Need to harness tourism potential of Dehra, revival of local art a must: SDM

Advertisement

Dharamsala, February 21

Efforts are being made to harness the tourism potential of Kangra’s Dehra, most famous for its Radha-Krishna temple in Dada Siba and scores of monuments.

According to Shilpi Bekta, Dehra SDM, the area holds immense potential as a tourist destination.

Promoting culture that flourished in the past

The administration is on the lookout for the revival of Kangra miniatures at the places of its origin, ie Haripur and Guler. The Radha-Krishna temple in Dada Siba and scores of monuments will also serve as major attractions for tourists. Masrur monoliths of the Masrur Temple already have a considerable footfall. Dehra itself has so much to offer that it can become one complete tourist circuit. — Shilpi Bekta, SDM

Shilpi says the area is blessed with pristine beauty, especially the presence of the picturesque Pong Lake. “By creating wellness centres and Ayush villages, tourism can substantially grow in the region that is blessed with mixed forests having medicinal plants. Dehra itself has so much to offer that it can be one complete tourist circuit,” she says.

The SDM is well versed with local art and wants to become a hand-holder for its revival, and to promote culture that once flourished in the region.

She is working on a roadmap to encourage the participation of students of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh. The SDM says that the coming up of the Central university, with its visual arts students and faculty, can go a long way in reviving Kangra art in Haripur and Guler where these world-class paintings flourished in the beginning of the eighteenth century.

Shilpi has realised the inherent strength of sandstone monuments with frescos (wall paintings) dotting Haripur-Guler, Mangarh and Dada Siba, all in Dehra tehsil.

Speaking with The Tribune, she said, “The administration is on the lookout for the revival of Kangra miniatures at the places of its origin i.e Haripur and Guler. The Radha-Krishna temple in Dada Siba and scores of monuments will also serve as major attractions for tourists. Masrur monoliths of the Masrur Temple are already having a considerable footfall.”

The Swadesh Darshan, a Central Government initiative, will also be helpful in taking care of the restoration and revival effort of the state.

The SDM is optimistic that organisations like the Indian National Trust for Art Cultural Heritage (INTACH) can also be consulted for making Dehra a world heritage site. She also spoke about introducing an event that could be celebrated on the banks of the Beas, paying tribute to the river which has been an epitome of world class art, literature and culture.