{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.012345679012345678, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.311377245508982, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Economic Benefits of Pilgrimage Tourism: A Case Study of Sabarimala Pilgrimage with Special Reference to Pandalam Rural Locality in Kerala ( India)

The growth of the pilgrimage tourism in India has been astonishingly impressive. India is blessed with plenty of well-known religious destinations. Pilgrimages to these destinations bring enormous economic gains to local residents. The number of pilgrims visiting famous Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala is almost equal to the population of Kerala state. The present study attempts to investigate how Sabarimala pilgrimage helps in giving manifold economic benefits to local residents of Pandalam rual area. The study is designed as empirical one based on survey method. Six wards of Pandalam Grama Panchayath have been identified as places where high level of economic activity is taking place during pilgrimage season. The study reveals that the high positive effects of pilgrimage season on income, employment and standard of living of local residents in Pandalam rural locality.