Jhelum cruise to give visitors a peek into historical places

To promote water transport and heritage tourism, the Department of Tourism, Kashmir, has launched a twice-a-day cruise on River Jhelum at subsidised rates.
Owing to public demand for the cruise, the department decided to continue operation of water transport on River Jhelum from the Ghat near GPO Srinagar to Khanqah-e-Moula shrine in old city, Director Tourism, Kashmir, Mahmood Shah said here today.
Last month, the Department of Tourism had launched the water transport service on trial basis on the directions of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Ahmed Khan.
"Earlier the Jhelum cruise was run on a promotional basis without any charges which attracted locals as well as tourists. Now, the services will continue at Rs 25 per head which is still highly subsidized service to promote water transport and historic places on the banks of River Jhelum," Shah said.

He said the service has been launched jointly by the Department of Tourism Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation and the divisional administration to promote water transport and heritage tourism.
The director tourism saidIrrigation and Flood Control Department would maintain the ghat as an anchor point for the motor boats.

He said famous places like the Hanuman temple, old assembly complex, old secretariat, heritage sites like Budshah tomb, Muslim shrines like that of Mir Syed Ali Hamadani at Khankhai Moula in Srinagar, besides seven heritage bridges are important sites on the banks of the River Jhelum along which the cruise would pass.

He said the department recently released a drone video of the seven bridges on River Jhelum which received overwhelming response from locals.
"Both the locals and the tourists want to have the cruise on river Jhelum to see historic places," he said.