“Brilliant is ...... Page 4 SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2016 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine The Siachen Hero.....Page 3 Religious Tourism in Region

Prof(DR) R.D.Gupta Bawe Wali Mata Temple Shivkhori Cave Tourism has become a popular activity not only in Jammu and Kashmir but across the country. Jammu and Kashmir state offers vast tourism potential in its all regions viz. Jammu Province, valley of Kashmir and Ladakh region. It is because Jammu and Kashmir has been gifted with a number of religious tourist spots and picturesque places, wildlife, wetlands ecosystems, lush green meadows and thick coniferous and deciduous forests. Snow capped Pir Panjal Mountains, valleys and rivers, Siwalik Hills coupled with springs and lakes have immense potential to entice tourists. The Jammu region endowed with natural beauty, is dotted with a number of historical monuments like Mubarak Mandi complex, Bagh-e-Bahu, Bahu Fort and Mohamaya Rakh, Gurudwaras, Darghas and a number of temples. Raghunath temple, Pirkho temple, Ranbireshwar temple, Panchvaklar and Panjtirthi temple, Mohamaya temple, Gurudwaras at Jain bazar and Raghunath bazars, Darghas at Pir Mitha, Mastgarh, Ustad Mohala Talab Khatikan and Gumat are the main religious places in and around the Jammu Bhawan Budha city which have the potential for the development of pilgrimage tourism. Jammu region is also characterised by having historic forts and other such places of Ramnagar, Reasi and Udhampur. There are couple of famous reli- gious sites enroute to Katra and Reasi. First comes the famous Agar Jitto which is at a distance of 6 km from Katra. It is cool scenic spot located amidst beautiful hillock with a number of perennial springs lending a cool and refreshing ambience to the place. A huge statue of Babba Jitto besides that of his daughter Bua Gouri dominates. Jammu region has bountiful places of Gods and confined to hilly and mountainous region such as Mata Sukrala Devi of Billawar in district Kathua. Mata Sukrala Devi is also called a female of foregiveness. Lakhs of people throng around this sacred shrine to pay obeisance and to obtain blessings. Apart from this, Jammu region has a vast variety of tourist attrac- tion to offer and holds potential for developing various tourist spots and places for pilgrimage tourism offering substantial heritage, leisure and adven- ture tourism to tourists of wide ranging interest. Just in a well organised trip one can be exposed to grand edifices of , Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and Christianity. At the same time he can see our stunning natural posses- sions. One such better site for making pilgrimage a big success, . This temple is situated at the Trikuta Hills which constitute an over- mountains of Pahalgam in Vale of Kashmir. Kailash Kund is infact a lake mentioned that Devika river is a manifestation of the mother Goddess Parvati whelming majority of tourists who turn up in the state. The Mata Vaishno shrine of Bhadarwah. About 20 km south west of Bhadarwah is the mountain herself to remove the sins of the people of Mader Desh that covers areas Deviji is now world famous pilgrimage. of Kailash. This mountain too is the abode of Lord but it is different between the river Ravi and the Chenab. A recent study was conducted with regard to the pilgrim tourism econom- from the world famous mountain of the same name which arises almost ver- Sudh Maha Dev- Mantalai is a holy spot in Chenani near Patnitop which ics of Katra- gateway of Vaishnodevi pilgrimage in Kashmir. It was found that tically from the holy lake of Mansarovar in Tibet. This is sacred lake on this stands erected at an altitude of 1225 m. This shrine has not only been visited the pilgrims were injecting annually as much as 475 crores into its economy, mountain and is known as the lake of Kailashpati Shivji Maharaj. It is said by a large number of pilgrims on the full moon night during May - June but is that Lord Shiva along with his family also visited this spot. Seven stream flow with a total of nearly 28,000 employees in various sectors. Such sectors main- also attracted by many tourists.Thial a very small village situated about 50 km out of this place. The river Tawi, the Basantar and Ugh are some of the exam- ly consist of commercial establishments, hospitality, transport sector / priests from Udhampur on the