Uttarakhand’s Narayankoti Temple: Adopt a Heritage Project

Context

The Narayan Koti temple (Uttarakhand) in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district has been included under the Centre's Adopt a Heritage project.

Narayankoti temple

• It is believed that these temples were constructed in the 9th century.
• It is devoted to Lakshmi Narayana who is associated with Pandavas.
• The Narayankoti Temple is a group of ancient temples located about two kilometers from Guptkashi on the Rudraprayag-Gaurikund highway.
• It is a major attraction for devotees visiting Rudraprayag as it’s the only place in the country where temples of all the nine planets ??“symbol of nine planets” – Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Sun, Moon, Rahu and Ketu – are present. 

Key-highlights of the MoU

• The Narayan Koti temple is set to get a major facelift. For this, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between-

• • The Ministry of Tourism
  • The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board
  • The Social Legal Research & Education Foundation (SLREF)
  • Ministry of Culture
  • Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

 Main focus of the MoU

• To develop tourism amenities at heritage/ natural/ tourist sites spread across India to make them tourist friendly, in a planned and phased manner.
• The Social Legal Research & Education Foundation (SLREF) will develop various amenities for tourists/visitors around the heritage site.
• This includes 

• • Construction of roads.
  • Installation of street lighting.
  • Garbage disposal system.
  • Ensuring availability of clean drinking water, development of the parking area. 
  • Revamping the entrance.
  • Boundary wall around the temple site.