The Uttar Pradesh government will be creating an urban forest covering 134 acres in Sunrakh village on the outskirts of Vrindavan and work is set to begin in September, officials said on Sunday.

It would be blending the heritage of Vrindavan with other similar developments made in the 'land of Radha Rani'," Mathura District Magistrate Navneet Singh Chahal said, while talking to a group of reporters.

He said the landscape would be inspired by the ancient culture of Braj Bhoomi, known for its expansive forest cover.

In the Rig Veda, the chosen location is described as the abode of sage Saubhari Rishi who had gone there to seek penance by meditating inside the Yamuna river, said Shailjakant Mishra, Vice-President, UP Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad.

The project will be a joint venture of the UP Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad, forest department, district administration and Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA), officials said.

Under the programme, nearly 77,000 saplings will be planted at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore, the officials said.

After levelling work is completed, the area will be demarcate with barbed fencing by the MVDA while a pond and a park would also be developed inside the premises later.

DM Chahal said the urban forest will be a natural habitat for animals, especially monkeys, and it would attract domestic as well as international tourists with a scenic location along the river.

It would not only be a model of greenery in urban areas but would act as an "oxygen factory", he said.

Nagendra Pratap, Vice-Chairman, MVDA, said the final phase of the forest will involve developing a pathway for tourists inside the urban forest.