Jammu (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir administration is making efforts to bring the newly-formed Union Territory on the international tourist pilgrimage map, as the region is replete with historical religious sites of immense importance.
Speaking during a visit to the Buddhist site at Ambaran in the Akhnoor area of the Jammu district today, Advisor to the Lt Governor, K K Sharma said that J&K has innumerable pre-historic and historic sites which need to be preserved.
“All information about their importance and relevance be propagated to the people within the state and in different parts of the country,” he added.
The Advisor said that the site is of immense importance and people need to be made aware about it so that the people, researchers and archaeologists from different parts of the globe can come and get benefitted from the wide range of artifacts excavated from it.
He also directed the officers to ensure proper road connectivity to the site by undertaking the requisite developmental works, besides the required conservation measures in and around site.
He instructed the tourism department for undertaking concrete measures for creating more awareness about the relevance of the historical site by suitable campaigns.
Notably, the site date back to the Kushana period and is of pivotal importance viz-a-viz the artifacts and terracotta of figurines excavated from the site which are presently in different museums all over the world.
The conservation work was undertaken by ASI in 2004 and is still on. The site has also been visited by the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama and several other top Buddhist scholars from different parts of the world.
KK Sharma later visited the historical “Har Ki Poudi” on the banks of the river Chenab and directed undertaking the requisite developmental works on it.
He said, “These type of sites or areas are a part of our historical legacy and we should collectively work for preserving them besides creating the requisite awareness among the posterity about our historical and cultural icons”.
He was accompanied by renowned Buddhist scholar Dhammadipa, Director Tourism, Jammu Deepika Sharma, Managing Director JKTDC Asgar Hussain and Assistant Archaeologist Sonam of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other senior officers of administration.