Dhar road, where an old temple of Lord Jagannath ples in this respect. It is the biggest pilgrimage of northern as has been and ponywallahs. Puri is the main centre of pilgrimage. This village is well connected with stated by Lord Shiva to Mata Parvati in Vasuki Puran. Other pilgrimage centres in the Jammu region are Shahdra-Sharief, Mansar lake temples. Jamia Masjid and Ziarat Shah- Farid-Ud-Din,are the other holy places in Buddha Amarnath and Nangali Sahib in Rajouri and Poonch. The shrine of cave is a majestic shrine of Lord Shiva and is a place of pilgrims Kishtwar. The former, is the oldest mosque in the Kishtwar district which was Shahdra-Sharief in Rajouri district, about 177 km from Jammu, is one of the attraction which enjoys high order of esteem among all sections of people. In constructed before 1650 AD. The Jamia Masjid, in fact, is the largest mosque most popular Muslim shrines of Jammu region, visited by thousands of devo- view, the everlasting religious significance and sanctity the majestic and in Jammu Province. The latter is situated in the heart of Kishtwar town dur- tees everyday irrespective of caste , colour and creed in deep faith. ancient Shiv Khori shrine cave in district Reasi is now witnessing great rush ing the region of Raja Jai Singh to propagate Islam.Shah-Farid ud-Din hailed of pilgrims. To reach Shiv Khori shrine, all type of vehicles are available either Budha Amarnath temple is situated about 25 km north east of Poonch on from Bhagdad. the left bank of Pulsta stream.This place has a great religious importance as from Jammu or Katra. Paddar, in district of Kishtwar has much of its own to offer pilgrimage. A this temple is considered older than Swami Amarnath of Kashmir. Legend While visiting the religious wealth in the form of numerous shrines and well known sacred and holy shrine of Mata Chandi located at an altitude of goes that Lord Shiva had visited this place. Thousands of pilgrims come to places of worship at Mahabilvakashawar temple in Billawar, Mahadev temple 2850 m is present at village Machail. The holy journey of Machail shrine is this place with great devotion from various parts of the country particularly about 320 km from Jammu city. The foot journey of 31 km from Atholi to at Basohli, Shiva temple at Airwan, Ziarat of Pir Fazalshah at Kathua, Pir during Sawan or Shravan Poornima. Machail is a treasure of nature's glimpses, attractions, enroute temples, Chhatarshah near Parole, a temple of Mata at Bala Sundrikot, the pilgrims Nangali Sahib Gurudwara is situated on the left bank of Drungli Nallah caves, bubbling streams, springs, greenery and at some places sharp bare after performing worship, they can visit water tourism in Ranjeet Sagar Lake. which is 4 km away from Poonch city. This Gurudwara was established by mountain peaks. This lake is amidst Siwalik hills in Basholi. It is one of the largest fresh water Sant Bhai Mela Singhji. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had paid a visit to this shrine lakes of the country which was formed as a result of ponding of the Thein Dam The most famous amongst the religious and historical places and monu- during 1819 AD, when he was on his way to conquer Kashmir. This place is of at the river Ravi. It begins from the village Thein and culminates near Khajura ments in Udhampur city- the second largest city of Jammu region are the great religious importance and thousands of pilgrims of all religions through- village of Basholi. It is point to mention that being located at central place Babore temples, Krimchi temple complex, Devtaa Mandir in Pancheri, out the country pay a visit to this place every year. touching Jammu region at Basholi, Pathankot of Punjab and Dalhousi of shrines of Chountra Devi and Pingla Devi as well as the river Devika. Owing There is a tremendous scope of religious tourism in Doda and Kishtwar Himachal Pradesh, the Ranjeet Sagar Lake can add one more feather in the to the presence of Devika river Udhampur city is known as Devika Nagri. In cap of water tourism vis-a-vis religious tourism. districts of Jammu region. Kailash Kund in Bhadarwah at an altitude of 4320 the Nilmata Puran which was written during 7th century by Nela Muniji, m isTHE one of the leading pilgrimagesLAW-KEEPERS just like Sri Amarnath confined to the ON SCREEN(The author is Associate Dean Cum Chief Scientist, KVK , SKUAST, Chatha, Jammu.)

