Chhattisgarh govt prepares 9 sites under Ram Van Gaman circuit to boost pilgrimage tourism
India Today
Nine sites under the Ram Van Gaman tourism circuit are being revamped to boost pilgrimage tourism in Chhattisgarh.
A year after unveiling the 51-foot-tall statue of Lord Ram and inaugurating the first phase of the Ram Van Gaman tourism circuit in Chhattisgarh, nine sites are being revamped to boost pilgrimage tourism.
Under this, at least 25-foot-tall statues on 16-foot-tall platforms will soon be installed at other sites in the state as well. Chhattisgarh will become the only state to have installed nine statues of Lord Ram. It all began last year when the concept plan for the tourism circuit by the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board amounting to Rs 148.99 crore was initiated.
The work of sculpture, lamp pillar, Ramayana Interpretation Centre, tourist information centre, cafeteria, dormitory, cottage, drinking water facility, public toilet, meditation centre, modular shop, temple beautification and renovation, etc., has been done so far.
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To put things in perspective, India Today reached out to PRO of the Tourism Ministry Anuradha Dubey. She said, "Shri Ram is not only about faith, but he is an ideal way of life. From India to many countries of the world, Shri Ram is worshipped as God, but Shasya Shyamala Bhoomi of Chhattisgarh, being the birthplace of mother Kaushalya, worships Shri Ram as a nephew too.”
“Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram, but Chhattisgarh is his Karmabhoomi. During the difficult exile of 14 years, he took shelter in Chhattisgarh. It is believed that during the exile period, while travelling from Ayodhya to Prayagraj, Chitrakoot Satna, Lord Ram reached Dakshin Kosal i.e. Bharatpur in Koriya district of Chhattisgarh and crossed the Mawai river and entered Dandakaranya. After reaching Sitamarhi - Harchouka, which was a natural cave temple built on the banks of river Mavai, he took rest,” Dubey said.
She further added, “This was considered Lord Ram's first stop during exile. Many incidents of Ramayana took place in the holy land of Chhattisgarh, evidence of which can be found in folk culture, folk art, legends and folklore."
