AHMEDABAD: In its latest plan to draw tourists to Gujarat, the state government will make Lord Rama its tourism ambassador and market the legend that his devotee and the monkey god Hanuman was born in Gujarat! The idea is to promote the legend that Hanuman was born at Dangs in south Gujarat.
State tourism minister Jay Narayan Vyas told TOI, ���We will develop a ���Rama trail��� to showcase locations of importance in the life of Lord Hanuman like Anjani Kund, where he is believed to have been born and Anjani Parbat���.
The Rama trail will be on the epic journey that Lord Rama, Sita and Laxman undertook as part of their 14-year exile and focus on Sita Van, Ram Sarovar, Unai and Shabari Dham in Dangs where they passed through in Gujarat.
The government has decided to not only promote Lord Rama tourism circuit but also have Rama as its tourism ambassador.
It will also have Gandhiji, with his mass appeal, as ambassador. The decision to promote Lord Rama tourism circuit was taken after a delegation of Sri Lankan tourism ministry visited the state earlier this year.
Officials said the work on Rama circuit and Mahatma circuit has begun and soon the circuit would be out for the tourists. ���It is believed that when Lord Hanuman was flying to Lanka armed with a mountain from the Himalayan ranges with the Sanjeevani booti to save Laxman, a piece of it fell in Gujarat���s Dangs district at Anjani Parbat,��� said Vyas.
Which is why Dangs is believed to be the only location outside Himalayas where some precious and rare herbs are found.
Officials said the Sri Lankan delegation was all set to join hands with Gujarat government to develop a ���Rama trail��� on the lines of the one existing in Sri Lanka which was a hit with Hindu tourists.
