Jagmohan’s broom, ASI now headed for Pushkar

The preliminary notification under Section 4 of the Monuments and Antiquities Act will bring the temple under the purview of the ASI. ‘‘Now nobody can put any construction or structure there,’’ says Jagmohan.

Culture tourism is what the minister is aiming at because, he says, there is a lot of potential in it. ‘‘Tourists are not just looking for five-star comforts. They come for peace,’’ he says.

The minister says he will start with the 52 ghats that surround the lake and then clean the lake itself. Pushkar is just the begining, says the minister, who is setting his sights on Mahabalipuram’s Shore temples, Hampi, Kurekshtra, sweeping the area clean right through the North to the South.

Jagmohan has already sanctioned Rs 1 crore for repairs and reconstruction, another Rs 25 lakh for cleaning the area where the annual cattle fair is held and Rs 1 crore for new tents. After he gets past this, the minister says, he will focus on cleaning the lake.

Once the work around the lake is complete, Jagmohan says he will focus on the three hills around the place which have their own legends, one of which surrounds Kalidas’s Shakuntala.

Jagmohan says there has to be a synthesis of culture and tourism. Sweet music not only for the BJP but also for those who want to see heritage treated with a little respect.