Kangra as tourism capital a distant dream

Himachal Pradesh is home to some of the most iconic monuments of North India but the Kangra valley’s historic jewels — the Kangra Fort and Masroor Rock-Cut Temple — are suffering from glaring neglect and administrative apathy. These two architectural marvels regularly show up on travel searches for Kangra, yet the ground reality tells a different story.

Roads leading to both sites are riddled with potholes, lack proper signage and are largely ignored by the tourism and Public Works Department (PWD) authorities. Travellers from across India and abroad, hoping to immerse themselves in Kangra’s cultural heritage, often feel frustrated by the dismal approach of the authorities concerned and the lack of hospitality.

Rohil Samuel, an ardent bicyclist who dominates social media with beautiful videos of this particular region, says, “To make matters worse, entry into the Kangra Fort is through online registration via the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) portal. Tourists, particularly in groups, must input details and complete know your customer (KYC) formalities for each member, a process that takes 30 to 40 minutes or more.” The portal frequently malfunctions and in areas like Masroor, poor Internet connectivity renders digital registration nearly impossible.

Foreign tourists, many of whom face language barriers and do not have local SIM cards, also find the registration process daunting. On weekends and holidays — peak tourist times — no ASI official is present there to assist. A lone, often unhelpful, security guard manages the tourist influx.

The irony deepens with India’s tourism slogan, “Atithi Devo Bhava”, which welcomes guests as gods, yet foreigners are charged double the entry fee. Many find this discriminatory and unwelcoming.

Basic amenities are shockingly absent. There is no medical help, even amidst frequent monkey and stray dog threats. There is no guide available to make the tourists aware of these world-renowned architectural marvels. If Kangra dreams of becoming Himachal’s tourism capital, serious reforms are urgently needed.