Ex-UP minister seeks development of Bateshwar as tourist spot

Lucknow, July 5 Former UP minister Raja Mahendra Aridaman Singh has written a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, seeking development of Bateshwar town in Agra district as a tourist destination.

Bateshwar is the native village of former Prime Minister, late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and is also known as 'mini-Kashi' because of the 101 Shiva temples on the banks of the Yamuna River.

Bateshwar is also part of the Bah Assembly constituency, which Singh has represented six times. His wife Rani Pakshalika Singh is the sitting MLA from Bah.

In his letter to the chief minister, Singh has said that the glory of Bateshwar and cultural heritage should be revived with the proposed riverfront, making it a major tourist destination in the region, besides the Taj Mahal.

"Revival of 'Maha-aarti' at the riverfront would be an added attraction," he wrote.

"Some of the Ghats are in quite bad shape and proper repair leading to the development of the riverfront is the only solution. There are some repairs going on and the tourism department has forwarded a proposal for a better riverfront at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore," said Aridaman Singh.

Every year, a major cattle fair is also held at Bateshwar before Diwali during October-November.