A Case Study of Sirmour District
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SGVU J CLIM CHANGE WATER Tomar, J.S, SGVU J CLIM CHANGE WATER VOL. 7, 2020 pp 94-103 VOL 7, 94-103 ISSN: 2347-7741 TOURISM POTENTIAL IN SOUTHERN HIMACHAL- A CASE STUDY OF SIRMOUR DISTRICT Jagpal Singh Tomar* *Center for Climate Change and Water Research, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur *[email protected] ABSTRACT: Himachal Pradesh is endowed with nature’s bounty and has always attracted the fascination of tourists who flock to this hilly state in large numbers to enjoy its pristine beauty. It all started with Britishers who moved to these hills attracted by its natural beauty and cool climate, even declared Shimla as their Summer Capital in 1864 placing the state firmly on the world tourist map and this state has not looked back ever since. The flow of tourists here has increased dramatically ever since. But this movement has remained more or less confined to a select historically famous tourists spots in and around Shimla, Kullu, Chamba and Mandi. The main reason for this approach was that govt of the days focussed on developing these already known spots for attracting tourists which needed fewer resources, resulting in the overlooking of places with potential for attracting tourists. Nowadays, overcrowding at these popular spots has forced tourists to look for new unexplored territories and hence districts of Lahaul & Spiti, Kinnaur etc. are seeing increased flow of tourists. In this paper, I would like to focus on the hitherto less explored district Sirmour of Himachal Pradesh as the perfect destination for visitors looking for new places for recreation. Keywords: Tourism, Destination, Wetland, Sanctuary, Culture, Heritage and Fossils. INTRODUCTION There is a great potential for tourism in gifted this state with snow-capped Himachal Pradesh. Its unique customs, mountains, glaciers, lakes, geysers, traditions, cultural and above all the beautiful valleys, thick coniferous forests natural attractions and topography with large variety of flora and fauna, provide excellent opportunities for which provides wide scope for the tourism development (Kanga et al., development of tourism (Kanga et al., 2011). It abounds in temples with distinct 2014). Some important tourist hill architecture that would certainly destinations in the state are Shimla, attract many visitors. Mother nature has Manali, Dharamshala, Khajjiar, Chamba, 94 | P a g e SGVU J CLIM CHANGE WATER Tomar, J.S, SGVU J CLIM CHANGE WATER VOL. 7, 2020 pp 94-103 VOL 7, 94-103 ISSN: 2347-7741 Dalhousie etc. Nowadays, overcrowding 49’40’’ East Longitude having a total at these famous spots has diverted the area of 2825 sq. kms. The district of tourist flow towards less explored Solan lies on its West while Shimla territories and hence places in districts of district lies on its North. It is bound by Lahaul & Spiti, Kinnaur etc. are seeing the state of Uttarakhand towards East, by increased flow of tourists. The success of Uttar Pradesh & Haryana towards South. tourism business in a region depends on Nearest Airport is located at Chandigarh tourism planning, its development and whereas the nearest railway station is at marketing (Chandel, R. S., and Kanga, Ambala & Chandigarh. The district is S., 2018). District Sirmour in Himachal well connected by road network with Pradesh is one such place with high national high way number 72 passing tourist potential sites waiting to be through the district.Sirmaur district explored. Despite having all the presents an intricate mosaic of high characteristics of a good tourist mountain ranges, hills and valleys with destination, this district has lagged altitude ranging from 300 to 3000 m behind due to govt apathy and lack of above MSL. There is gradual rise in basic infrastructure, prerequisites for elevation from south to north and from attracting tourists. But now the situation east to west. In general, trans-Giri terrain is rapidly changing as there is a marked exhibits highly rugged mountain terrain. improvement in facilities available due to The high peaks in Chaurdhar region govt shifting their focus away from remain snow covered for most part of the almost saturated traditional regions to year. Low denuded hill ranges of Siwalik developing and promoting new areas represent the southwestern part of the with potential of becoming tourist district. Paonta valley, trending NW-SE, hotspots. has an area of about 230 sq km and lies Sirmour district is the southern-most between the main Himalayan ranges on district of Himachal Pradesh located in the north and outer Siwalik hill range in the Shivalik range of Himalayas. It is one the south. of the twelve administrative districts of Places to visit in Distt-Sirmour Himachal. Its geographical extent lies This district has some very significant between 30o 22’ 00’’ to 31o 01’ 00’’ religious places like the temples of Ma North Latitude and 77o 01’12’’ to 77o Renuka ji, Ma Balasundari, Shirgul 95 | P a g e SGVU J CLIM CHANGE WATER Tomar, J.S, SGVU J CLIM CHANGE WATER VOL. 7, 2020 pp 94-103 VOL 7, 94-103 ISSN: 2347-7741 Maharaj, Ma Bhangayani, Bhurshing outside the sanctuary has been declared Maharaj, Gurudwaras at Paonta Sahib, as a buffer belt. According to forest types Bhangani Sahib, Baru Sahib etc. Some classification, the area falls under dry very scenic places include Renukaji lake mixed deciduous forest and & zoo, Haripurdhar, Churdhar, Peach dry Sal forest. This place is the site of an Valley, Habban Valley, etc. Shivalik annual international fair held in Fossil Park located here is one of a kind November known as Renuka fair which not only in India but whole of Asia if not attracts people from within the district, world. the neighboring district of Shimla, Renuka lake adjoining parts of Haryana and Jhonsar Renuka lake is the largest natural lake of & Bhabar areas of Uttarakhand. Tourists Himachal Pradesh located in about 38 can visit this place for religious or kms east of Nahan in Sirmour district. recreational purposes. This elevation of this lake is 672 m Ma Balasundari Temple, Trilokpur above mean sea level and its Trilokpur is a place of great religious circumference is about 3214 m. This importance located on a hillock about place is considered as the birthplace of 24 km south-west of Nahan at an Lord Parshuram, the sixth incarnation of elevation of about 430 m. The temple of Lord Vishnu and the lake derives its Ma Balasundari here is an amalgam of name from goddess Renuka, his mother. Indo-Persian styles of architecture. It is It is a designated Ramsar site since considered to be the childhood place November 2005 (Ramsar Sites of Maa Vaishno Devi. This temple was Information Service, Kumar et al 2019). built in marble by Sh Ram Dass, a local This lake has boating facility and is well trader with help from the Maharaja of connected by road. The area around this earstwhile Sirmour state in 1573 AD. In lake is a Reserve Forest out of which 1823, the temple was renovated by 4.028 km2 has been converted into a Maharaja Fateh Prakash and by Maharaja sanctuary. This sanctuary boasts of a lion Raghubir Prakash in 1851. Since the safari and a zoo consisting of leopards, temple's inception, the descendants of black bears, cheetals, wild cats etc. A Lala Ram Dass have been performing the bird sanctuary is also located here. An main Puja here. An important fair is held area of roughly about 3 km² that lies at Trilokpur twice a year i.e. during 96 | P a g e SGVU J CLIM CHANGE WATER Tomar, J.S, SGVU J CLIM CHANGE WATER VOL. 7, 2020 pp 94-103 VOL 7, 94-103 ISSN: 2347-7741 navratras in the months of Chaitra and from different parts of the globe (Singh, Ashvina. This temple attracts a lot of R. B., and Anand, S.) and plays an pilgrims annually from all over Northern instrumental role in generating public India. Mata Bala Sundri is the Kul Devi awareness about this field of study and of many Castes (i.e. Brahmana, Baniyas, enquiry. The park has a display of the Rajput etc.) in Himachal and Haryana. fossil finds and an open-air exhibition of Hence this place can be promoted as a six life-sized fibreglass models of extinct religious place of very high significance. mammals i.e. Huge land tortoise, gharial, Shivalik Fossil Park, four–horned giraffe, sabre-toothed tiger, Also known as Suketi Fossil Park, large tusked elephant, and hippopotamus. (Chatterjee, R., 1974) this park is situated (The Tribune. 2003 and Mukerji, A. B., in the picturesque Markanda Valley of 1992). A museum, within the precincts of the Shivalik hills of district Sirmour the park exhibits stone items belonging located 20 kms to the south of Nahan. It to Early Paleolithic Man. Also preserved is Asia's biggest fossil park and is a in the museum are fossils of two genera notified National Geo-heritage of extinct primates, Sivapithecus and Monument fossil park (Ministry of Mines Ramapithecus. (Geological Society of Press release, 2016) developed by the France 1994 and Aitken, B., 2003). The Geological Survey of India, in museum also houses the remains of collaboration with the Himachal Pradesh Asia’s oldest human ancestor and other government. The park, extensively antiquities unearthed by Captain forested, is spread out over an area of 1.5 Cautley in the area (Geological Society square kilometres (0.58 sq mi) at Suketi. of France 1994). The site has been (Geological Survey of India). This park developed to give a panorama of Plio- is the first one in Asia to be situated on Pleistocene period (2.5 million years the same site where the actual fossils ago) through massive afforestation which were unearthed, and has a collection of has provided a green cover to the Park vertebrate fossils and skeletons that date besides enhancing its beauty.