The Rudraksh Convention Centre in Varanasi will host the International Temples Convention and Expo (ITCX) from July 22 to July 24, 2023.
It was created by Temple Connect (India), the world’s first event entirely devoted to the management of temples worldwide, and it will concentrate on fostering and empowering the management, operations, and administration of temple ecosystems.

This three-day event was created by Giresh Kulkarni, the founder of Temple Connect, along with Prasad Lad, the chairman of the International Temples Convention & Expo 2023 and a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, and Meghaa Ghosh, the show director and co-curator. Temple Connect is a leading platform for the documentation, digitalization, and distribution of information related to temples of Indian origin.The convention is aptly supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, under the “Incredible India” project since it adds value to the ecology of temple tourism and pilgrimage.

ITCX wants to create and support a community for networking, knowledge exchange, and peer learning that will develop through master courses, workshops, and expert seminars on a range of subjects. The best use of cutting-edge technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) for protection against cyber-attacks and social media management to foster a strong and connected temple community, is one of these. Other areas covered include temple safety, security, and surveillance, fund management, disaster management, sanitization, and hygiene. Under the heading of the pilgrim experience, the programme will also cover topics including crowd and queue management, solid waste management, and infrastructure improvement.

The inaugural season of the event is by invitation only and is intended for Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, and temple trusts. Participants in this meeting will include representatives from the Pilgrimage Promotion Boards, prominent Devotional Charities, Associations in Hindu Temples in the UK, ISKCON Temples, Anna Kshetra Managements, and Jain Dharamshalas.

In addition, the conference celebrates India’s rich temple heritage while providing a forum for learning about other cultures, traditions, and arts and crafts found in temples all around the world.

the three-day sessions’ highlights included:

The conference will be officially opened by Dr. Mohan Bhagwat (Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). The Prince of Travancore (Padmanabhaswamy Temple), Rohan A. Khaunte (Minister for Tourism, Information Technology, Electronics & Communication, and Printing & Stationery, Goa), Dharma Reddy (Executive Officer – Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams), and other visionaries will be among the prominent attendees at the event.

The courses are designed to integrate tried-and-true as well as new-age practises to streamline sustainable temple administration and development in order to have a comprehensive impact. There will also be important discussions about green energy, ancient architecture, managing langars (community kitchens), lighting temples, etc. Experts from the Tirupathi Balaji Temple and representatives from charitable and social organisations that clean and preserve Varanasi’s ghats are among the lineup’s participants. A session on temple economics and its growing role in tourism, which may benefit the local economy and promote a location by giving pilgrims a memorable experience, will be led by the convention’s founder, Giresh Kulkarni.

Delegates from Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, Mahakaal Jyotirling, Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Patna Saheb Gurudwara, Chidambaram Temple, and Virupaksha Temple Hampi will also provide additional speeches and participate in pertinent sessions.

The event is also supported by the Antodaya Pratishthan that largely works in the space of CSR in the space of sustainability, hygiene, health and community service in a large way in Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra.

Booths for products and services
ITCX has curated a list of handpicked innovative products and services that offer solutions involving the improvement of systems and SOPs for better temple management and invited them to display their offerings for attendees to explore. These include fintech and transaction management/monetisation tools, screening virtual interactive maps, health ATMs at temple premises, social media and web technologies to help temples maintain their online engagement and chemical and cleaning products for temple housekeeping.
Source- mid day
Link- https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/travel/article/international-temples-convention-and-expo-to-be-held-in-varanasi-from-july-22-24-23297076