SRINAGAR: The authorities in Jammu’s Reasi district have asked the Tourism Departmetnt to plan and prepare for yet another Hindu pilgrimage, this time a six-Day event at Kousar Nag, a 2000 Square meter blue water spring at Aharbal, in South Kashmir.
The yatra will officially commence on July 28 and the devotees would possibly be “diverted” from the Katra’s Vaishnowdevi to Kousar Nag, a 2000
All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee, a group of migrant pandits, had earlier announced its Yatra calendar for the year 2015 in which the historic Kousar Naag (Kramsar-Vishnupaad) yatra was termed as the “most important religious duty.” But, perhaps buoyed by the BJP’s rise to power, the district administration has decided to conduct the yatra this year. The yatra which is also going on from Jammu side for the last four years is now being organized from July 30 and the pilgrims from both sides will meet at Kousar Nag on Naag Panchami.
Several pandit groups have come together to push for the Gangbal and Kousar Nag pilgrimages.
Additional DDC Reasi Rajinder Singh Tara said they may consider even introducing chopper service. The government is placing six teams of doctors with medicines and oxygen to help Yatris.
Sources said that army is chipping in with creating tented accommodation throughout the route. Harshu in Mahore is the base camp and the Yatra will pass through Salal, Arnas, Dharmari, Mahore, Chasana and Sungri areas of Reasi district to reach Kounsar Nag in Shopian.
They added that the puja will commence on July 30, the day of Nag Panchami. Tara has told the state tourism department to chalk out a comprehensive strategy to popularise the spot by erecting hoardings at prominent locations, so that pilgrims after visiting the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi here could be diverted to such locations.
Kousar Nag is one of the highest altitude springs of Kashmir situated on a cliff some 30 kilometres from Aharbal. The spring shimmers with fresh, crystal clear glacial waters. Kouser Nag covers an area of five kilometers in length and two and a half kilometres of scintillating water expanse in breadth, covered almost entirely by mountains on its periphery.
The 30-kilometre terrain from Aharbal to Kousar Nag is a trekkers delight. The trail follows ancient routes, trodden for centuries by gujjar and bakarwaal nomads. Leaving behind the alpine grandeur of Aharbal, the track passes through Kungewattan, the overnight camping spot. Kungewattan encompasses a series of plain landmass, suited for the production of medicinal plants and agricultural purpose.
Kausar Nag is appropriately 145 kilometres from summer capital Srinagar and is situated at a height of 12,140 feet above sea level. Kausar Nag Lake is 2 kilometres in area, surrounded by snow capped mountains and fresh blue waters. It takes two days by foot to reach Kausar Nag from the base Aharbal.
Experts are of the opinion that a pilgrimage to Kousar Nag can damage the natural beauty of the area and ecological balance. It can also pollute a huge water body as well.
Meanwhile Hurriyat leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan Monday said, “giving tourism a religious colour was aimed at grabbing the lands in Kashmir so that Kashmiri Muslims were evicted from their motherland as Israel did with Palestinians.”
“The occupation forces are busy in grabbing our lands since decades together and now in order to give it a pace, Indian political leadership has taken the religious route. India is exploiting Hinduism to provoke its citizens to swallow Kashmir, Khan said in a statement.
If Muslims talk of their faith they are being named as religious extremists but India is shamelessly using Hindu religion against Kashmiris and it announces so called Yatras only to grab more and more Kashmiri land and Hinduise our Kashmir, Khan said.
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