Sunday, February 26, 2012

UN team to visit Fazilka villages to look for tourism prospects

Mohar Jamsher, a village surrounded by Pakistan from three sides and by the Satluj river from the other, may soon have a reason to cheer. Till date, one could only reach the village — a victim of floods — via a boat. However, this could now become its USP.
A team from the United Nations World Trade Organisation (UNWTO) will soon visit the village on February 28 and 29 with an aim to promote rural tourism in Fazilka. As one can only reach the village via a boat, the tourism department is planning to encash on this feature to woo tourists.

The UN team, which will visit the village following a proposal sent by the Graduates Welfare Association of Fazilka (GWAF), will be headed by Sudhir Sahi — UNWTO consultant on rural tourism and UNWTO national coordinator Birg T P S Chowdhary, said Fazilka DC Dr Basant Garg.

The other villages which the team will visit included Maujam — a furniture hub. Asafwala village has also been chosen for its Aasafwala Shaheedon Ki Samadh — a sacred memorial set up in the memory of 1971 war martyrs.

Another area in the UN list is Sadiqi Border (Sulemanki Sector) — the last point on NH-10, which connects Fazilka and New Delhi. "This is the only border of India and Pakistan where people from both the countries can meet and greet each other after daily the retreat ceremony," said Garg.

Secretary (Admin) GWAF Navdeep Asija said: "The team will also visit Gulaba Bheni village where Peer Burji Wala Fair is celebrated. Near this village, there is the Majar of Peer Burji Wala. While half of the shrine is located in India, the remaining is in Pakistan. Devotees from both the countries visits the Majar without a visa."

The team will visit Rampura village, where Punjabi juttis are made and Khuian Sarwar in Abohar, famous for its pottery.

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