Ashok Sharma
Latti is the Tehsil Headquarter located about 85Kms from Udhampur.It is nestled in the pristine and virgin natural environs endowed with breathtaking beauty. Surrounded by mountains having mostly coniferous forestsbanj, moru etc, the tall deodar and pine trees seem to be acting like sentries to guard the virgin forests from the ever capracious eyes of man. From Udhampur the tourists have to pass through pictursque and historical town Chenani, villages Beshti, Basht endowed with unparalleled beauty with road lined on both sides by pine trees and fields overgrown with vegetable and other crops.
Then there comes Gauri Kund and then the religious town of Sudhmahadev which is the abode of Lord Shiva visited by a large number of tourists and devotees.. After travelling for sometime there comes Mantalai endowed with unparallled beauty and exquisite buildings constructed by the spiritual guru Dhirendera Brahmchari but lying in a neglected and abandoned state by the authorities. After travelling through Bupp and Sira by winding road passing through forests with small rivulets flowing by and producing a gurguling sound, one reaches Latti which is surrounded by tall snowcapped mountains. As these mountains are often covered under thick blanket of snow for a large part of the year, there is no vegetation and the topline is naked without any trees.
Tehsil Latti extends to as much as Shivgali on one side bordering with Basantgarh and to SMarothi on the other bordering with Chenani tehsil.It has many spots of tourist importance.Shivgali is one such spot located on the top of a hillock which is endowed with unparalleled natural beauty.It has two temples-.one of Kaali Maata and the other of Lord Vasuki Nag.
A pilgrimage to this pictursqe spot is also organised and a fair is also organised at this spot every year.Then there is Kirtchi, known as the Switzerland of J&K which is surrounded by snowcapped mountains from each side and is sandwitched between Tawi and a local stream .The confluence of the two waterbodies is a sight worth seeing. At this place Tawi is full of aquatic wealth including trout fish. The gushing crystal clear water of the mighty Tawi and a local stream adds to the beauty of the place. Then there is widely reverred shrine of Vasuki Nag temple at Dudu located at a beautiful place amidst trees and visited by the devotees from far and wide. Seoz Dhar- some area of which falls in Udhampur District and some in Udhampur is another place having huge tourist potential. It receives heavy snowfall in winter and remains covered under the thick carpet of snow for most part of the year. Many rare herbs having miraculous medicinal properties, including Sanjeevni booti are believed to grow here. The way to Kailash kund from Dudu leads through Seoz Dhar and pilgrims take a night’s rest at this place having breathtaking beauty and landscape.If this enchanting site is connected through road and accommodation facilities are provided at Seoz Dhar, it can attract huge footfall of tourists in summer and boost the local economy. Chari Bangla in Pachound, waterfal at Dudu, Sheetla Mandir at Latti, Dera top, Kound, Vasuki temple at Jakhed, ancient Shiv Temple at Kolakh etc are yet some other places worth seeing in Tehsil Latti. As tehsil Latti shares its boundaries with Bhaderwah on the one side and Basantgarh on the other, tourists visting Latti can be taken to Kailashkund, Ram Rachna (also known as chota Manimahesh), Gandh top, Panara and other tourist places falling in the adjoining regions are blessed with unparalleled beauty.
So far the fauna and flora is concerned,Tehsil Latti is rich in wildlife and biodiversity.As there are thick coniferous forests,It has a large no of wild animals such as black bear, leopards, wild birds,etc and trees such as banj , moru, kaimblu etc.The forest areas also abound in rare herbs and produce such as nagschatri, gutshi, kasror etc.There is very high potential for floriculture and horticulture in the region as the climatic conditions of Latti are just like those in Kashmir.The almond trees, apple, sari etc can be cultivated here and local economy boosted.Pulses such as rajmaash and vegetables like beans,tomato, knolkohl, potato etc can be grown across Latti tehsil and sold in the market. Moreover, there is need for organising trekking activities from Mantalai via Dera top to Shivgali. As there are high mountains having little connectivity, cable car project can also be started in this region to boost tourism in the area and improve the economy of the region.Pisciculture and apiculture too can be carried out in this region to boost local economy.
No doubt,this region is blessed with captivating environs and breathtaking natural beauty far from the din and noise of cities, it can act as an ideal place for the tourists to take a pleasant change from the hectic life of the plains in summer. Latti comprises twelve Panchayats and each Panchayat has a beauty and grandeur of its own. But the poor condition of road linking Mantali with Latti and Latti with Basantgarh is one of the major impediments to boost tourism in the region.Moreover, the rising cases of animal -man conflict incidents is also a cause of worry for the local people. So there is need to establish a sanctuary in the region to confine the animals to the sanctuary and prevent attacks on people.Ecotourism too has vast potential in this region. Tourists can be attracted by motivating them to stay in the homes of local people and study their life and culture from close quarters.It is hoped that the government will realize the huge tourist potential and take effective steps to improve road connectivity and provide other facilities to attract huge footfall of tourists to this place blessed with thick forest, undulating slopes, bubbling springs, meandering rivers, lush green plateus and beautiful fountains.
(The writer is serving as lecturer in English in Govt Hr.Sec School, Thial Udhampur).
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