Sacred Sarayu to Ram Katha: Ayodhya’s boatmen turn storytellers, bring history alive

Another trainee Jagaram said that the training has changed his point of view towards his work.

“People come here from Delhi, Lucknow and even from the South… Earlier we just took them across. Now, we can tell them why the Sarayu is sacred and how Ram Katha is linked to these ghats,” he said.

Officials informed that these boatmen are largely from the Kevat, Mallah and Nishad communities and have traditionally ferried devotees across the Sarayu. According to officials, the idea is to formally recognise the role of these boatmen and equip them for a changing tourism landscape.

“Ayodhya’s story cannot be told without the Sarayu and those who live by it. By training boatmen in safety, communication and storytelling, we are preparing them to serve visitors from across India and abroad while preserving their traditional occupation,” explained Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh.

Officials informed that under the programme, boatmen will be trained in storytelling, understanding visitor behaviour etc, along with use of digital payment systems, basic English and Hindi communication for interacting with visitors from states such as West Bengal, Odisha and Kerala, as well as foreign tourists. Sessions on disaster management, CPR and first aid are also being conducted by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Manyavar Kanshiram Institute of Tourism Management (MKITM) is leading modules on storytelling, visitor behaviour and responsible tourism.

From being referred to as ‘Navik’, these boatmen are being introduced to the concept of the ‘Navik Guide’, where they narrate Ram Katha and local legends linked to Ayodhya’s ghats during boat rides.

At the end of the programme, trained boatmen will be issued official identity cards, with the idea to formalise their role within Ayodhya’s tourism ecosystem.

Ayodhya is not the first such initiative. Similar training programmes have been organised across the state in recent weeks. In Chitrakoot, about 160 boatmen were trained across two batches in December 2025. In Mirzapur, around 65 boatmen were trained from December 22 to 24, followed by Chunar where over 60 boatmen were trained from December 25 to 27. At Bateshwar, a major religious destination on the Yamuna, nearly 40 boatmen completed training between January 5 and 7, informed officials.

“As Ayodhya prepares to host growing numbers of domestic and international visitors, the Sarayu’s boatmen are being positioned not just as navigators of the river, but as custodians of its stories,” said an official.