police-criminal nexus for the first time. “Anant Velankar could may be, a bit more. The policewoman in uniform has appeared Prakash Jha’s Jai Gangaajal sees arguably emerge as the most significant character of the ‘80s rarely in films bent of woman as the avenging angel such as because he symbolises the brutalisation of an essentially sensi- Dimple Kapadia in Zakhmi Aurat which was a strong patriar- Priyanka Chopra, currently much in tive man,” writes critic Maithili Rao. chal statement that claimed that a policewoman was as vulner- The angry young cop with distinct, negative traits such as able to rape as any ordinary woman on the street. news, as a high-ranking police officer. drinking and womanising to a fault, was articulate in Satyame- In Khalnayak, Ganga, the police inspector played by Mad- While finding her depiction rather va Jayate featuring Vinod Khanna as the policeman. The cop in huri Dixit is a classic example of how the woman-police-officer this film is angry, brutal, violent, on the edge of disillusionment image offers a host of visual variants on the sex appeal of the unconvincing, Shoma A. Chatterji tries for his loss of faith in the goodness of human beings. This trend woman’s body. It helps manipulate cinematically, a power- continued through films like Akeyla and Mujrim down to Prat- reversal symbolised by the different way of cross-dressing in to look more critically at the men and ibandh said to have been inspired the LTTE militants with the male clothes. The screenplay plays on the sensual and box office modus operandi for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. image of Madhuri Dixit by writing in her disguise as a nau- women in police force as portrayed in Through 2000 and beyond, policemen have played impor- tanki dancer and even performing an item number to tant roles in many films placing the police force or a single police- save her top officer fiancé Ram’s face! That is Hindi cinema. man at the centre of the script mainly as perpetrators of vio- where her ‘empowerment’ begins and ends. lence, reflective of the drama in real life. Examples are – Ab Tak Mardaani has a larger agenda gained Chappan, Shoot Out at Lokhandwalla, Kurukshetra, Sarfarosh, through individual fights between one The uniform of the policeman is a structured image and one Dus, Dev, Khakee etc. man and one woman in a tussle in who will can easily relate to in daily life. In Hindi cinema, it more or less Prakash Jha’s Apaharan and previous Gangaajal and E. win. But in the larger context, Shivani (Rani duplicates the policeman or woman that image. Add to it some Niwas’s Shool have taught us, sometimes even at the suggestive Mukherji), the police officer nails down the glamour, or notoriety, as the case maybe, and a magnified image level, the downside of the service such as shortage of personnel, kingpin of child trafficking by having him reaches the audience in a larger canvas. wages of policemen, corruption with the political nexus, decay killed by his own victims. The aggression and Saying that, popular cinema often fails to portray the law- in the force’s rank and file and betrayal by the upper echelons the violence is built up slowly that underlines keeper in the proper prospective. Take Prakash Jha’s Jai Gan- where it is either difficult or impossible for an honest policeman the credibility of the revenge that spells out gaajal . Priyanka Chopra, known for her commitment to roles, to survive let alone rise professionally in the force. In professional ethics, excellence of execution plays a high-ranking police officer. But the star image and alone, the ratio between police and citizens is 2.6 to 1000 which and resolution of a seemingly impossible charisma of one of the best actresses in Bollywood is spoilt by most likely is worse elsewhere in the country. national problem. that image itself and what we see on screen is a Chopra careful- The policeman became a true entertainer a la Salman Khan Dhrishyam opens a new window to world of ly made-up to emphasise a hard jaw line and the obligatory uni- as Chulbul Pandey in Dabangg and its sequel. Dabangg released women in police uniform in Bollywood. The clash is not form tailored to stress her chiselled figure. in September 2010, became the highest opener of all time across Sometimes the portrayal brings in changes in public per- only between the hunter – the IGP Meera Deshmukh (Tabu) India. Chulbul Pandey in all his crude loudness, his exaggerat- ception. Zanjeer changed the face of the mainstream cop in the and the hunted, Vijay Salgaonkar but also between Meera the edly stylised performance, his pelvis shaking dance numbers 70s. For the first time, the angry young man Vijay (Amitabh) in IGP and Meera the mother. If you read between the lines in one police uniform strode across the screen, holding the audience with overtly sexual innuendo, his corrupt ways has turned the of Tabu’s best performances, the conflict between the police- in thrall with his unsmiling visage, eager-to-hit fists and used celluloid policeman on its head in a film that is otherwise spilling woman and the mother is more intense that takes a toll on the cuss language , a novel thing at the time. Inspector’s methods over with some of the most gross, gory and bloody scenes of vio- responsibility of Deshpande as police top brass. Does the des- were unorthodox, both within the police force, as well as against lence seen in recent times. Pandey is fleshed out as a larger- ignation inthe uniform empower her? Not really because the the backdrop of Hindi cinema’s policeman stereotype, and thus than-life hero who wears his uniform complimented with his mother overshadows the police chief and the chief resigns before made history. It was followed by screen images where the hon- RayBan glassed in great style yet gets wobbly at the knees when she is dismissed. (TWF) est policeman often threw away his badge, uniform and slugged he meets the beautiful but strict Rajo. It is still violence where his rifle on the shoulder to fight the criminals outside the law the policeman hero is both perpetrator and victim. when he failed to do this within the system. In some recent Bollywood films, we witness the emergence Govind Nihalani through Ardh Satya presented Anant of the woman as a police officer, desperate to be as gritty, as Velankar in a film that potrayed with scathing contempt, the ruthless and as ready to indulge in violent strategies as men, or