Kathmandu Post

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Fading glory

JANAKPUR, DEC 05 -
What used to stand not only as a religious site, but also as the hub of economic progress for a section of Janakpur locals until just a couple of years back, Ram Janaki temple, these days, is again on the verge of turning into a mere showpiece.

A paradigm shift in the trend of celebrations marked in Ram Janaki temple has not only hampered the temple’s joie de vivre, but has also troubled the locals, for whom, extravagant melas (fairs) meant opportunities to make profit through small businesses.

Circuses and carnivals that used to go parallel with the celebrations on special festivals like Ram Navami, Bibah Panchami and Chhath are no more part of Ram Janaki temple. This has shortened the visit of Indian tourists who came to mark the festivals. According to locals, while circuses and other joyful programmes used to attract Indian tourists to spend four to five days in Janakpur earlier, the absence of such celebrations, these days, has shortened the tourists’ visit, thereby hampering the local business.

“We used to make a fair amount of money when there were circuses and extravagant melas during special festivals,” said Ram Janam Yadav, an owner of a sweet shop. “But the glory no more exists. Internal and external tourists do not stay more than two days during festivals.”

What exactly brought about this decline? Behind the fading glory of the site, there lay, according to experts, two major factors—the temple’s dilapidation and lack of public awareness. While the entire Janakpurdham, also referred to as the religious Capital of Nepal, gradually loses its past glory, many sacred sites in the surrounding areas are facing extinction.

Of the 52 monuments and 72 ponds on the premises of the temple, many are in a sorry state. The lack of timely care has also encouraged the trend of encroachment on the premises. “The importance of business and tourism has always been intact with celebrations at Ram Janaki temple and keeping this in account, our ancestors had been doing their best to conserve the site,” said Parmeshwor Kapar, a local lecturer, adding that the present-day residents could not continue the trend.

According to him, the area will not be what it is now if the government comes up with a plan and does the needful.

Officials at the Department of Archaeology (DoA) are, however, hopeful that the area’s glory can be revived as the DoA has been planning to conduct large-scale renovation of the temple this year.

“Keeping in mind the dilapidated condition of Ram Janaki temple and the threat to the invaluable cultural aspect associated with Janakpurdham, the DoA has decided to renovate the main temple as well as the surrounding structures this year,” said Mandakini Shrestha, section officer at the planning department under the DoA.

A successful execution of the DoA’s plan could be helpful in reviving the temple’s glory. The monuments and ponds on the temple’s premises could attain a new life.

But another question still remains. Will this be enough to regain the glory of Janakpurdham in terms of liveliness and jollity?

On this, Chairman of the Janakpur Area Development Council Digambar Raya says that unless the locals themselves are aware of the religious, cultural and archaeological importance of the site, the glory is hard to be revived.

“Therefore, along with the renovation of physical structures, if we really want to save the site from turning into a mere showpiece, there is a need to run awareness campaigns as well. We will work jointly with the DoA on this,” Raya said.

 

Posted on: 2011-12-06 07:54

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