Jasrota Fort Needs Restoration

Heritage vandalisation has become the norm with zero or no knowledge when it comes to the restoration of the heritage structures that need a completely professional approach. Kathua district of Jammu region in Jammu Kashmir has three major forts that define the socio-cultural evolution of Jammu as the centre of strategic governance. These are Lakhanpur Fort, Hira Nagar Fort and Jasrota Fort. Jasrota Fort located in South-Eastern Jammu amid the Ravi and Ujh rivers. This fort houses temples and buildings of heritage value that speak about its civilizational importance. It houses the temple of Baba Dehra, the Kul Devta of Jasrotia clan. He is not only venerated by the Jasrotia clan but other sections of the society as well. While climbing the fort and walking upwards on trail, there is a singular temple that is of ancient origin. It must have housed the idol of a deity that is missing from the platform. The outer walls of the temple have frescos and miniature paintings but these are partially visible.as these have been scratched and defaced. The leftover paintings have been whitewashed. This is a clear act of vandalisation in the name of unsympathetic restoration, destroying its heritage character by involving the agencies that have no sensitisation and internalisation of the heritage value of the temple and its heritage character. The miniature paintings when analysed carefully, though these have almost been whitewashed reveal that they depict the scenes of war from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata period. War heroes and the deities can be clearly seen in action. It would have made a fascinating study into the Jammu’s ancient past if these miniatures would have been intact. While walking up inside the fort one can easily witness the old walls and rooms completely destroyed as bricks of past period along with the surkhi and chuna are lying everywhere covered with the wild plantations. What adds to the confusion is the designation of wildlife sanctuary being given to the same fort. One can easily see the forest plantation but no signs of wildlife in a professional sense. This is vividly a cause of misplaced priorities and lack of policy formulation in haste. Even if there was any intention to develop wildlife then it could have been better to evolve that aesthetics. Vandalised fort and two defaced temples restored with incompatible material must not only the heritage lovers and heritage professionals but make the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory government ponder over this desecration. Jasrota Fort needs comprehensive restoration policy so that it is saved from the complete vandalisation and the use of incompatible material and its unsympathetic use is stopped. It needs to be restored to a certain time frame. The policy makers must evolve an interdisciplinary approach so that experts from various fields ranging from heritage to tourism are asked to join hands. Not only that, all the stakeholders must be involved in its restoration. Its history and place consciousness must be situated and people made aware of its importance in terms of their identity. Universities have an added responsibility in such issues of historical import. Kathua Campus of the University of Jammu is an evolving campus. It must chip in to sensitise the local community about its heritage value and also prepare a blueprint to restore the Jasrota Fort. The NEP formulation that is being made applicable to the curriculum must be kept in mind and students under the guidance of expert teachers must be sensitised about the importance of forts like Jasrota. It will go a long way in capacity building by involving the young minds in this movement to safeguard the heritage in Jammu and Kashmir.