Whole of Jammu and Kashmir is the land of shrines, temples and other religious places and spirituality is the main attribute of this place and so pilgrim tourism has a big scope in the overall tourism of the Jammu and Kashmir. The development of pilgrim tourism along with the overall tourism is very much the need of the hour and the development and exploring the tourist potential of the two will ultimately result in the significant development of the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Some three, four decades ago Kashmir was infamous for militancy ,killings and violence and the people were hesitant to undertake visit to J&K.
However, those difficult times are over and history now, and the winds of optimism, normalcy, peace, and development are gathering to provide this place a good name to which it deserves. Jammu and Kashmir has moved on from those dark days and Kashmir has become a paradise on earth again and huge rush of Indian/domestic and foreign tourists are flocking in and contributing to the UT economy. Government of Jammu and Kashmir should also encourage and invest in the tourist sector along with the pilgrim tourism as a contributor to the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir has its share of people belonging to different religions and faiths so it is not a surprise that many pilgrimage sites attract a large number of pilgrim tourists. Many of the popular pilgrimage tourism sites in Jammu and Kashmir have a history of years and is also a spiritual connecting since ancient times. Another reason that people visit and discover the pilgrimage sites in Jammu and Kashmir during their holidays is the unmatched beauty surrounding the pilgrimage sites in Jammu and Kashmir, which adds to their holistic spiritual experience. Jammu and Kashmir is dotted with temples, mosques, Gurudwars and natural shrines and visiting them gives the tourists an enriching experience.
It is an undeniable fact that pilgrim tourism occupies a significant a position within the tourism industry and economy of Jammu and Kashmir. There is ample potential for pilgrim tourism in the development of UT. Consequently the government of J&K UT must pay urgent and serious attention to exploring and developing pilgrim tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. The government, through its information and tourism department, must promote the pilgrim tourism and locations of scenic beauty in Jammu and Kashmir as a way of promoting pilgrim tourism and attract Indian and foreign tourists to pilgrim tourist sites. The government must also blend together spirituality and tourism generating huge numbers of people who will visit beautiful locations in UT after they have paid homage to various religious sites. All this economic activity will contribute to J&K's overall tourism economy, creating significant employability for young people in Jammu and Kashmir.
It is pertinent to mention that pilgrim tourism will develop along with the general tourism and the mixture of the two will pave way for the a development of both types of tourism and this will be a significant thing for the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. There are many pilgrimage sites in Jammu and Kashmir and the visitors and devotees visit these places and take joy and pleasure. One of the most famous pilgrimage sites in Jammu is the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, nestled in the Trikuta Hills in Katra. Pilgrims and tourists come here to get the blessings of Mata and they also appreciate the natural beauty of this shrine and Trikuta Hills. Another popular pilgrimage sites in Jammu and Kashmir is the holy Amarnath cave situated in the south Kashmir district of Anantnag in Himalayas. A large number of devotees and tourists every year visit this natural shrine and get the blessings of Lord Shiva and get mesmerized by its natural beauty.
Shankaracharya Temple built in 750 AD is also a most important tourist pilgrimage sites in Jammu and Kashmir and this temple is visited by a large number of people. Raghunath temple in Jammu city is also a site of big attraction and people visit this temple in large numbers and pay obeisance to Lord Ram and Mata Janki. The people who come to visit Jammu and Kashmir also visit Raghunath temple and see its grandeur .Besides these pilgrim tourist sites, the important places in Kashmir are as follows - A famous pilgrimage site in Jammu and Kashmir is Jami Masjid built in 1400 AD and consists of 300 pillars. It is famous for its Indo-Saracenic style of architecture and houses a gorgeous courtyard. Another pilgrimage site which is very famous and beautiful is the shrine of Hazratbal ,located on the western banks of the lovely Dal Lake. Built of immaculate white marble. It is a magnificent structure which is highly respected by the Muslims as it preserves the sacred hair from the beard of Prophet Muhammad. Charar-e-Sharif, located in district Budgam district is a pilgrimage site which people visit while visiting Jammu and Kashmir and it is frequently visited by the people. This shrine houses the grave of Nooru-Din-Noorani also called Nund Rish .The shrine of Dastagir Sahib and Makhdoom Sahib are the other famous pilgrimage sites which are located in down town Srinagar. All these pilgrimage sites are the pride of Jammu and Kashmir and these sites, shrines, temples and Masjids are frequently visited by the people and Jammu and Kashmir shines with the grace of these pilgrim places. Because of these and other pilgrim sites, the pilgrim, tourism has got an enviable place in the tourist map of Jammu and Kashmir.
The visitors who come to visit Jammu and Kashmir, also pay visit to these pilgrim spots and this adds charm to the natural beauty of this place. Pilgrim and other tourists in large numbers visit these pilgrim sites and their visit adds to the tourist economy of Jammu and Kashmir. The government of Jammu and Kashmir should pay its attention to these and other pilgrim tourist sites and encourage people to visit these places and in this way the pilgrim tourism of Jammu and Kashmir will get a facelift and the pilgrim tourism will contribute to the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. In short there is big scope for the development of pilgrim tourism in Jammu and Kashmir and the name of the UT today shines in the world.
(Vivek Koul)
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