Dr. Banarsi Lal, Dr. Pawan Sharma
Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir is known for the natural beauty and is said to be the hub of tourists’ spots. The district is blessed with a number of religious places and devotees across the globe come here every year to pay homage. Siarh Baba is one of the important religious places in Reasi district of J&K which is known for the natural waterfall. This place is situated at a distance of about 10 Km from Reasi town. It is one of the highest waterfalls in North India with the elevation of 400ft. This place is having spectacular view. Tourists come here to have the holy dip at this place and come back. This place is also known for the cool weather especially in summers. From this particular place either the tourists come back to their homes or they proceed towards Shiv Khori shrine. But if one wants to enjoy the summers in Reasi and wants to make a pleasurable journey one should not return to Jammu from Siarh Baba but should proceed towards Salal Dam which is on Dharmari road. As we proceed from Siarh Baba to Salal Dam especially in hot summers, we observe the pleasurable cool weather which reminds us about the Kashmir valley like atmosphere. On both sides of the road there are steep green hills and Chenab River in between the hills adds extra charm to the place. On the way we experience that we have come in Kashmir valley and we want to stay there for some time. But there is no shop or hotel on the road up to Salal Dam. While going towards Salal Dam one can stop the vehicle and have a walk especially at evening time. In July you will observe that October-November has come at this place. Your sweating body out of this place will feel freshness while moving there. In summer many locals to come here for the evening walk. On the way you will observe the Gujjar and Bhakerwal graze their goats and sheep on the green hills. The farmers also take green fodder from these hills for their animals. The distance from Siarh Baba to Salal Dam is approximately 5 Km. but this distance of five Km. can become a memorable travelling for you especially in summers.
On the way there is a village of tribal village namely Gujjar Kothian which is known for the dairy farming. The farmers of this village are having large number of buffaloes .The farmers of this village are having very less cultivable land and they sell their organic Farm Yard Manure (FYM) in other areas of the district. They sell their milk in local markets or in Katra. This place is surrounded by magnificent mountainous and reminds us the coolness of Kashmir. One can enjoy pleasant summer if you proceed to Salal Dam from Siarh Baba. You can experience the natural air conditioner on this road up to Salal Dam. One can beat the heat at this place up to Salal Dam. Believe me or not you will feel the Kashmir valley like weather there even in hot and humid days. The Chenab River flows between the steep hills gives an extraordinary beauty to this spot. The greenery on the hills further adds the charm to this place. But the intrinsic tourism potential of this beautiful place near Siarh Baba in Reasi district is not known to the tourists and has not been explored yet. Most of the tourists come only up to Siarh Baba and after that they do not proceed further and come back to Katra or Jammu or move towards Shiv Khori. Just few kilometers of distance from Siarh Baba to Salal Dam can add charm to your visit in Reasi district. After travelling about five Km from Siarh Baba towards Salal Dam one can observe the beautiful view of Salal Dam project. One can enjoy the pleasant moments at Salal Project and can also observe the scientific working of dam.
The cool breeze blows across the mountain range and flow of beautiful Chenab river adds glory to this place. In the months of July and August one can experience dense fog accompanied by continuous drizzle which makes the weather quite charming. There is also an organic village namely Talwara which is known for organic farming and SKUAST-Jammu has established an Organic Training Centre there which is sponsored by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).The farmers from Reasi district and other districts from J&K state are trained there on organic farming. Tourists can observe the view of agro- tourism in that village. One can also purchase the organic vegetables or organic crops products from this village. Maize and wheat are the major crops of the area. The organic vegetables produced at Talwara are sold in local market and also in Jammu.
Moreover paddy is also grown in the nearby areas and the aroma in the paddy fields really attracts towards fields. The yellow mustard crops grown in the winter season gives bridal look to the farmers fields of the area. The fruits such as ber, mango, litchi, citrus etc. are also grown in the area. Farmers of this area are very hard working and are making strenuous efforts for organic farming. Near Talwara village there is a guest house where one can have the night stay. There are army and police training centres where the youths from all over the country are trained. Moreover, these units also ensure security check up for the tourists. The condition of roads is very good and one can easily reach from Reasi to Siarh Baba and onward by matador or by the car. Undoubtedly, there is a great tourism potential in the area. The bridal look of the area attracts the nature loving people to come close and explore what they like. When one moves from Siarh Baba to Salal Dam one feels that he/she has come in the lap of nature. This five kilometer distance from Siarh Baba to Salal Dam can attract thousands of tourists across the nation and abroad. This hidden place should be explored for the tourists to enjoy the nature.
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