Efforts underway to bring JK on pilgrimage tourism map

Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday said efforts are underway to bring the Union Territory on international tourist pilgrimage map as the region is replete with the historical religious sites of immense importance.

This was stated by K K Sharma, advisor to Lt Governor G C Murmu, during his visit to the Buddhist site at Ambaran in the Akhnoor area of Jammu district, an official spokesman said.

Accompanied by a team including renowned Buddhist scholar Dhammadipa and Director Tourism, Jammu Deepika Sharma, the advisor said the site is of immense importance and people need to be made aware about it so that the people, researchers and Archaeologists from different parts of the globe can come and get benefitted from the wide range of artifacts excavated from it.

The site pre-dates to the Kushana period and is of pivotal importance viz-a-viz the artifacts and terracotta of figurines excavated from the site which are presently in different museums all over the world.

The conservation work was undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) since 2004 and is still in process. The site has also been visited by Dalai Lama and several other top Buddhist scholars from different parts of the world, the spokesman said.

"The region of Jammu and Kashmir has innumerable prehistoric and historic sites which need to be preserved and information about their importance and relevance be propagated to the people within the state and in different parts of the country," the spokesman said quoting the advisor.

He said Sharma also directed the officers to ensure proper road connectivity to the site by undertaking the requisite developmental works, besides the required conservation measures in and around the site.

He also directed the tourism department for undertaking concrete measures for creating more awareness about the relevance of the historical site by suitable campaigns.

The Advisor, later, visited historical 'Har Ki Poudi' temple on the banks of the river Chenab and directed undertaking the requisite developmental works on it.

"These types of sites or areas are a part of our historical legacy and we should collectively work for preserving these besides creating the requisite awareness among the posterity about our historical and cultural icons," Sharma said.