District Udhampur can well form a commercial tourist circuit with Bhaderwah A look through the Mist By Daya Sagar

District Udhampur can well form a commercial tourist circuit with Bhaderwah

A look through the Mist

By Daya Sagar

Tourism could do a lot of good to poor and backward areas. With the flow of tourist traffic to a particular area the demand for services and materials also flows in. Most of the population of Udhampur District of J&K is poor and lives in farflung backward areas. The block Panchari falls under three assembly constituencies viz Reasi, Chenani and Udhampur .Three MLAs too have not been able to get the local tourism potential commercially exploited. 

Mansar, Saruinsar and Paed Devta are places where there are temples and places where people perform religious rites. Sudh Mahadev Shiva Temple and Sudh Mahadev Gauri Kund are religious places of ancient historical values. There is regular Mela in June there but the pilgrims are mostly the local villagers and a few from the local towns. The tourist will enter the area only when the roads and local infrastructure is developed. These areas fall in most backward and poor zones of our state.. Militants have taken advantage of the weak economy of the people of Udhampur District. 

The availability of roads, means of communication and comforts at affordable costs makes more and more people to visit for enjoyment and leisure with their families and friends . 

The sector that makes people to still visit an area even under poors means of communication and comforts , is that of places of pilgrimage/ ancient temples / shrines/sacred rivers / lakes/ mountains/ snows. 

The tourists could also be taken to the deodar forests, the meadows, the springs and snows of Jammu Province on the tracks passing through the shrines and places of worship of Udhampur District. It is here that the Pilgrim Tourism would come to our rescue. 

Some good for the promotion of tourism and to the welfare of the poor people of Jammu province appears in sight. No one so far from the ruling elite talked seriously and specifically of riches of Jammu Province as it appeared in the words of Ghulam Nabi Azad talked on 19-08-06 while he was inaugurating week long “Kaliash Tourism festival” at Bhaderwah. 


Mr. Azad said that Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, some parts of Kathua, Udhampur , Kupwara and Baramulla are glaring example of discriminatory policies which were propagated by the successive Governments in the State. Mr. Muzaffar Hussain Baig too accused previous governments for discriminating with Jammu adding that Jammu region has region has huge tourism potential but successive State Governments had not given attention to explore the tourism potential.


Though Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad has declared that Bhaderwah has come on the tourist map of India on 19-08-06 but much has still to be done for making it a commercially reality. Mr. Azad has himself admitted that the communication and road network in Jammu Province is very very poor. And without this no tourism worth commercial value can flourish. I have made efforts through my different articles for exposing the potential of tourism in Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch. There is enough scope in Udhampur and Kathua districts as well. 

Since much time has been lost work has to be takenup with triple the pace. Planning and execution, both effort and money wise, will have to be special. WE could hope that Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad would deliver his projected intentions on the ground as well. 

But Government of India will have to support J and K Government for designing and conducting a special capital intensive development project covering surface communication as well tourism infrastructure in Jammu Province. Minor circuits and scattered investments of few crores will do no good. It will go all waste. Special project study need be taken up as regards infrastructure development and available tourism potential in Jammu province. 

Professional consultants need be engaged for the project feasibility and formulation Once it is done capitalists from out side will surely come forward for making investments otherwise no one would come forward. If done so , even while government will be developing infrastructure , private sector may also start making investments in advance. Process would assist Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Dogriat to catch with with Kashmiriat. 

Government could start with the Pilgrim tourism to open the channels. Simultaneously communication and other infrastructure could be constructed. For development of backward areas of Jammu Province it is otherwise also essential . Damage the militancy has done to the life and property in these areas would have been much less had these areas been provided proper communication infrastructure With this local , craft, spices, herbal and fruit industry too would grow. The locals too would participate in the infrastructural development after some time. 

The Sankhri Devta Shrine is situated on a beautiful and sloppy hill top called ‘’Sankhri Dabbar’’ about 3 kilometer from Panchari in Tehsil Udhampur. The Sankhri Shrine is ages old and annual mela of 3 days is held here in the last week of August. Large number of local pilgrim-visitors throng this place during. Monsoon is misty and breeze is drizzling. Large meadow of 3 to 4 Acre , Pine forest, Deodar forest, springs and Bowalies are in and around the small cool and beautiful hill of Pancheri . 


But the civic and communication infrastructure is very very poor. On way to Pancheri Kirmachi historical temples claimed as built by Pandwa are there. From Garhi Udhampur Kirmachi is 8 Km from Kirmchi Kainthgali is 25 Km . Pancheri is about 7 Km from Kanth Gali. About 30 Kilometer from Kainthgali is the Mongri Cave of Shiv Parvati. A 3 day Mela is held at Mongri. Bamhaal is a cool pine forest near Mongri. Just about 5 Km from Mongri is a large Jalsar meadow as large as nearly two acres. 

Around Pancheri the spots like Saroli Dhar are as beautiful as Kashmir’s Gulmarg and with a height as large as Natha Top. Two cave shrines of Lord-Shiv-Parvati have 9½ ft high exquisite self-carved Shivlingam out of rock.. Sar Dabbar, Sanara, Tibba Kandroo, Ajjal in Mongri and Cheman Mata in Basnote could attract many to this area. To add to this lush green Deodar forest stretches at Damnote and Panchar too are there. 


