CGPWA visits Ambaran, urges LG to develop it as tourist & cultural site
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Central Govt Pensioners’ Welfare Association (CGPWA), Jammu on Sunday urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to visit the ancient Buddhist site at Ambaran at Akhnoor and order its development as a cultural and tourist place.
A group of 22 Central Govt Pensioners today visited this important anthropological site, located on the right bank of river Chenab, nearly 30 km from Jammu, and was impressed by its panoramic view. This site is devoid of any facility for tourists and even the small length of approach road to the ancient Buddhist site is full of potholes, not befitting for such an important site.
The Buddhist Spiritual leader Dalai Lama had visited the site on November16, 2011 which reaffirmed Ambaran’s rich historical and cultural importance. There is no qualified guide to explain the importance of the site.
The Archaeological Survey of India had conducted excavation at this site from 1999 to 2001 and 2008to 2010 f and found remains of Buddhist Stupa and Vihara, burnt bricks structures of various periods. Buddhist monastic establishment and stupas were found at the site
Explaining the significance of the site, the General Secretary of the Association, K B Jandial said after the visit that studies after excavation have revealed the site’s linkage with four cultural periods of Kushan, Gupta and Post-Gupta periods which ranged from first century to sixth century. From the photographs available there, it revealed that grey wares potteries and terracotta heads were also found. Terracotta heads represented Buddhist worshippers and princely figures which are influenced by the Gandhara art of Taxila and Gupta age.
“Other important antiquities found in excavation included iron and copper objects, various shapes of red ware potteries, copper coins of Kushan rulers. A gold gasket containing some relics were found within a silver casket which was kept in a copper reliquary along with gold and silver foils, pearl beads and copper coins in the central part of the Stupa. All these antiquities and artifacts have been taken to Delhi and kept in an ASI’s museum and a few artifacts of lesser importance are kept at the site for want of security. To meet this deficiency, their pictures have been kept here,” Jandial said.
It is believed by historians that this excavation showed that Buddhism might have lived in Jammu about 1000 years before they went to Ladakh and Tibet, he said adding that with such a significant site available in Jammu, people of UT are not aware of it. It has a great tourist and cultural potential.
As an initiative the Central Govt Pensioners keep visiting important sites to know the area around them and promote these from a tourism point of view.
They also visited the historic Jia Pota where Maharaja Rangit Singh coroneted Gulab Singh as Raja of Jammu. A beautiful mural narrates this historic event of Dogras. Adjoining this historic site is located a beautiful complex of J&K Tourism Development Corporation which caters to the needs of visitors professionally. This needs to be promoted among the tourists.
