Ravana Park, located in Pachhai of Beni Municipality–5, is in its final stage of construction. Pachhai, situated on a hill to the northwest of the district headquarters Beni Bazaar, is historically believed to have been used by sages for meditation and gaining knowledge.

A 21-foot tall metal statue of Ravana has been installed at the park. Except for placing the sacred thread (janai) and final cleaning, all construction work on the statue, which features 10 heads, is complete.

Surat KC, the Mayor of Beni Municipality, stated that about 94 percent of the physical construction is complete. The contract period has been extended with the aim of completing the park by the upcoming Ashoj (September/October).

“The park, built over four ropanis of land, includes fencing, an entrance gate, footpaths, slate paving, and the planting of turf,” he said. “The park also houses a sage temple, a fire altar (havan kund), and preserves the location believed to be where Ravana’s navel was buried. Additional infrastructure includes a garden, resting spots, fencing, and land conservation structures.”

Construction of the park, including the Ravana statue, began in the fiscal year 2076/77 (2019/20) under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation’s Tourism Infrastructure and Product Development Partnership Program. The project is being jointly funded by the ministry (70%) and Beni Municipality (30%).

Mayor KC noted that due to the municipality’s failure to submit regular reports to the ministry, the project couldn't secure a budget in fiscal years 2079/80 and 2080/81. As a result, the construction contractor also considered withdrawing, and the project was halted for 44 months.

The contract to build the park was awarded to Dharma S. Kashyap JV in Falgun 2077 (February/March 2021) with a budget of NPR 17.6 million. Although the target was to complete it within two years, work only resumed momentum in Falgun of last year. With proper budget management, the project—halted since Ashar 2078 (June/July 2021)—was revived and is now in its final phase, according to Ward Chairperson Govinda Baniya of Beni–5.

According to him, the ancient texts of Hinduism mention that sages Pulaha and Pulastya meditated in Pachhai, and Ravana was born there. A stone believed to mark the place where Ravana’s navel was buried still exists and has been preserved. He also mentioned that the Pulaha Ashram spans 14 ropanis of land and expressed hope that once the park is completed and operational, it will help promote tourism.

Located at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level, Ravana Park offers scenic views of the Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, and Annapurna mountain ranges, along with sunrise views and a panoramic vista of most of Myagdi district, including the confluence of the Myagdi and Kaligandaki rivers where Beni is situated.

There is a mythological belief that sages Pulaha, Kapila, and Jadabharata attained enlightenment through meditation at this site. The fifth chapter of the Ramayana also mentions that Ravana was born in Pachhai. It is said that sages Pulaha, Pulastya, and Bharata meditated there. The vision for this religious park was originally conceived in 2066 BS (2009/10 AD) by former president of the Myagdi Chamber of Commerce, Pramod Kumar Shrestha, and others to attract religious tourism to Beni.