International Temples Convention and Expo has announced its second annual edition in the temple city of Tirupati from February 17 to 19, 2025, in which key representatives from devotional institutions of Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism from over 58 countries are expected to participate.
ITCX 2025, as the three-day event is named, will see the participation of dignitaries from over 1581 prestigious temples with global footprint and hybrid participation.
Giresh Kulkarni, founder of Temple Connect, is spearheading the event, alongside Prasad Lad, the Chairman of ITCX 2025 and a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
“While the Sadhus, seers and priests form the devotional side of temples, this event is meant for the other facet comprising administrators, executive officers and trust board members of the committees running the temples, considered the ‘pillars’ of temple management,” said Mr. Kulkarni.
In a telephonic interview with The Hindu on Tuesday, he explained that the event would dwell at length on critical issues like temple safety, cutting-edge security and surveillance protocols, strategic fund management and comprehensive disaster management, besides addressing sanitation and hygiene standards, food distribution management, waste management practices and integrating over 75 high-tech innovations in the ‘Temple and Faith Tech Space’.
With spiritual tourism experiencing a significant surge in India, around 30% market share in the country’s travel and tourism industry and expected to grow 9-10% annually to reach $130 billion by 2032, Mr. Kulkarni saw a greater need for innovation to address the evolving needs of temple ecosystems.
Published – January 22, 2025 09:33 am IST
