A unique sports zone has been created with the help of Army near Sadhna Pass to attract skiers and adventure sports lover in this remote area near Line of Control in North Kashmir.
The Commander, Shakti Vijay Brigade, Brigadier S P Consul inaugurated the skiing and adventure sports node at Zarla close to Sadhna pass.
Addressing the gathering at Zarla, Brigadier S P Consul said the node has been conceptualized and brought into effect by the Shakti Vijay Brigade of the Army with an aim to promote tourism and adventure sports in the remote area of Karnah.
The inauguration of this node has brought Karnah on the sports and tourism map of the country.
"Feasibility trials of skiing in the area were carried out on March 1 in 2021 by a team of experts invited from Gulmarg by the Army and Captain Iliyas Muhammad (retired), a renowned mountaineering and ski expert from Tangdhar," he said.
Arif Khan, the renowned ski player who represented India in the recently conducted Beijing Winter Olympics played a key role in identifying the node.
Sunday saw scores of skiers showcasing their skiing skills during the inauguration event including a few from Gulmarg.
The Adventure Sports Node will focus on the promotion of adventure sports like skiing, mountain terrain biking, trekking, and car/jeep/bike rallies, added the statement.
Tangdhar has received a lot of attention from cars, jeeps, and bike riders with Tithwal becoming a centre of a tourist attraction with the last one by 'Valley Wonderers' carried out yesterday.
The Brigadier said that plans are afoot to combine adventure tourism and sightseeing with cultural tourism so that rich Pahari and Gojri culture is made more popular.
“With the upcoming Sadhna tunnel and double lane roads from Baramula to Karnah, the reach of tourists to Tangdhar will increase thus resulting in the upliftment of the local economy,” he said.
The Brigadier said Karnah is soon going to become a popular destination with the reconstruction of historic Sharda Mutt Temple and Gurudwara at Teetwal, located close to the Line of Control (LOC).