Great potential for religious tourism in J&K, need novel roadmap to exploit it fully: Kavinder
STATE TIMES NEWS
MUMBAI: Kavinder Gupta, former Dy Chief Minister of J&K and senior Bharatiya Janata party leader, who is on a visit to Maharashtra, has asserted that Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has an immense potential for religious tourism and it continues to be a major contributor to the economy of this newly formed Union Territory.
He stated this after concluding his visit to famous Shirdi Temple, Grishneshwar Temple, Bhadra Maruti Temple, Khuldabad, Alora Caves and other temples in Maharashtra to take stock of the facilities being provided to the pilgrims there so that the facilities at religious destinations are accordingly improved rather enhanced.
In a statement issued to media here today, the former Dy Chief Minister said “Religious shrines constitute rich wealth of our cultural heritage due to which Jammu is known as the City of Temples. Well-ornamented old temples can be seen across Jammu city. However it is a fact that these need to be maintained properly with enhanced facilities for the visitors. Moreover there are multiple religious destinations in both Jammu as well as Kashmir Province which register a foot fall of lakhs of pilgrims every year. Naming a few including the holy Vaishno Devi Shrine, the Annual Shri Amarnath pilgrimage, Sudh Mahadev and many others, Kavinder said these need to be well managed especially by providing the world class facilities to the pilgrim tourists.
He said that the temples as well as surrounding structures are live jewels of our architectural heritage need proper maintenance so that they can also be developed as attractive religious tourism destinations. Kavinder said that he was very happy to see the systematic management of the religious shrines and temples in Maharashtra and we need to emulate the same in J&K UT with some minor adjustments as per the local specifications. He said that religious tourism will boost other sectors of tourism like site-seeing tourism, etc. He said that he was highly impressed with the expansion of facilities for pilgrims and promoting infrastructure projects with enhanced and hassle free connectivity.
The senior BJP leader said that on his return to J&K he will appeal to the UT Administration to prepare a novel roadmap for developing a model mega religious pilgrimage cum destination project keeping in mind the world class facilities provided at pilgrimages in rest of the nation which envisages conservation and proper maintenance of even forgotten religious sites in J&K.
