Kathmandu, January 24. The construction of a ‘Rawan Park’ has begun in Myagdi’s mythological place, Pachhai. Beni municipality has started the construction of the park at its ward-5 in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. 

“After a hiatus of a decade of envisioning, the park construction is being materialized”, said ward chair Laxman Baniya, adding the preliminary task has begun with the erection of Rawan’s statue. 

The Kathmandu-based Construction Company, Dharma & Kasyap JV, was awarded a contract of over Rs 17.67 million last September. Beni municipality’s engineer, Bimal Ranjan Karki shared the contract was awarded to Dharma & Kasyap based on competitive price bidding. 

“We had solicited a bidding of Rs 32.5 million, including tourism ministry’s Rs 21.2 million and municipality appropriated budget of Rs 11.4 million for the park”, he informed, adding the construction of structures such as Rawan statue, garden and recreation sites will be constructed in the first phase. 

Engineer of the contractor company, Santosh Ojha said the statue of Rawan is being built in Kathmandu. Other structures are also under construction in Pachhai, he added. The target is to complete the park construction by December 2022. The park will cover four ropani areas out of them a total of 14 ropani in the Pulaha Pulatsya area. 

Rawan was believed to be born in Pachhai as described in the fifth chapter of the Ramayana – the Hindu scripture. It further described that the sagas – Pulaha, Pulatsya and Bharat – had also practised their penance in Pachhai. 

It may be noted that former chairperson of the Myagdi Chamber of Commerce Pramod Kumar Shrestha and others had envisioned developing a park targeting religious tourism in 2010. A plan has been put forward to develop a religious corridor covering the Galeswor-based Muktinath Entrance Gate, Pulachaur-based Pachhai, Jagannath and Todke area. 

Visitors can take joy in the panoramic landscape of the Himalayas such as Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Nilgiri from Pachhai. It is just a 30-minute drive from Beni to reach Pachhai.