Rs 15 crore Nishadraj Park in Prayagraj to be icon of caste unity

LUCKNOW: To mark the event of the meeting of Ram with Nishadraj in Ramayana, the UP government is constructing a Nishadraj Park in Prayagraj’s Shringverpur.
Nishadraj, or the king of Nishads, had helped Ram, Sita and Lakshman cross the Ganga in Shringverpur when they were on their way to the forests to spend 14 years in exile. The three had also spent a night in the village before heading to the forest. To commemorate this incident, a park is being built in an area of 5,600 sq mt at a cost of Rs 15 crore and is expected to be a huge tourist draw in the area.
“The park will also have a statue of Lord Ram and Nishadraj embracing, placed on a high platform.This statue will give the message that there was never a feeling of high and low caste in India. Social harmony has been a tradition here. There can be no other example of this greater than Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram,” said a government spokesperson.
“Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has initiated various religious tourism projects in the state. Of these, Shringverpur will become an example of social harmony. With the Ram temple coming up in Ayodhya, other places associated with Ram and the Ramayana will also be developed as part of the Ramayana circuit,” said the spokesperson.
He said that the park would showcase the trio’s night halt in the fisherman’s hut, Ram’s request for a boat to cross the Ganga, the communication between Ram and Nishadraj and Ram’s love for the boatman. These incidents will come alive through drawings in the park. The park will also document the meeting of Shringi Rishi with his sister Shanta. The UP Projects Corporation made a presentation before the CM in this regard.
Shringverpur reportedly got its name from Shringi Rishi, who is believed to have meditated there. He is the sage who performed the Kameshti Yajna at Makhota Dham in Basti for King Dasharatha to get a son. Shringverpur, located on the Lucknow-Prayagraj road on the banks of the Ganga, finds mention in the Puranas.
“Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas has a detailed description of the meeting of Nishadraj and Ram at Shringverpur. The park will become a testament to the incident. It will also have all the necessary public amenities for visitors,” said the spokesperson.