Sri Lanka joins hands with Gujarat to set up 'Rama trail'

AHMEDABAD: Legend has it that when Lord Hanuman was flying to Lanka armed with a mountain from the Himalaya ranges laden with Sanjeevani booti to save the life of a critically injured Laxman, a piece of it fell right here in Gujarat’s Dangs district at Anjani Parbat. Which is why Dangs is believed to be the only location outside of the Himalayas where some precious and rare herbs are found. What’s more, Lord Hanuman, an ardent Lord Rama devotee, is believed to have been born in Dangs at Anjani Kund. For the devout, wanting to trace the footsteps of Lord Rama and getting a peek into the life of Lord Hanuman, trooping all the way down under to Sri Lanka may no longer be necessary. For, they may soon be able to embark on a ‘Rama trail’ right here in Dangs district of Gujarat. All thanks to Sri Lankans who are all set to join hands with Gujarat government to develop a ‘Rama trail’ on the lines of the existing one in Sri Lanka that’s a hit with Hindu tourists. Gujarat leg of the ‘Rama trail’ will give the devout a taste of the epic journey that Lord Rama, Sita and Laxman undertook as part of their 14-year exile and locations like Sita Van, Ram Sarovar, Unai and Shabari Dham they passed through in Gujarat. The ‘Rama trail’ will also see locations of importance in the life of Lord Hanuman like Anjani Kund, where he is believed to have been born and Anjani Parbat, being developed. Sources said that Sri Lankan government will be inking an MoU with Gujarat government for the purpose at the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit. The MoU is to be inked by Sri Lanka’s tourism minister Milinda Moragoda who will be heading the Sri Lankan delegation to the summit. According to sources, the objective behind developing the ‘Rama trail’ was to popularise religious tourism by developing tourism infrastructure at these locations as well as cash in on the hordes of devotees who pass through Dangs enroute to Shirdi.