Rampath: States may play spoilsport in MPs efforts

With a team from Madhya Pradesh claiming to have traced the states leg of Rampath,the route taken by Lord Ram on his way to exile....

With a team from Madhya Pradesh claiming to have traced the states leg of Rampath,the route taken by Lord Ram on his way to exile,the ambitious BJP project seems to be going places. The state government has now written to the other states on the legendary Ramayana route - Uttar Pradesh,AP,Chhattisgarh,Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu,among others - for assistance in the matter.

A search party comprising preachers,archaeologists,social workers and religious figures claimed to have traced the Madhya Pradesh leg in two week-long phases. The team encountered challenges ranging from wild animals in dense forests to dacoits in Chitrakoot and also factored in the possible Naxal threat in areas bordering Chhattisgarh. Team Convener Prof Avdhesh Pande told The Indian Express,Since we were on a godly mission we were banking on faith.

The second phase of the expedition concluded two days ago at Amarkantak while the first phase had begun on March 1,2009 at Chitrakoot. The report of the second expedition will shortly be submitted to the government.

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Director (Culture) Shriram Tiwari said the other states cooperation in the ambitious project had been sought by writing to the respective cultural departments. A letter either from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan or Culture Minister Laxmikant Sharma will follow Tiwaris request.

The practical problems faced by the search party will probably pale in comparison to the possible ideological hurdles from some states. While the Bahujan Samaj Party is ruling Uttar Pradesh,the last stretch of the route falls in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu,which is under DMK rule. We see no problem in getting a nod from Chhattisgarh because its ruled by the party with the same ideology, a member said. Sharma said he would like the same search party to cover Chhattisgarh.

Most members of the search party are over 60 and did not mind the hurdles they faced in mapping the route,Tiwari said.

The ambitious Rampath (Ram Vangaman Path) project was first announced in 2007 when the state government said it would identify and link and develop for pilgrims all the spots that fall on the route.

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