Beautiful breath-taking green slopes, ancient Devasthans at Bariote and Badsar Devta at Laki have so far not been exposed to outside world. Of course the road connectivity has to be provided at extra pace. For the Sankhri Devsthan there is a uphill kacha path of about 2 Km from Village Mir. The 7 Km vehicular road stretch connecting Kainthagali-Mir-Panchari and even beyond is in most deplorable and hair-raising condition. Specially, the notorious ‘’Chobu Nallaha’’ plays havoc. 

In the Pancheri/ Moungri area some sites appear suitable for Gandola. The GANDOLA SITES could be from MOUNGRI TO DEBER THAYAR with 3 to 4 KM SPAN , MOUNGARI TO ACHAL ( Ajjal) DHABBAR with another4-5 KM SPAN,DUBEY GALI TO KHARGALI with 4 KM SPAN and LAKI ( Badsar Devta) TO BASNOTE TOP about 3 KM SPAN . 

The block Panchari falls under three assembly constituencies viz Reasi, Chenani and Udhampur .Even three local MLAs too have not been able to get the tourism potential commercially exploited. The Greens and Valleys lying in and around Trikuta Hills, River Chenab and Natha Top hills has reasonable potential for commercial tourism and the pilgrim tourism could be used to promote the commercial tourism. 

From Sudh Mahadev Tourist could be conducted through Maan Talai to areas of pleasant weather. There are beautiful meadow, hills and forests . There the tourist can stay/ relax after negotiating through hot and dry zones of Jammu province. Enough scope is there for resorts / sight seeing at sites like Laati ( 15 to 20 km from Mantalai . Eight Km from Lati is Jakhed . An ancient Naag temple with wood carvings and a small Masjid is at Jakhed . A very cool weather, lot of deodar trees and large beautiful meadows are around Jakhed. River Tawi passes from here and has very clean sweet waters. 


Tourist could be easily made to stay here for 2 to 3 days. But due to neglect of this area dangers to life and property of locals have infested the area. Basant Garh is about 20 Km from Jakhed via a kachcha/ bridal road. Basant Garh is about 70 Km from Udhampur & has lot of Deodar trees . In Basant Garh it rains almost daily in the evening. Old name of Basant Garh is Basaar and there is holy shrine of Purdaar Devta/ Nag Devta. People are very very poor. 


About 8 to 10 Km ahead of Basant Garh is Khaned. 


Large beautiful meadows and a local river/ nallah wait the tourist at Khaned. On one bank Kashmiri people and the other bank Dogra races are there. And about 15 Km from Basant Garh is Dudoo. About 4 km on the North side of Duddo is Shiv Gali (Sehogali) where we have Chamanda Mandir. About 10km from Seogali in the north east is Kakddi Dhar mountain range. It is of the shape of a melon/ kakaddi. On the top of Kakddi Dhar is a very large meadow/ plains with very cool weather. Ahead of Seogali by road about 10 Km is Gandh Top . 

A Nag Temple is there at Gandh Top where local fair is held. Dareoo, Potato, maize, Guchchi are found in abundance in this area. Local gaddi rear sheep / goat. Blankets/ kambal and loyees are available. And Majohi is another cool village of the area about 7 km ahead of Gandh Top and then is Kalaunta ( some call it Kalbanta).

From Udhampur tourist could be conducted to Suez Dhar ( Bhaderwah) via Duddoo. Suez Dhar on the way to Kailash Kund is less than 15 Km from Bhadwerwah. From Padri Top/Dhaar/ Sone Bawali a tourist can also go to Chamba Himachal Pradesh via Bhaderwah Ghot.. Bal Padri Bhadherwah touches Tehsil Gandoh. Between J&K and HP Bhaderwah Ghot is boundary point. Bhaderwah Sarthal Chamba ( Sarthal to Chamba and Sarthal to Bani ) road links could be improved so that people visit from HP for religious purposes also. Tourist from Dalhauji, Khajiar and Chamba side could enter Doda District from this side bypassing the warm planes during the summer. 

From Ramnagar ( district Udhampur ) one could go to Kalonta ( 14 Km), then to Majauri ( 40 Km), then to Gandh Top ( 7 Km) and Duddo ( 25 Km). Near Ram Nagar Fort has now come up Akshardham as a result of old remains found by excavation and would surely the religious tourists. 

Sudhmahadev could be approached from Ram Nagar via Basant Garh. On the way Majauri & Gandh Top can provide enough to the visitors to relish and stay. The economy of the area is so bad that GOI must come to the rescue of the poor people by setting extra priorities for money and materials to be provided for these areas. 

Patnitop and Sanasar are already known spots by the side of National Highway ( so commonly known as Banihal Cart Road). But these too have not been properly looked after even after 1990 to make the tourist rush to these areas by choice. A good number might have visited these areas during last decade but it was more due to the reason that doors to beauties of Kashmir Valley were just half open. 


Hope Ghulam Nabi Azad & Muzaffar Hussain Baig from with in the Government and Farooq Abdullah & Abdul Rahim Rather from out side the government would atleast now care for areas of commercial tourism potential outside Valley also in a meaningful manner. Accumulated short fall can not be compensated with just Rs 8 or ten crores. 


A thousand crore may be the immediate needed. A small beginning was initiated in the times of Atal Behari Vajpayee and start has been given by Ghulam Nabi Azad in the form of Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu & Kashmir. Some roads and bridges like Chenani Sudhmahadev Road have been taken under the project with a loan from Asian Development Bank. Hope much more will be done. 

( The author is social activist and leading scribe on Kashmir Affairs dayasagr@yahoo.co.uk)