People And Their Problems
New Delhi, 20 July 2007
Destination Mountains
NEED TO PRESERVE LEGACY
& SERENITY
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
Mountains, as the famous poet John Keats realised during his
walking tour of Wordworthian Lake District, can make people feel big and big
people small. The sublime can terrorise, chastise or humiliate but it can also
elevate, aggrandize or transfigure. The call of the mountains is indeed
fascinating. All round the year, barring a month or two, the mountains become a
place of tourist attraction because of their favourable climate and the
pollution-free atmosphere. Factors such as the panoramic scenic beauty of the
valleys and ecology of these regions have always attracted people, both Indian
and foreign, to visit the mountains.
In India,
hill stations are popular tourist destinations. Whether it is the beautiful
lakes of Srinagar
or of Nainital, the royal elegance and idyllic retreat of Shimla, the imposing
Kanchenjunga of Darjeeling or the high snow-clad mountains overlooking Manali –
all present a distinct manifestation of grace and leisure as its hallmarks.
Mention may also be made of Mussourie,
Shillong, Mt. Abu, Ooty and, of course,
Kedarnath-Badrinath. Their beauty and charm, the layers of time, the histories
within history and the cohabitation of the banal and the sublime, the people
and the peaks are indeed significant.
These places no doubt compare with the best tourist
attractions anywhere in the world. A fact reiterated even by foreign tourists
and travelers, who are increasingly coming to discover the hidden beauty of
nature this country has to offer. Also the unity among diversity of the
mountains in Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Uttaranchal or West
Bengal as is evident from their distinct folk cultures could be an
example for others to emulate.
In recent times, the hills have assumed great importance not
because of tourism alone but for varied reasons. Environment has become a
subject of great concern the world over and experts are involved in extensive
research in its preservation. There is need to protect the hills along with
forests, lakes and rivers in the mountainous terrains to maintain ecological
balance. This aspect has caught the attention of respective State governments but
more positive action needs to be taken.
Delving into history, the 18th century India saw the
growth of a new urban concept – the ‘hill station’. Initially built by the
British rulers, these towns grew to become retreats from the heat and dust of
the plains. But it was Shimla, the most significant of all hill stations which
was made the ‘summer capital’ of British India in 1864, a status it retained up
to Independence.
In 1822, the first European house called ‘Kennedy House’ was
built in Shimla to become the residence of Charles Pratt Kennedy, newly-appointed
Political Officer of the Hill States. In 1827, the station was visited by Lord
Ahmerst, British Governor General of India. Realising the importance of
the hills, the British took keen interest to develop these places. Shimla
received focal attention and witnessed
the fastest development of buildings. Even today some of the finest structures
of the British colonial genre still stand over its seven hills.
Though the British chose Shimla as their summer capital, Darjeeling was a
favourite tourist destination for them. They developed tea plantations on a
large scale and built the necessary
infrastructure. The British legacy, specially the tea plantations, is very much
evident today in this district of West Bengal. Referred to as the “queen of
hills”, Darjeeling offers tourists a view of the
Kanchenjunga, highest peak visible from India.
Besides, Darjeeling
tea is extremely popular in the West as a pure drink with medicinal properties
and recent initiatives to promote tea tourism have gained momentum. Some tea
gardens have been identified where tourists would be allowed to stay in the
colonial bungalows of the tea garden managers.
Srinagar, considered the Switzerland of
India, where till the 80s most Indian films were shot, is undoubtedly a place
of great attraction. Gulmarg, Sonemarg and, of course, Pahalgam are again gradually
becoming favoured tourist destinations thanks to the reduction in terrorist
activities as a sequel to better Indo-Pak relations.
However, even as there is an all-out effort to promote
eco-tourism, the increasing flow of tourists to these hills has started causing
problems. Congestion, water shortage, power breakdowns and water pollution are
common issues other than the serenity and peace of the area getting disturbed. There
is a need now to popularize new hill stations and the State governments must
start acting. Tamang or Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh, Munnar in Tamil Nadu or
Palampur or Keylong in Himachal Pradesh, to name only a few, need to be put on
the tourist map.
There is no denying the fact that the call of the mountains
is irresistible. From the challenge of scaling a peak to a wish to climb even a
modest spur, or for some to see a mountain is to climb it is there. Treks ranging
from a day to a week are popular from some of the tourist destinations. Mention
may be made of the famous Amarrnath yatra which goes via Pahalgam or regular
treks undertaken from Darjeeling.
River rafting, ice skating and skiing are some of the
popular sporting events which have further added an attraction to some hill
stations. White water rafting facilities are available near Kullu, Rohtang Pass
and Solang Nullah offer a variety of slopes for skiers, other than Gulmarg and
Auli.
In the coming years, ecotourism, adventure tourism, hill
tourism, spiritual and religious tourism, all of which lie embedded in the
hills and mountains is bound to become more popular in the country. However,
efforts should be made so that these places are projected historically and
aesthetically through a definite plan and programme.
The State governments need to formulate a policy for
maintaining the sanctity and serenity of the hills to tackle tourist rush in
peak season. Other than this, attempts should be made to revive folk culture, encourage
and popularise folk artists to display their art through organizing festivals. Hill
stations should have both tourism and preservation going hand in hand.--- INFA
(Copyright,
India News & Feature Alliance)
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