Story-telling modules on culture, mythology: UP govt looks to boost river tourism, boatmen's incomes

Indian Express

a day ago

Soon, visitors setting sail on the rivers near places of pilgrimage in central and eastern Uttar Pradesh will get to experience something new. For, they will get to hear stories steeped in culture, mythology and history of the place, narrated by the boatmen themselves.
As part of an initiative to revitalise river tourism and enhance livelihoods, the Uttar Pradesh government is rolling out storytelling modules for boatmen operating in religious and heritage hotspots. The effort aims to create a more immersive experience for tourists while generating steady income for boat operators, particularly during the off-season.
The training, which also includes sessions on safety, guest etiquette, and emergency response protocols conducted by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), is being introduced after the success of this year's Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. Many boatmen earned significantly during the month-and-a-half-long mela, prompting the government to explore ways to sustain and expand these gains year-round.
So far, around 200 boatmen in Varanasi, Shringverpur, and Chunar (Mirzapur) have received region-specific storytelling training. More are slated to be trained in coming weeks across other pilgrimage sites including Ayodhya, Mathura, Vrindavan, and Bateshwar.
To ensure the stories are compelling and coherent, the government has engaged professional storyteller Gaurav Srivastava to craft narratives and lead training sessions.
In Shringverpur — believed to be the capital of Nishadraj, the tribal king who helped Lord Ram during his exile — boatmen now narrate tales connecting the site to key episodes from the Ramayana. Srivastava explains how King Dashrath, yearning for children, sought blessings from Rishi Shringi, who performed a yagya that led to the birth of Ram and his brothers. Hence, the place named after the sage becomes the symbolic starting point of the Ram Katha.
Other stories include how Nishadraj washed Ram's feet with Ganga water — a gesture commemorated at a local temple known as Ram Chaura — and how Ram rested beneath five sheesham trees in a grove now called 'Ram Shayan Asan.'
In Varanasi and Sarnath, boatmen are being trained to tell stories of Tulsidas, Hanuman, and Kaal Bhairav, while those in Mathura and Vrindavan focus on tales of Lord Krishna. Ayodhya-bound guides will, naturally, centre their storytelling on Ram.
'We've prepared the content with professional help and tailored it to each region,' says Archana Dubey, a training coordinator. 'Since many of the boatmen are not formally educated, we had to adapt the training style to be engaging and easy to remember. In some cases, we're still fine-tuning the modules.'
The initiative also has political undertones. The Nishad community, classified as an Other Backward Class (OBC), comprises nearly 13% of UP's population. Their support is courted by both the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP).
Following the Maha Kumbh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced insurance schemes and special loans for boatmen. He also released funds during the Nishad Raj Jayanti in April, moves seen by many as outreach efforts to the influential community.
For boatmen like Nathu Prasad, who operates along the Ganga in the Chitrakoot region straddling UP and Madhya Pradesh, the training is both a skill-building and income-enhancing opportunity. 'I've been trained in both states and have also applied to become a government-certified guide for the Ramayana Circuit,' he says. 'But while training is helpful, more efforts are needed to attract tourists during the lean months.'
Others, like Pappu Lal Nishad — president of the Navik Sangh in Prayagraj and a local SP leader — welcome the training but caution that it's not enough. 'The idea is good, but much more is required to make this work sustainable. During the Kumbh, many operators bought new boats. Now, only about half of them manage to get daily work.'
He estimates that around 5,000 boatmen operate in the Prayagraj–Shringverpur corridor. 'On a busy day, just 2,000 boats are in use. The rest are idle. Many are already considering selling off the boats they bought earlier this year,' he says.
As Uttar Pradesh looks to blend heritage tourism with local livelihoods, the success of this initiative may well hinge not just on storytelling — but also on sustained investment, infrastructure, and consistent tourist footfall.