National Treasure

By Raghu G

Many less developed countries in Asia and Africa have increasingly come to embrace their National Treasures such as wildlife parks or magnificent temples of yore. Although these sites may have commercial prospects, these governments recognize the greater economic benefit gained through tourism by protecting the original charm of these places. Such preservation also enhances the cultural history of these nations.

Vrindavan is India’s Disneyland of Vedic Times, and Vrndavana’s Keshi Ghat is the Gateway to that Magic Kingdom, heralded for generations in tales, poetry, paintings and, more recently, photos of its mystic wonder. It is the entrance to the charmed land of Vrindavan. But presently, plans are underway to degrade the grandeur of Vrindavan by constructing a traffic bridge right in front of Kesi Ghat. Imagine putting an ugly commercial bridge in front of Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom Castle! Or Agra’s Taj Mahal! Or the Eiffel Tower!

Many devotees are opposing this construction for many reasons, religious, cultural, etc., but one important objection can actually be made on economic grounds. This is a good approach because the bridge is being built in the name of commerce. So to appeal the issue from an economic angle is perhaps the most convincing argument against it.

For decades, Vrindavan has enjoyed a steadily increasing flow of tourism. Such tourism brings foreign currency and long term investment. All of this depends on Vrindavan’s draw as a unique pilgrimage site. In fact, it has been the prime source of Vrindavan’s economic development for the last few decades. The growth of the tourism industry has proven more reliable than any other regional economic investment program over the past 50 years.

India’s economy is booming today, yet to find a economic program surpassing the success of Vrindavan’s is difficult to find. Remember, Vrindavan has 5,000 years of history to market, along with 5,000 temples, many of architectural splendor. At the same time, the expanding interest in Vaishnavism is another source of increasing interest in Vrndavan.

Much of the planning of this bridge has been pinned to the old sectarian
sub-plots of Muslim or other anti-Hindu prejudices, but such notions distract
from the broader issue of the extraordinary opportunities Vrindavan offers.
The world’s appetite for India’s ancient histories is growing dramatically, and all things associated with the personality of Krishna are gaining from this and taking an ever larger share of this fast developing market. What a shame to destroy the mystique of Vrindavan’s ambiance just as it is moving center stage to these global developments!

Vrindavan’s international standing exceeds the local nature so typical of
India’s other communal conflicts. The historical reach and cultural treasure
trove that is Vrindavan, lends itself to that exclusive club more reflective of World Wonders like those of the Great Pyramids of Egypt or the Vatican of Rome. Imagine Italy undermining the beauty of the Vatican with similar traffic bridge—it is absurd. And doing such a thing in Vrndavan should seem equally absurd.

So the construction of this bridge needs to be stopped in the interest of India’s heritage, and also for the economic benefit of the area. But opposition to this bridge can be seen as a starting point for even greater plans to promote the glory of India’s spiritual heritage. Even something as simple as a policy of formal recognition would be an important step forward. It is critical to strengthen the protections for these irreplaceable sites. But for the immediate future, let’s return Keshi Ghat to its former glory as a step in preserving the ancient treasures of Asia.

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