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Back to glory: Literary Park to celebrate Prayagraj’s rich legacy
A literary park is set to be built in Prayagraj, celebrating its rich heritage with statues, an amphitheater, library, and more, costing over ₹12 crore.
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In a move to preserve and promote Prayagraj as a centre of literary and cultural heritage, a dedicated literary park is all set to come up in Sangam city soon. Prayagraj, previously known as Allahabad, was once known as the influential centre of literary creativity in Hindi and Urdu.
The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) has already initiated the process in this regard, and the Construction and Design Services (C&DS) division of Jal Nigam has been designated as the implementation agency for this project, said officials.
The proposed park would come up near the existing Shivalaya Park in the Arail area of Prayagraj, and the land for it has already been identified. Being constructed over two-and-a-half acres of land, the park would come up at a cost of over ₹12.03 crore. The funds have been sanctioned, and the first installment of over ₹6.01 crore has been released. “The park’s construction will start in June and will be completed within a year,” said Rohit Kumar Rana, project manager, C&DS.
Prayagraj has been known not only as a religious city but also for its literary and cultural heritage. It has a rich literary history, serving as a major centre for Hindi and Urdu literature, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries. It has been home to many literary giants and has a strong tradition of book-reading and literary events. Many prominent writers, including Munshi Premchand, Mahadevi Varma, Sumitranandan Pant, Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Upendra Nath ‘Ashk’, and Harivansh Rai Bachchan, are associated with Prayagraj. But in the last few decades, not much effort has been made to develop or conserve it, concede officials.
The construction of a literary park is an effort in this very direction so that local citizens and tourists can get information about this heritage, they maintain.
C&DS project manager Rohit Kumar Rana said that first, a Saraswati Pavilion will be constructed in the park, in which statues of 16 major Hindi litterateurs will be installed. A Triveni Amphitheatre will also be constructed here, where cultural events will be held. There will be a huge library-cum-convention hall inside the park, which will have a collection of literature created by these litterateurs and their memories, he explained. The official said that there will also be a book-selling centre inside this park so that literature lovers can buy the books of the noted litterateurs to take with them. There will also be a kids’ zone for children in the park. A food plaza will also be constructed for snacks and beverages like tea, coffee, fruit juices, and soft drinks, he added.
