Haridwar, Oct. 25 -- Pauri Garhwal district authorities are planning to redevelop the ancient Vedic site of Kanvashram on the banks of the Malan river to highlight its importance as a heritage pilgrimage site.The site is located 15 kilometres from district headquarters at Kotdwar. Features key to the plan include a nakshatra vatika (astrological garden), a horticultural park and signage featuring ancient architectural motifs, said district magistrate Swati S Bhadauriya."Kanvashram holds immense potential to emerge as a prominent spiritual and heritage hub," she said. Retired Lieutenant Commander Virendra Singh Rawat, a nearby resident who heads the Kanvashram Vikas Samiti since 1998 and is considered a pre-eminent local authority on the subject, noted that the site was referenced in many ancient texts, including the bard Kalidasa's epic Abhigyan Shakuntalam, the Mahabharata, the Kedar Khand of the Skanda Purana, as well as the writings of the Greek diplomat and explorer Megasthenes, who served as the Macedonian emperor Seleucus I Nicator's ambassador to Chandragupta Maurya's court. Rawat added that the site was believed to be nearly 3,500 years old and the birthplace of Emperor Bharat. "It's redevelopment will surely draw visitors in large numbers," he said. A few scattered assessments by the Archaeological Survey of India of stone relics found at the site peg them as originating between the 10th and 12th centuries. Over the years, many ancient idols and artefacts were discovered along the Malan river bed, notably after major floods in 1926 and 2012. DM Bhadauriya added that the redevelopment plan also aimed to boost local employment opportunities....