“I often don’t know where my Luggage is, that’s what being a tourist is all about.”
― Terry Pratchett, The Light Fantastic
Pilgrimage as a form of journey provides ample opportunities to the people to visit sacred and kaleidoscopic places all over the globe and is a feature prevalent in more or less all societies. The land of Kashmir is blessed with holy stay of many great Sufis and Saints. People from different parts of the world throng this valley to cherish the beauty and bounty that abounds it. The valley swarms in pilgrim sites which are mesmerizing. Kashmir is famous for its rich composite culture. There is a harmonious blend of art, religion, culture, brotherhood and philosophy. Religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism have co-existed in J&K since hundreds of years .There are a number of Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist holy places in Kashmir, bestrewing the landscape. These sacred places like temples, mosques and Buddhist Gomphas attract innumerable tourists to the valley. Along with sacred and holy places, the pilgrim destinations of Kashmir are also a treat to the eyes. A look at the shrines, located amongst beautiful and scenic environs, is enough to leave you spellbound & speechless.
Depicting a breathtaking panorama of natural beauty, Kashmir boasts of several interesting places to visit. And in between this majestic allure lies a heavenly world. The religious richness of the state is very well represented by its several sacred shrines that make it an ideal pilgrim destination in India. From temples to mosques to Gurudwara, there is a spiritual house for people of all faith which in turn make Kashmir pilgrimage tour quite popular among devotees and general tourist. The coexistence of shrines of different religious beliefs sends a very positive signal to the world about the secular and tolerant mindset of valleyites. A number of famous Hindu temples exist along with equally renowned Muslim shrines. The living proof of this harmony is the Hari Parbat pilgrim center. Here, a Temple, a Mosque and a Gurudwara are standing side by side. The sight itself gives the undiluted feeling of brotherhood. Some of the famous holy places in Kashmir are: Amarnath, Charar-e-sharif, Hazratbal Mosque, Jama Masjid, Kheer Bhavani, Khanqah-e-Moula, Martand Sun Temple, Shankaracharya Temple, Shiv Khori, Vaishno Devi, Awantipura, Chatti Padshahi, Makhdoom Sahib, Sharika Devi Temple to name a few.
- HAZRATBAL MOSQUE: Hazratbal mosque is one of the notable pilgrimage destinations where the holy relic of the last Prophet is preserved that arrived to this place in the year 1699. Located on the bank of Dal Lake, this mosque is one of the most beautiful Mosques that offer the picturesque sight of the Lake on one side and beautiful gardens dotted by chinar trees on the other. Built on white marble this mosque was the first with a dome and one can find a unique blend of Mughal and Kashmiri architecture in it.
- CHAR-E- SHARIF: Shrine of the renowned Kashmiri saint, Sheikh Noor-Ud-Din Noorani is the most visited Muslim pilgrimage destination in Kashmir. Every year lakhs of people from all over the state visit this shrine to pay their tribute to the saint who is a founder of Reshism in Kashmir.
- AMARNATH: located at an altitude of 4000 meters above sea level on the Snow Mountains of Kashmir Valley, The cave has the shivlingam formed naturally by stalagmite and the pair of pigeons who have become immortal by hearing the secret of creation (Amar Katha) that Shivji told to his beloved wife Parvati in this cave. Chandanwari and Baltal are the two base camps where from you can reach the cave but one thing is common that you have to bear the steep and upward climb through the mountains mostly under snow cover.
- JAMIA MASJID: The Jama Masjid of Srinagar is situated at Nowhatta, in the middle of the old city. An important mosque in Srinagar, it was built by Sultan Sikandar in 1400 AD. Later, the son of Sultan Sikandar, Zain-ul-Abidin got the mosque extended.
- Khanqah-e-Moula: Khanqah-e-Moula is situated in Srinagar, on the banks of the river Jhelum. One of the oldest Muslim shrines in Kashmir, the khanqah was built by Sultan Sikander built in 1395.
- Hari Parbat Fort: The Mughal emperor’s fort crowns the top of Hari Parbat hill. The fort was later developed in 18th century by an Afghan governor, Ata Mohammad Khan. The hill is considered sacred to the Hindus due to the presence of temple of Sharika, which is believed to be a form of goddess Durga or Shakti. The wall around the hill was built by Akbar in 1592-98 AD. The hill is surrounded by almond orchards, which make a lovely sight during April when the trees blossom, heralding the advent of spring in Kashmir.
The Valley gives different charm and appeal to tourists in different seasons, so supervising tourism activities through different seasons is an interesting affair and managing different tourism resources differently is an uphill task. The tourists may experience problems relating to various factors such as unexpected expenses, pollution, safety and security, etc. Apart from that, environmental factors are viewed as highly problematic by them. They would like to have everything perfect under the sky. Some of the pilgrims may feel dissatisfaction with regard to accommodation facilities during their tour; language, beggars, guidance, pollution and health related factors. There can be expression of dissatisfaction towards infrastructure, sanitary conditions, safety and security, transport facility, arrangements, unexpected expenditure and service related factors. The highest levels of dissatisfaction have been in connection with heavy crowd. They face moderate dissatisfaction even due to factors which are under their perusal and slightly higher level of dissatisfaction relating to environmental factors. In lieu of this, The Government should take following steps to develop pilgrimage tourism in valley:
1: To Promote tourism potential of all the three regions of the State viz Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
2: Identifying new areas which possess tourism potential and to develop them and publicize.
3: Development and up gradation of tourism infrastructure in the State.
4: Involve locals in development of new resorts and to make them stake holders in tourism in their own interest.
5: Evolve mechanism for protection of environment by means of framing strict building regulations for resorts and by making locals and tourists aware of the need to respect and protect gifts of nature.
6: Contribute to preservation of culture and heritage of the State and to promote these as tourist attractions.
7: Providing incentives for setting up and up gradation of various tourism facilities including capacity building in private sector.
8: Control and monitor Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Trade Act to protect interests of the tourists, and promotion of tourism in and outside the country through adequate publicity which includes participation in National/International Tourism fairs and exhibitions and to arrange for Road Shows and Fam-Tours
A management galvanized team can exude motivation and enthusiasm to serve the holy places of their religion. Given proper direction and coordination, Kashmir can serve as one of the best pilgrimage destinations of the world. The concerted endeavor of proper management and investment would greatly contribute to the smooth growth of pilgrimage tourism by highlighting the potential of Kashmir on tourism map of the world. However, management’s lackadaisical approach to the development of pilgrimage tourism is not the sole factor responsible for all the ills this sector of tourism suffers with in the Valley. There are many other bottlenecks and problems which have bearing on the prospects of development of pilgrimage tourism.
Dr Syed Waseem,Completed his BUMS from institute of Asian Medical sciences, Srinagar.
