PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 8 -- In a major push to promote religious and spiritual tourism, authorities in Prayagraj have prepared a comprehensive roadmap to restore and revitalise neglected ancient temples and riverfront ghats throughout the district. Known for its profound spiritual and mythological heritage, Prayagraj-spanning both urban and rural areas-is poised to benefit from a new government initiative aimed at cultural restoration and development, officials said. According to regional tourism officer Aparajita Singh, proposals have been submitted to the state government to develop one prominent tourism site in each of the district's 12 assembly constituencies. Each site is expected to receive funding in the range of Rs.1 crore to Rs.1.25 crore. In a first-of-its-kind approach, elected representatives were tasked with identifying sites within their constituencies that most urgently require development-a move that reflects the government's inclusive and bottom-up planning strategy. All 12 representatives have submitted their selected sites, and work will commence once final approvals are granted. "This initiative reflects a shift in the state government's tourism policy, allowing local representatives to directly influence heritage development projects in their areas. Previously, such decisions were made solely by the tourism department," officials added. The proposals predominantly focus on ancient temples that have historical and spiritual significance in their respective regions. For instance, in Allahabad North, the Geeta Niketan Temple in Alopibagh has been proposed for development and beautification. In Allahabad South, the Bholegiri Temple has been selected, while in Allahabad West, the spotlight is on the ancient Shiva Temple at Fatehpur Ghat. On the other side of the Ganga, proposed projects include: Shivalaya Temple in Uddhavpur Khagiya (Baharia), Durga Temple in Panchdevra (Soraon), Indriya Dham in Jamunipur, Kotwa (Phulpur) and Kundoura Mahadev Dham in Handia besides the ancient Shiva Temple in Bibipur. Likewise, in the trans-Yamuna area, Sarveshwar Temple in Ramnagar (Meja), Subhash's Shiva Temple in Koraon, Falhari Baba Temple in Karchhana and Mahadevalaya in Chhidi (Bara) have been selected.Officials expressed optimism that this initiative will not only preserve cultural heritage but also boost tourism, generate local employment, and foster a renewed sense of pride in Prayagraj's historical legacy....