‘Kalash-shaped’ museum to greet Kumbh pilgrims

THE MUSEUM WILL COME UP ADJACENT TO THE HISTORICAL AKBAR FORT AT A COST OF ₹220 CRORE

ALLAHABAD: A visual treat is in store for 2019 Ardh Kumbh pilgrims in Allahabad. The sandy banks leading to Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers, will have a magnificent ‘kalash’ (urn) shaped three-storey museum to greet them.

Apart from a holy dip and the parikrama of the Hanuman temple, pilgrims will be able to visit the museum that is set to come up adjacent to the historical Akbar Fort at a cost of ₹220 crore.

Giving details about the project, regional tourist officer, Allahabad, Anupam Srivastava told Hindustan Times, “The first floor of the museum will be dedicated to Sangam city where visitors will get information about its glorious past, its literature and philosophy, music and art, historical places and sites of tourist importance on a big digital screen. The second floor will be dedicated to great leaders, seers and personalities of country and their wax statues will be kept there while the third floor will have a big conference hall.”

Uttar Pradesh tourism department has planned to build this unique museum on the concept of a ‘Kalash’, a first in the state in view of the mega religious congregation. Five acres of land has already been identified for the project out of which the museum will be constructed on 2 acres while the remaining will be kept free for further development.

The tourism department has also completed a proposal in coordination with a private agency for the project, which has also been approved by UP tourism minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi with some amendments during her last visit to Allahabad.

“Instruction has also been issued to senior tourism department officials to send the proposal to the Centre so that it could get approval from there, further clearing a way for the budget required to complete the mega project,” informed Srivastava and added further that construction would begin as soon as the fund for the project is released by the Centre.

Since completion of the project before Ardh Kumbh is on the top priority list of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the department has made efforts to complete all formalities so that the project is finished on time.