BY MOHD MAJID MALIK ,BHADERWAH,MAR28— Once it used to house the dreaded militants, but now Bhaderwah fort jail is going to be a tourist attraction. Thanks to the government decision to shift the inmates to Jammu jail and restore the glory of the ancient fort to attract the tourists to this scenic place.Built in 1733 by Maharaja Phar Chand, the fort was converted into a jail in 1919 to house the freedom fighters. It is after 88 years that the J&K government has decided to restore this heritage monument.
The authorities have shifted around 60 prisoners to Jammu jail. “This is a great heritage site of our state and it can become a major attraction for the tourists. The Bhaderwah Development Authority (BDA) has drawn a major plan to give it a facelift to attract tourists.Museum, art gallery, in house drama-theatre, light and sound system and heritage centre are all planned at the fort which will be reopened for tourists in next two years time. Jammu and Kashmir government is spending around Rs3 crore on the refurbishment of the fort.“We are spending Rs1.5 crore on light and sound system alone and rest of the money will be spent on establishing museum, art gallery and other facilities so that more and more tourists would come to Bhaderwah,” said BDA chief executive officer Kalyian Singh Parihar .
Union ministry of tourism has also cleared projects for development of tourism infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir to the tune of Rs50 crore and the Bhadarwah tehsil will get a tourism related development fund worth Rs4.12 crore.BDA is expecting nearly three lakh tourists to visit Bhaderwah, also known as Chotta Kashmir for its scenic beauty, after the fort will be thrown open. “We are targetting the pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine annually. We are expecting to divert 10% of them to Bhaderwah that will give a major boost to tourism sector,” said Parihar .Bhaderwah is the home constituency of the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and it has received enormous support from the state government for putting it on the tourist map given its splendid natural beauty resembling Kashmir. “We are opening new trekking routes which will be an added attraction for the tourists visiting Bhaderwah,” said Parihar From being a hot-bed of militancy, Bhaderwah town in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and the adjoining regions don a new look with rapid development changing the lives of the people.
The exclusive attention it has received has enabled it to become a potential tourist spot, having many things in common with Kashmir.Until 2005, Bhaderwah was like any other backward area of the State. But with Ghulam Nabi Azad taking over as the Chief Minister, its fate began to change. As Mr. Azad, who hails from the area, was elected for the first time to the Assembly from this segment with a record margin, a new path of development was opened.Since then, the region has also witnessed easing of communal tension. With the population equally divided between Muslims and the Hindus, Bhaderwah has always remained on the edge.“Azad Sahib’s coming to power gave a new direction to the town. As he consolidated politics and put it on development map, people’s attention was diverted” said Kabir Malik , a socail worker from the region.
The biggest boon to development has been in form of network of roads. Being a sub-division of the erstwhile Doda district, Bhaderwah too got a small share. Road connectivity was a dream of the people who live atop the hillocks in this picturesque area, also known as “Chota Kashmir” (little Kashmir), owing to its beauty.“But that seems to be a thing of the past now,” said young IAS officer Yasha Mudgal, who functions as Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Compared to just 6 per cent growth in road connectivity earlier, it is has touched 28 per cent, with many projects in the pipeline. Giving credit to Mr. Azad, she said, “When a personality hails from a place it certainly attracts attention. He was the Chief Minister and he had a soft corner for this place and genuinely so. The good thing is that the pace of development has not slackened after his exit.”During his tenure, Mr. Azad managed an allocation of over Rs. 30 crore for the area. “The biggest achievement is that a Rs. 72 crore road project from Bhaderwah to Chamba has been sanctioned. It will connect Jammu and Kashmir with Himachal Pradesh” Ms. Mudgal said.Bhaderwah is also getting a facelift as a tourist destination. A fabulous Tourist Reception Centre, along with other facilities, has added to its advantages. The government has also announced special packages for those investing in tourism by way of granting tax rebate for constructing hotels and guest houses. “There are many takers for it,” Raashid Ahmad, a local businessman, said.The Bhaderwah Development Authority (BDA) is a new entity created during Mr. Azad’s tenure. It received Rs. 6 crore for creating tourism infrastructure. “We tried to create infrastructure to make it a place of tourism,” recalls its former CEO, Kalyain Singh Parihar . He is hailed in Bhaderwah as its modern architect.The BDA has revived the Bhaderwah Fort, built by erstwhile Dogra Ruler. It later converted into a sub-jail, besides developing the Ghata Fish Pond. On Mr. Azad’s direction the sub-jail was closed and the fort is being developed as a heritage site.With a population of nearly 75,000, law and order has always been a challenge as the place was communally divided. However, over the past few years, there have been signs of improvement. “They have shown maturity and even during the recent unrest in the Valley and after the Ayodhya verdict, everything went off well,” said Parihar .The Anjuman-e-Islam and the Sanathan Dharam Sabha are two important bodies. This time, both showed restraint. There were only occasional demonstrations and shutdowns in support of the Valley’s “azadi” movement. “Situation on that front is different now. Communities have developed a greater understanding,” said 83-year-old Abdul Hai Khateeb, head of the Anjuman-e-Islam.That is perhaps the secret behind the success of a “new Bhaderwah.”