Rajendra Prasad’s memorial to be a tourist spot

PATNA - After being neglected for decades, India’s first president Rajendra Prasad’s memorial here will be developed as a tourist spot, an official said Sunday.

“Work has already started to give a new look to the memorial,” an official of the chief minister’s office told IANS here.

He added that chief minister Nitish Kumar was keen to develop the memorial on the lines of Rajghat - the lush green, landscaped memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi.

Located in the heart of Patna, the memorial is situated on the banks of the Ganges where Prasad was cremated. It was in shambles till renovation work started three years back. But even now, it serves as a den for criminals and drug addicts at night.

It lies forgotten barring two days a year - Rajendra Prasad’s birth and death anniversaries - when the governor, chief minister and top officials come calling.

Prasad was born Dec 3, 1884, at Zeradei in Bihar’s Siwan district and died Feb 28, 1963, in Patna. He served 12 years as the country’s president - from 1950 to 1962 - and was subsequently awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian honour. He spent the last months of his life at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna.