Not a temple, but a hi-tech Ram museum is coming up in Ayodhya

The politically charged town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh would have a state of-the-art Ram museum to promote Ramayana. Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma told the Economic Times that the Modi government is coming up with the museum, which would be part of the proposed 'Ramayana circuit'.

Fortunately, the ‘disputed site’, the reason for all the battles, would not be touched by the project. "This will be an exclusive museum which will be part of a larger holistic plan. The idea is to depict the mahima (grandeur) of Lord Ram and Ramayana," Sharma said. "It is on high priority and the scale will depend on funds available. We will do this next year."

The museum would be build on the model of the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Delhi - which features a sound and light show, boat ride and a film on Swaminarayan - and house archaeological material related to the deity.

The minister said work would soon begin on the detailed project report.

In order to again turn Ayodhya into a major cultural hub, the Modi government plans to develop all sites related to Lord Ram in and around the town.. When asked about the political ramifications, the minister said that the museum may reach the state of completion in 2017, a time when UP elections are due. He added, "Tourism we can develop. We are not saying we are going to make a Ram mandir there."

The tourism minister further stated that the government is already working on a chain of five circuits. "For every year we will declare a different circuit. Ramayana circuit will start with the centre somewhere in Ayodhya and Chitrakoot and definitely we go to Makohda in Basti, then Janaki kund in Unnao and nearby areas and places relevant to the life of Ram...that is our idea," he said.

The Centre would also host what it calls are cultural activities revolving around Ram and Ramayana at events abroad, including festivals and travel marts. According to officials of the Tourism Ministry, the government has already asked Uttar Pradesh to send a proposal for the project under the Centre's Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme.

"We have requested the state government to develop the proposal under the PRASAD scheme. Cost estimates are open-ended as of now and depend on the outline and scale of the proposal. This is actually an inter-state project as well so we will talk to other states as well," Tourism Secretary Lalit Pawar said.
Rakesh Tiwari, director-general of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), said that discussions on the Ramayana circuit are still at a preliminary stage and the ASI would help the tourism ministry with all related inputs.

"We will help develop the circuit in whichever way the government asks us to. Cultural bodies are also going to be roped in to bring alive the folklore and legends associated with Ramayana," said Tiwari.

(Image: Indiatimes)