Nishikant Khajuria
DAGAN TOP (Gool-Mahore), June 25: Notwithstanding the blessings of natural beauty, the scenic areas of this hilly region are missing on tourist map of Jammu and Kashmir due to more than a decade long phase of militancy and lackluster approach of Government machinery at the helm of affairs.
These areas, which include picturesque Dagan Top, Tatta Pani, Konsar Naag and a number of other attractive spots where the people would love to visit for enjoying the natural beauty, have not been developed for attracting the tourist. Inadequate road connectivity, no accommodation facilities, almost negligible infrastructure and no sincere efforts to develop these spots as tourist destinations are the reasons behind missing of these areas on tourism map.
Dagan Top, situated between Mahore and Gool, gas a great potential of attracting tourists like Patni Top but the area is still virgin owing to zero facilities there, particularly the extremely poor road connectivity. The scenic meadows around the Dagan Top area offer huge potential to prop up tourism with all attractions but there is no infrastructure development by the Government.
Around 10 kms from Dagan Top, there is mysterious a spot where a number of life size stone statues are found. The origin of these mysterious statues is unknown and some locals attribute the same to mythical Pandavas of Mahabharata period who carved these stones during their stay here. These statues look alike members of some marriage party equipped with bands and other musical instruments.
Since this area, where these stone statues are located, remains snow bound during the winters and is almost inaccessible for the commoners, a very few people beside locals have knowledge of this mysterious and wonderful spot where a big natural lake named `Sarkati Jheel’ is also located.
Almost similar but bigger stones with carved images are found at Konsar Naag in Gulabgarh, which is another beautiful place where scenic natural lake and its surroundings attract tourists.
Tatta Pani at Sangaldhan is another attraction of tourists visiting this place for taking a bath at this natural spring of hot water (Tatta Pani) due to which all skin ailments and joint pains are believed to be cured. A number of people from Jammu Kashmir and also from other States visit this spring for holy dip but there are zero facilities for stay and other arrangements for the visiting people. The four kilometer link road from Sangaldhan to Tatta Pani has never been repaired for the last 35 years, rued Jagar Singh, a social activist and local.
The State of affairs in handling the Government property can be gauged from the fact that a Guest House of the Tourism Department at Sangaldhan is closed for the last five years and has turned into ruins due to no taker of it since 2008 after Army vacated the accommodation following return of normalcy here.
According to Director Tourism, Jammu, Soujanya Sharma, poor road connectivity is the main reason behind no development of tourist spots in this area, which also remained militancy infested for more a decade. However, following return of normalcy, the Tourism Department has geared up for improvement of the spots having potential to attract tourists and in this connection we have identified eight to nine view points for their development besides creating roadside facilities, he informed.
Further informing that accommodation facility was being created at Tatta Pani, the Director said that the Tourism Department was assessing its property in Gool Arnas and other areas, which were earlier ignored due to militancy factor.
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