PRASHAD Scheme

Why in news?

• Recently, the President of India laid the foundation stone for the project ‘Development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Bhadrachalam Group of Temples’ in Telangana.
• Another project named 'Development of Pilgrimage and Heritage Infrastructure at Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple' was also laid later on.
• Both these projects have been approved under the PRASHAD Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism.

About PRASHAD Scheme:

• The ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive’ (PRASAD) was launched by the Ministry of Tourism in the year 2014-15 with the objective of holistic development of identified pilgrimage destinations.
• The name of the scheme was changed from PRASAD to “National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)” in October 2017.
• After the discontinuation of the HRIDAY scheme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the development of Heritage destinations was included in the PRASAD Scheme, changing it to PRASHAD.
• Under the PRASHAD Scheme, several religious cities/sites in have been identified for development such as Amaravati and Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), Kamakhya (Assam), Parasuram Kund (Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh), Patna and Gaya (Bihar), etc.
• The projects identified under this scheme shall be implemented through the identified agencies by the respective State/ Union Territory Government.
• The Central Government provides 100% funding for the project components undertaken for public funding.
• This scheme seeks to leverage the voluntary funding available for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for improved sustainability of the projects under this scheme.

About Bhadrachalam Group of Temples:

• The temple at Bhadrachalam is said to be more than 350 years old and is closely associated with the epic of Ramayana.
• It is believed that Lord Rama with his wife Goddess Sita and brother Lakshmana spent some part of their 14 years of exile at a village called Parnasala, a part of Dandakaranya forest near Bhadrachalam Temple.
• These groups of temples are situated on the left bank of the Godavari River.

About Ramappa Temple:

• Ramappa Temple, also known as the Rudreshwara temple, is a Kakatiya style temple dedicated to the god Shiva, located in Telangana.
• An inscription in the temple says it was constructed in the year 1213 CE by Recharla Rudra alias Recharla Rudri Reddi- a General of Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva 1199–1262
• Marco Polo, during his visit to the Kakatiya empire, supposedly called the temple "the brightest star in the galaxy of temples".
• The Temple stands on a high star-shaped platform.
• The temple is named after the architect Ramappa, who built it, making it the only temple in India to be named after its craftsman.
• The main structure is in a reddish sandstone,
• It been inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements:

1. Ramappa Temple was built under the reign of Kakatiya ruler Ganapati Deva

2. Bhadrachalam Group of Temples are located in the banks of Krishna river

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer