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U’Khand govt renames forest reserve Sitavani on eve of Ram Temple Consecration

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the decision was taken to honour Sita as a Sita Temple and Valmiki Ashram are located in the forest reserve.

U’Khand govt renames forest reserve Sitavani on eve of Ram Temple Consecration

The Pushkar Singh Dhami Government in Uttarakhand has renamed Nainital’s Pavalgarh Conservation Reserve Sitavani Conservation Reserve on the eve of the historic consecration of Lord Rama in Ayodhya on Monday.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the decision was taken to honour Sita as a Sita Temple and Valmiki Ashram are located in the forest reserve.

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“Lord Rama had a connect with the Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand. Hence the name of Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve has now been changed to Sitavani coinciding with consecration of Lord Rama Temple in Ayodhya” he said.

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Dhami further informed that the decision to rename the Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve has been taken in view of the fact that it houses the mythological temple of Sita and maharshi Valmiki’s ashram. The two structures are mainitained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) but the permission to visit them is granted by the state forest department for is part of the reserve area.

“Pawalgarh Conservation Reserve has been renamed as Sitavani. A large number of children and others had written letters to me requesting for the same. Renaming of the reserve was also done to honour their wishes and feelings” added Dhami.

“It’s notable that Dhami government is the first government in India to name a protected forest cover after mother Sita” said a statement of the state government. The renamed forest reserve is spread over 5.8 thousand hectares of Ramnagar forest division in Nainital district and known for it rich availability of wildlife including tigers, elephants and different varities of the birds and butterflies. It attracts huge flow of tourists every year.

Forest Department officials in the state informed that they were getting letters and suggestions from public to rename the reserve especially after the date for consecration of Ram Temple was finalised. This resulted into CM Dhami’s directive to the forest department following which a government order renaming the reserve was issued on Saturday.

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