Ram Van Gaman Path
Chhattisgarh is a state that is proud of its culture and traditions. It reveres Gods of all faiths and treats them as equal. However, Lord Ram has had the most significant impact on the state’s culture and history. He is not only a supreme deity who is worshipped and cherished but also an ideal of life for the state’s residents. Some of the most crucial scenes in Ramayana, an epic that narrates the life story and adventures of Lord Ram, take place in Chhattisgarh. It is to underpin this legacy of Lord Ram that the Chhattisgarh Government has come up with the idea of developing the Ram Van Gaman Tourism Circuit.
Historical Significance of the Ram Van Gaman Path and Ramayana
Ramayana is one of the most iconic religious texts in Indian mythology. Its historical significance cannot be stressed enough. The epic has shaped the values of prominent leaders and pioneers of our society with its universal lessons of truth and the victory of good over evil. The Ram Van Gaman Tourism Circuit emphasizes this universal message of Ramayana by marking the path that Lord Ram had traveled in the course of his wanderings during his exile when he was accompanied by his brother Lakshman and wife Sita. The path will identify and mark the footsteps of Lord Ram as he led the arduous life of an ascetic, away from the fame and royalty of his Ayodhya palace. The Ram Van Gaman Path will, therefore, pay a worthy tribute to the important era in Treta Yug when Lord Ram set a glorious example of righteousness by following his father King Dashrath’s command.
History of Lord Ram in Chhattisgarh
There are many facts that link Lord Ram and Ramayana with Chhattisgarh. The state is the maternal home of Shri Ram as his mother, Mata Kaushalya, was born in Chandkhuri, a town located 27 Km. away from Raipur. However, the most relevant connection between the Suryavanshi prince and Chhattisgarh is the fact that he spent about 10 years of the 14 years of his exile in the forests of the state. During this time, he is said to have traveled to 75 places, that the State Government wants to develop as religious tourism spots. Interestingly, the relationship between Ramayana and Chhattisgarh doesn’t end here.
The Ashram of the great sage Valmiki, who composed Ramayana in 24,000 verses, is said to be located in Turturiya village in the Balodabazar district. Additionally, it was this hermitage that Mata Sita had taken shelter in when she had been banished from Ayodhya. She had also given birth to the twins Luv and Kush here.
