Srinagar, Feb 07: In the Rafiabad Hills of the Baramulla district of north Kashmir, MundDaji is a charming village and off-the-beaten-path tourist destination situated in the shadow of mountains and surrounded by lush green meadows.
A snow festival was held there by the district administration of Baramulla last month in an effort to promote tourism at the new leisure tourist attraction.
Faheem Mir, a resident of Rafiabad said MundDaji is the first step and there are many more unexplored places that have the potential to attract tourists.
“The surrounding places include KafarNar, Kat Behak, Vithakri, Nurzun Top, Pur Daji Waterfall on HamalNallah, Satsaryan (a nallah having seven springs) and there are also some of the best trekking spots,” he said.
MundDaji has enough green and wide pastures that attract tourist not only to spend their days but once a tourist goes there they don’t want to come back.
“There are so many freshwater bodies at the place. There is also a green forest park that is also a favourite place for students. If it is developed further it will not only attract tourist but also become a reason of economic upliftment for locals,” he said.
Mir said it is best leisure spot and has the potential to attract national and international tourists who are often in search of undiscovered and lesser known places.
MundDaji is said to be a combination of Gulmarg and Pahalgam as it not only has lush green meadows but beautiful water streams that add to charm of the place. It is often visited by people of adjoining places like Baramulla, Handwara and Sopore.
AbassHamzah, a resident of Watergam who has visited the place more than twenty times said besides natural beauty the place is best for trekkers.
“We need to explore and promote unconventional and lesser-known areas such as MundDaji as picnic spots. Its promotion will lead to the development of the surrounding areas and can provide livelihood opportunities for people. It will also lessen the burden on already famous picnic spots of the valley,” he said.
The residents who reside nearby MundDaji have appreciated and thanked the government move for exploring the tourist destination.
“It is a happy moment for us as the area witnessed a snow festival which is first of its kind so far. It will now connect more tourists. We expect that in the coming season it will see huge rush of tourists,” Abass said.
Notably, MundDaji is one of the 75 new tourist destinations that have been identified by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department.
Assistant Director Tourism Baramulla, Javeed-Ur-Rehman said MundDaji has been listed as an off-beat tourist destination and it is an emerging tourist destination.
To push tourism at the tourist spot and its adjoining areas, the tourism department is in process of establishing homestay facilities at the spot to facilitate the visitors.
“Publicity is our priority. We are registering people to establish homestays until infrastructure development is started. We have registered many people for the homestays and it will be a game-changer for tourism and local economy,” he said.
“There is a cafeteria built by the department. There are good trekking places that people can visit in summer. It can become a halting-place,” the AD said.
“It has potential for summer tourism. It is the best place for summer. Apart from leisure nowadays people prefer trekking as part of adventure tourism,” he said.
