Opinion | Beyond Known Destinations: Exploring Anantnag’s Emerging Tourist Destinations

Beyond the well-known tourist places, there is an aspect of Anantnag that has started giving the tourists a chance to explore the hidden beauty of nature, heritage and culture that the area holds.

Tourism in Anantnag has always revolved around certain popular places that have been known for ages. Pahalgam is a favorite among the tourists all through the year. The Amarnath Yatra is one pilgrimage destination that sees thousands of devotees visit every summer season. Places like Verinag, Kokernag and Achabal have remained very popular. But there is another aspect of Anantnag which needs to be explored too..

In the past few years, tourists are increasingly looking for places which are more than crowded view points and marketplaces. They prefer going to silent forests, unexplored meadows, villages, mountain lakes, and locations where age-old traditions still persist. This has brought into focus several new destinations in the district. Even though these locations were always well-known to people living in the vicinity, it is only recently that they have started getting recognition owing to social networking sites and trekkers.

One such location which is becoming increasingly popular is Sinthan Top, situated on the Anantnag Kishtwar road. Being over 12,000 feet above sea level, the pass offers panoramic views of mountains, the alpine terrain, and changing weather conditions, which can alter the entire landscape within moments. The lush green mountains can be seen in summer, whereas in winters the entire area is blanketed with snow. The road, although it was always used as a pass to connect Kashmir with the Chenab Valley region, is now slowly becoming popular among photographers, road trippers, and adventure tourists.

Close to the popular circuits is Daksum, an area which many Kashmiris consider as being one of the most serene forest destinations within the valley. The dense pine forests, running streams, and wide meadows make this region unique from the rest of the tourist hot spots. The journey itself becomes the major attraction as the trip takes you through dense forests and later opens out to wide and breathtaking mountains. Daksum is also the point of departure for treks up to high lakes and meadows.

Another destination that is becoming increasingly popular is Margan Top which is the connecting point between the parts of South Kashmir and the Warwan Valley. The roads take you through alpine meadows, rocky mountains, and streams. During the summer months, travelers often make stops along the way to view the breathtaking panoramas that are seen from afar mountain ranges. This road is weather dependent and may be accessible only in certain years..

The increasing popularity of the district is not limited to the alpine lake alone but also applies to several other lakes that lie unspoiled in comparison to Kashmir’s more famous lakes. Both Tarsar and Marsar are two of such lakes and attract numerous groups of trekkers to their shores from various parts of the country. It takes days of rigorous trekking across dense forests, rivers, and high altitude meadows to reach both the lakes, but trekkers often find this adventure one of the most enriching experiences in the Himalayas due to the clear waters, ever-changing sky, and lack of any urbanization.

Another place within the Kokernag belt that has begun drawing increasing number of tourists is Ahlan Valley. The valley is characterized by rolling meadows, fresh water streams, and dense forests that have largely remained untouched. Traditionally, the pastures in this valley were used by local communities for their grazing purposes, and now tourists too visit the region to experience Kashmir beyond its urban centers.

Most of such tourist destinations have one thing in common. They still rely greatly on the local community. Local guest houses, home stays, local guides, transport operators, and local markets contribute to the overall visitor experience. Unlike big and commercialized tourism centers, here visitors get the chance to interact directly with locals who increasingly derive benefits from responsible tourism. Tourism is considered an alternative source of income by many young people living in rural areas of Anantnag District.

The development of roads is another factor that played its role in changing the scenario. The better connectivity has shortened the travel duration to some distant places, enabling tourists to plan weekend trips. The development of digital platforms has led to a change in the manner in which destinations attract tourists. Sometimes just a picture or even a video about any destination gets viewed by thousands of people. Although the online popularity attracts tourists, it also stresses the importance of proper planning to prevent environmental damage.

The environmental issues are expected to continue being crucial for the future of these emerging destinations. It is especially true in regards to mountain environments that tend to be particularly susceptible to the negative impacts of the uncontrolled tourism. Plastic pollution, uncontrolled building, the pressure from motorized vehicles and careless camping have damaged many of the popular destinations throughout the Himalayan region. Anantnag still has a chance to avoid most of these problems through the sustainable tourism development.

As well as the environmental protection, the issue of the cultural preservation is of utmost importance for these emerging tourist destinations. Some of the villages are known for unique culture, local cuisine, handicrafts and other aspects of life. These elements should be maintained rather than replaced by the uniform commercial development associated with the growth of tourism in the region.

In fact, a number of less known spots have already been selected for promoting by the district administration as well as tourism authorities, although the rate of developing varies from spot to spot. There is a great deal of work to do to make infrastructure, including roads, sanitation, emergencies services, as well as visitor services more developed, since most of these destinations are not able to handle bigger crowds yet. Well thought-out planning is highly necessary.

It must be noted that Anantnag has never depended on only one sightseeing spot. It has rivers, forests, mountain passes, alpine lakes, gardens, villages and other sights which contribute greatly to the diversity of landscape in the limited area. The newly discovered spots that attract tourists do not compete with such traditional destinations as Pahalgam or Kokernag. On the contrary, they enrich the tourism potential of Anantnag since they provide visitors with the chance to explore some less crowded spots.

It seems that as the preferences of visitors are changing, Anantnag is ready to face this new situation. In fact, there are some natural attractions in the district that had existed for many years but did not fall into the category of tourism sights. However, their recent recognition provides the economic advantage for the local community as well as a chance for tourists to realize that there are still lots of undiscovered spots in Kashmir.

Writer is a Columnist and an author and can be mailed at mdmuslimbhat@gmail.com