6 Aug : The Ram Vangaman Path Shodh Samiti, which has been constituted by the state government, has started the second leg of its journey. Culture Minister Shri Laxmikant Sharma sent off the members of the committee on their journey by honouring them with shawls and shriphals. The journey will wind its way through Vidisha, Sironj, Hoshangabad, Pipariya, Katni, Shahdol, Jaisingh Nagar, Anuppur and Amarkantak and will culminate on August 12. The committee will undertake research and studies at the places where Lord Ram had paid a visit, according to religious belief and folklore.
The committee will visit the Charan Teerth on the banks of river Betwa in Vidisha district. It is said that the footmarks of Lord Ram exist there. There is a Ramayan-era evidence that Lord Ram had visited Devpur in Sironj as well. The committee members will also pay a visit to Ramghat Macha in Hoshangabad, Ram Mandir Pasighat (near Umardha) and Ramghat Pipariya (near Magarmuha). While on way to Katni from Jabalpur, the committee will also undertake studies at Bharbhara Shiv tempe on the banks of Kshipra river, Sitamarhi (Gandhiyan) in Jaisingh Nagar in Shahdol and Jwaleshwar Mahadev temple in Anuppur.
The committee comprises head of archaeology department of Gwalior University Dr. R.A. Sharma, archaeologist Shri R.K. Chaturvedi, senior writer Shri Amritlal Begad, photographer Shri Manohar Kajal, senior writer from Mirzapur in UP Shri Chandrabhushan Pandey, Dr. Suresh Parag of Panna, senior painter of Bhopal Shri Laxminarayan Bhavsar, Dr. Balkrishna Sharma of Gwalior, professor of ancient history Dr. Kapil Dev Mishra, Dr. Rampati Dwivedi of Bhopal, Dr. Arya Prasad Tripathi of Chitrakoot University’s Hindi department, Anand Kumar Singh of Bhopal, Dr. Ramsuman Pandey of Banda (Uttar Pradesh, Ramkatha specialist Archarya Keshav Prasad Mishra, Dr. Pragya Mishra of Chitrakoot, Ramkatha expert of Bhopal Dr. Ramchandra Tiwari and Shri Shriram Malhotra of Lucknow.
Culture Minister Shri Laxmikant Mishra said that the state government is serious towards development of Ram Vangaman Path. The committee should submit its report at the earliest so that a detailed project to this effect can be presented before Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
It may be mentioned that the committee has completed the first leg of its journey from March 1 to 9, 2009 during which it visited Bharat-Ram Milan venue, Ram Shaiyya Shila, Bharat Coop, Janaki Kund, Sphatik Shila, Markandey Ashram, Gupt Godavri, Narad Kunad, Agastasharm, Bandhavgarh etc. The committee has already presented its interim report.