News Analysis India

Tag: jhelum river

  • 1200-year-old sculpture of Goddess Durga recovered by J-K Budgam police

    By ANI

    SRINAGAR: An approximately 1200-years-old sculpture of Goddess Durga was found from river Jhelum at Pandrethan, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, by a labourer who was extracting sand from the river in August.

    The labourer, who retrieved the sculpture, was trying to sell the historical sculpture, but due to the timely intervention of the Budgam police, it was recovered and handed over to the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, Jammu and Kashmir Government.

    Depicting the history of the Kashmir valley are its temples, shrines and mosques. The 1200-year-old sculpture also depicts its rich past.

    Carved in black stone, the 6″x 08″ sized sculpture is of the Hindu Goddess seated on a throne along with four attendants.

    Mushtaq Ahmad Beigh, the Deputy Director of the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums said, “During examination by experts it was revealed that the sculpture of Goddess Durga dates back roughly to 7th-8th AD (about 1200 years old).”

    Giving details of the sculpture, Beigh said, “The two armed Goddess Durga sculpture has two pillars on the back and a lotus and chakra in her hand. The goddess, in the sculpture, is wearing a necklace and crown. The object material of the sculpture is a black stone, which is locally available in Kashmir.”

    He further said that stone carving in the valley is an ancient art that has been kept alive by the people here.

    “The sculpture is very precious and will be placed at the SPS Museum after completion of legal formalities,” Beigh added.

    Javaid Ahmad, an employee said, “Preserving such pieces of historical importance help us understand the craft of older time and are a reminder of the glorious past of the valley.” 

  • Bus-boat service on Jhelum to revive water tourism

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: Authorities in the Jammu and Kashmir government are set to launch a luxury bus-boat service on river Jhelum to revive water transport in Srinagar and attract more tourists. The trial run of the bus-boat was conducted successfully by a private company called Sukhnag Enterprises under the supervision of marine engineers on Thursday.

    Director of Sukhnag, Imran Malik told this daily that the specially designed boat has been procured from a European country and fulfils all the security and safety criteria. “It has a carrying capacity of 35 seats — 30 passengers and five crew members.

    Of crew members, one will be operator and four will be rescuers,” he said. Imran said all passengers boarding the bus-boat will be given life jackets and will have to wear it during the journey. “Life jackets will be available on every seat and after boarding, passengers will have to necessarily wear them.” The government has decided tht the route will be from Pantha- Chowk (south of Srinagar) to Veer Chattabal in downtown Srinagar.

    The bus-boat will stop at seven points — Pantha Chowk, Rajbagh, Peerzo, Polo View, Amira Kadal, Khankahi Moula and Veer Chattabal. The luxury bus-boat is equipped with an air-conditioner and an LCD television. Imran said it will cover 16 kms in 40 minutes. According to him, roads are already congested and need maintenance. Water transport will help in easing the hardship commuters face.

    Sukhnag will hand over the fleet of five boats including one bus-boat, two 20-seater taxi boats, one leisure boat and one rescue boat to the Tourism Department. The department will operate the boats to revive water transport in Srinagar. “The formal launch of the luxury boat-bus will be decided by the Tourism department,” Imran said. Operator and the marine engineers of the company would train government personnel. The seven-day training programme for government personnel will start from Saturday, officials informed.