Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) forest area. Its eco-tourism and some other projects are still in the pipeline.
"We have plans of introducing boating, rafting and mountaineering to
draw adventure sports enthusiasts to the VTR," said divisional forest
officer (DFO), Range 1, Kanwaljeet Singh, adding, "We will also have a
guide training programme to instruct 20 local boys, in the first phase,
on how to interact with the tourists and brief them about it."
Singh said plans to put up a stall of VTR at the Sonepur fair were also
underway. "Entry gates would be put up at Madanpur, Goberdhana and
Manguraha. Tourists will be charged a reasonable amount for
sightseeing," he said. The government also plans to develop more rest
houses with the increase in the number of tourists.
Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi
said, "About 90 motion sensor cameras would be placed at the VTR by
this December to determine the exact number of Royal Bengal Tigers or
other species in the area." The government is working on a proposal to
arrange paying-guest accommodation for tourists wishing to stay in
villages to know more about Bihar culture, he said.
"We would also talk to
the Nepal government about improving the condition of 'Valmiki Ashram'
at Chitwan National Park, Nepal," Modi said, adding that cheap LPG
connections would be provided to the local households to reduce the
cutting of trees for firewood as it would also benefit women who suffer
due to smoke. "Timber would be provided at reasonable rates to locals
for constructing their houses to minimize deforestation," Modi said.
Regarding the shortage of armed guards and field staff at the VTR,
Dipak Kumar Singh, secretary, environment and forest department, said
the problem would be solved soon. "Under the Tiger Management Plan,
grasslands, that are a natural habitat of wild animals, would be
developed at the VTR. Anti-poaching camps would be organized, sensitive
points would be marked for intensive patrolling and security
arrangements would be tightened to prevent and put off forest fires," he
said.
The state government would also promote the folk and
traditional art forms of the area to attract tourists. Under the Tharu
Development Authority, efforts were being made to develop the skills of
the Tharu youth and commercially market their works, said PHED minister
Chandra Mohan Rai.
The government also plans to encourage local
youths to invest in vehicles and hire them out to tourists for jungle
safari and make it a source of income.
Valmiki Ashram
Among the number of places of tourists interest in the area is Valmiki
Ashram. Travelling through the VTR, one reaches the ashram at the
Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nepal. It has a small temple and is the
hermitage of Valmiki, the sage who wrote the epic Ramayan.
The
ashram is believed to be more than 17 lakh years old, said its head
priest Shekhar Suvedi. He said the hermitage is of the Ramayana era and
is thronged by believers in the month of 'Magh'. "All through the year,
people who come to the park also visit the ashram. However, in
January-February, many believers especially come to visit the temple,"
he said.
Valmiki Ashram is the place where Sita, wife of Lord
Ram, is believed to have taken shelter after she was renounced by Ram.
It is here that she gave birth to Luv and Kush who, later, stopped the
horse of the famous 'Ashwamedh' yajna. The relics of these events and
their tokens, such as 'Gauri-Shankar conch', 'Amrit Kuan' and Sita's
'spice-grinding spot' are still present at the ashram making it a centre
of attraction for tourists from across the world.
"The 'Vishnu
chakra' at the ashram is photographed by many tourists who keep it in
their lockets or rings as it is believed to shield one against
accidents. The ashram also has a 'yajna kund' where Rishi Valmiki
performed havan with 88,000 other rishis for world peace," Suvedi said,
adding, the local people developed the ashram and a few families living
nearby took care of it.
Apart from the ashram, the VTR has
another spot of religious interest - the 'Nardevi' temple. Lakhmani
Puri, the temple priest, said, "The temple is believed to have brought
happiness to many lives. People come here to pray for their wishes and
the Goddess bless them with all they want." He said the temple attracts a
huge crowd on Mondays.
Not far from these two places is the
'Jatashankar' temple of Lord Shiva. It's priest, Rifali Puri, who has
been here for about 11 years, said, "The temple is ancient and believed
to belong to the times of 'Alha-Udal', famous Rajput warriors. It is
believed that all your wishes are granted here."
The 'Madanpur Devi' temple is also a few kilometers from the VTR.
Apart from the religious places of interest, nature lovers can also
experience some beautiful sightseeing locations. The Gandak barrage is
one of the major attractions of Valmiki Nagar. The barrage is jointly
owned by India and Nepal and has 36 gates, of which both countries have
18 each. 'Triveni' in Nepal and Ganauli and Harnatan forest range offer
diverse wildlife shelters.
Ashokan Pillar at Lauriya, Bhikhna
Thori, Done area, Udaipur wildlife sanctuary, Goberdhana and the
Someshwar hills also provide options to tourists who want to relax in
the lap of nature.
source :TOI
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