Lucknow, (Samajweekly) As the hype over the Ram temple moves towards a crescendo, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to develop Rajapur village of Chitrakoot district — the birthplace of 16th century Hindu saint and poet Goswami Tulsidas who authored the Ramcharitmanas.
The state government’s decision comes ahead of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
In a statement, the state tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh said: “Ramcharitmanas is our holy book. A large number of devotees have faith in it. The people have same reverence for Goswami Tulsidas who penned the epic. People in large numbers visit his birthplace to pay their obeisance to the saint-poet.
“The state government has decided to develop tourism facilities in Rajapur so that the visiting tourists do not face any inconvenience. The devotees visiting the place will get good arrangements for travel as well as accommodation.
“The younger generation and children are today living in a digital age. Arrangements have been made for the people to read Ramcharitmanas and introduce themselves to the life of Goswami Tulsidas through digital medium.
“The state government has approved approximately Rs 21 crore for the development of the birthplace of Tulsidas. The first instalment of Rs 4.50 crore has been released.
“The development work will be done in about two-and-a-half acres area near Tulsi Memorial in Rajapur village. The beautification work will be done around the memorial. A park will be built and medicinal plants will be planted there. Arrangements for swings etc will be made for children. A dormitory will also come up there. A digital library and interpretation centre will be built.
“People will be able to read the Ramayana digitally and get acquainted with the life of Goswami Tulsidas. Apart from this, many other works, including an open theatre and landscape, will also be carried out.”
The Minister also claimed that at present, Uttar Pradesh tops in the country in terms of domestic tourism.
“The tourism sector is developing rapidly here. Tourist facilities are being continuously developed. It is our endeavour that the tourists coming here return with a special experience.”
