Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Nov 19: Kathua residents demanded constitution of Mahanaal Shrine Board so that entire Lord Shiva’s Mahanaal site -a tourism destination place in Kathua district can be promoted for pilgrimage tourism .
Mahanaal holy caves located at Kathua district are associated with Lord Shiva and resemble Shri Amarnath Ji’s cave in appearance and hence has religious importance. The natural beauty of Mahanaal Shiv caves is worth mentioning as it bestows peace of mind to the devotees, pilgrims and onlookers. The followers of Lord Shiva’s Mahanaal have sought that entire Mahanaal site to be promoted as tourism destination place under the supervision of Mahanaal Shrine Board constituted by UT of J&K or Central Government.
The local residents of Kathua district have made an appeal to Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in PMO and Girish Chandra Murmu, Lieutenant-Governor of Jammu & Kashmir UT to intervene in the matter of neglected Mahanaal Shiv Caves in Kathua district and ensure that administration of J&K Government must take appropriate steps towards bringing the Mahanaal Shiv Caves on the tourist map of India and efforts should be made to promote educational tour and picnics at the site falling in Kathua district. The Lakhanpur Sarthal Development Authority (LSDA) and the Working Committee members of Mahanaal Shiv Caves have also completely failed to create basic infrastructure at the religious place during the last one decade, they added.
More than 50,000 devotees on New Year day and nearly 1,00,000 (one lakh) devotees on Mahashivratri visit the religious place of Lord Shiva’s Mahanaal site from all over the districts of Jammu, Samba & Kathua and pilgrims from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab States. Heavy rush of visitors were also seen in the holy month of Shravan’s, Nagpachmi day and festival occasions. It is not comprehensible as to why the administration of J&K State is not interested to promote the Mahanaal Shiv Caves at par with national and international level when thousands and lakhs of devotees visit this place every year on 1st January and Mahashivratri festival and even in the holy month of Shravan or on the occasion of other festivals throughout the year. But the fact is that district administration is not serious to look on this very important part for the betterment and development of Mahanaal Shiv Caves.
There is another cave opposite to the cave of Lord Shiva which has nine series of temples of Goddess Mahashakti Maa Vaishnavi.
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