State Governments have to be given credit for implementing the clauses of the Constitution pertaining to the preservation of our icons of heritage all over the country. Ours is an old country, and as such, we have carried a big baggage of cultural heritage from hoary past. Independent India took all steps to preserve the cultural fund bequeathed to us by our ancestors.
We have historical shrines whose history goes back to thousands of years. We have meticulously preserved their tradition and maintained our heritage. Take the case of Swami Amarnath ji in Kashmir or Shiv Khori in Reasi. By constituting the Shrine Boards, the entire process of pilgrimage, preservation and maintenance of the shrines has been taken over by the autonomous Shrine Boards and they have done their job to the satisfaction of the people concerned. But there are still much renowned and much visited shrines in other parts of the State that have escaped the attention of the Government for quite some time. In particular we shall mention of Shri Mata Sukhrala Devi Ji and Shri Mata Bala Sundri Ji shrines at Billawar in Kathua district. The number of pilgrims to these shrines has considerably increased in recent years. But lack of adequate facilities for the pilgrims makes the pilgrimage difficult and inconvenient. The Cabinet is reported to have given a nod to the creation of a Shrine Board for the above mentioned two shrines and now the bill will go to the Legislative A
ssembly for enactment of legislation.
Keeping in mind the fast increasing number of pilgrims to these shrines, and also keeping in view the fast development which happened about the shrines for which boards have already been constituted and are functioning efficiently, we are sanguine that the Legislative Assembly will also pass the bill for Shrine Boards for the two above mentioned shrines. This will stabilize their preservation and maintenance and at the same time bring much needed facilities for the pilgrims.
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