加拉邦纳迪亚县纳巴德维普最负盛名的节庆活动。纳巴德维普拉什集市的举办时间为秋季杜尔迦节（Durga Puja）庆祝活动结束后35天，或是孟加拉历卡尔提克月（Kartik）月圆日的时母节（Kali Puja）过后15天。作为当地最具影响力的节庆，纳巴德维普拉什集市的核心特色为性力派拉什（Shakta Rash，亦称性力派拉萨（Shakta Rasa）或性力派拉斯（Shakta Ras））。纳巴德维普全体居民全年都热切期盼拉什集市的到来，该节庆是当地最具代表性的社区集体活动之一。每年都有数以千计的民众齐聚于此，期待在拉什集市中收获全新的体验。这场依托社区举办的节庆既承载了当地社区的文化与遗产精髓，也推动了纳巴德维普的宗教旅游发展。当前，旅游业是增速最快的产业之一，其发展重心聚焦于小型营销业态的拓展。拉什集市已有500至600年的历史，以保留并展示古老的物物交换体系而闻名。本研究旨在识别该集市的各类利益相关方，并厘清这场宗教节庆的核心管理任务范畴。