Amarnath land row foils plan to develop Sutta Haran in Jammu & Kashmir into a tourist spot
Amarnath land row foils plan to develop Sutta Haran in Jammu & Kashmir into a tourist spot
SRINAGAR: The recent Amarnath land row put paid to the Kashmir administration’s efforts to convert Sutta Haran into a tourist spot.
Legend has it that Sita crossed the Lakshman Rekha in the nondescript hamlet at the foothills of Pir Panjal and was abducted by demon king Ravana, while she was in exile for 14 years with Ram and Lakshman.
The Budgam district authorities were very keen to develop the site for pilgrims and have even set aside funds for the purpose. A better road link, uninterrupted electricity and other facilities have also been planned, but the Amarnath land row shelved the project.
The rundown, sparsely populated village has a small pond, Sita Nag. Villagers also point to Pari Zampan, caves perched atop a hill where they say Ram lived with his family. The caves bear striking resemblance to the Pandawa-era monuments widely found in Kashmir.
“It is a historical place. During my time we had prepared a project report to develop it as a tourism spot. However, since the government did not last, we do not know what was the follow-up action,” Hakeem Mohammad Yasin, former minister of transport and revenue who represented the Khan Sahib constituency, said.
Locals say Sita Nag is the main source of drinking water for the entire area. The authorities have fenced and laid pipes to route the water to the adjacent villages.
“Legend has it that Sita would come down from the hills to fetch water from the nag. Sometimes Ram would through a rock into the pond to call her attention,” a local said.
About Pari Zampan, the villagers say it is an intricate maze of caves with a sliding door made of chiselled rock. “Not many have gone inside these caves. It is a bit scary,” another resident said.
Historians, however, say there is no evidence to back the claim that Sita was abducted from this village. “It is a myth, nothing else,” Fida Mohammad Hasnain said.
The village also has a shrine of revered Sufi saint Sheikh-ul-Alam Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani.
h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net 
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