Exploring the Sacred Landscape of Pathivara Temple: Integrating Cultural, Religious, and Socioeconomic Dimensions Using a Mixed-Methods Approach

Abstract

This study investigates the sacred landscape of Pathivara Temple in Eastern Nepal, which is the subject of cultural, religious, environmental and socioeconomic study with a mixed methods research approach. Pathivara Temple is a major Hindu pilgrimage site in Nepal, with thousands of pilgrims visiting each year and playing a crucial role in the preservation of the local culture and traditions, as well as the development of tourism in the region. The study tries to analyze the present status of religious tourism, assess its socio-economic and environmental impacts, and suggest some possible ways for sustainably managing tourism. The quantitative data was gathered by using structured questionnaires and qualitative data was gathered by using semi-structured questionnaires with key informants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, regression analysis and thematic analysis. The results indicate that TD and good governance have strong positive associations with both local economic development and cultural and environmental sustainability. The results of regression analysis show that the influence of infrastructure and governance towards tourism outcomes is not insignificant. Qualitative results also suggest that the development of transportation and accommodation services, as well as the collaboration between stakeholders, has created a better experience for visitors and local income generation, but issues surrounding environmental degradation, waste management, seasonality and policy implementation still exist. The synergy between quantitative and qualitative evidence supports the idea of a balanced investment in infrastructure, participatory governance, environmental monitoring and conservation, and community engagement in order to promote sustainable religious tourism. The study fills a gap in Nepalese studies on religious tourism by providing empirical evidence for the relatively under-researched Pathivara Temple region, and makes recommendations for sustainable religious pilgrimage tourism to local stakeholders, tourism planners and policy-makers.