The Sangam city of Prayagraj has been known as a religious, literary, and cultural city; now, after organising the grand Mahakumbh 2025, the temple city will also witness a fusion of Japanese and Sanatan culture.
Despite thousands of kilometres of distance and language differences, India’s Sanatan culture and Japan’s traditional Shinto culture exhibit striking similarities.
Both civilisations consider nature divine, self-control the highest value, and peace the foundation of life. The Kumbh city of Prayagraj is set to witness this fusion of these two cultures.
A public plaza park inspired by Japanese architecture and cultural symbols is being constructed here. The project is being undertaken by the Urban Development Department, with Construction and Design Services (CNDS) as the implementing agency.
CNDS Project Manager Rohit Kumar Rana explained here on Thursday that it will be constructed on a 3-hectare site near Shivalaya Park in the Arail area on the banks of the Yamuna River in Prayagraj. An estimate has been sent to the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation. It will utilise architectural symbols shared by Indian and Japanese cultures.
Prayagraj emerged as a hub of religious and spiritual parks during the Maha Kumbh. A new milestone is about to be added to the ongoing Shivalaya Park and now the Sahitya Park in the Arail area. A public plaza park is being constructed along the banks of the Yamuna River.
Rohit Kumar Rana, project manager of the implementing agency, CNDS, says that the park will have five zones. Every corner of the park will reflect the shared values of Japanese Shinto culture and Indian Sanatan culture. A Torii Gate, a symbol of Shinto culture, will be constructed in place of the entrance gate. A Japanese garden will be developed within the park, including a Miyawaki forest.
Just like Indian temple architecture, dance, and music, Japan’s tea ceremony, ikebana, and Zen gardens also reflect spirituality. A Zen park will also be constructed within this park. The art of both countries is not merely a form of decoration but a medium of self-discipline and spiritual practice. Harmony, peace, and world brotherhood are the common messages contained in India’s “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and Japan’s “Wa” philosophy, a glimpse of which will also be seen in the symbols to be installed here.