As the entire nation reels in the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate the glorious 75 years of India’s Independence. Jashn-e-Azadi is being organised by the Army for the Awam of Gurez to celebrate the illustrious occasion with élan and pride.
As part of the drive inaugurated by the honorable Prime Minister of India to commemorate the glorious occasion of 75 years of India’s Independence, Jashn-e-Azadi, a week long festival is being organised by the Army from 09 to 15 August 2021 in Gurez to strengthen the nationalistic fervor of the Awam, promote the rich and varied cultural heritage of Gurez and to attract more tourists to the scenic Gurez valley. The festival also aims at catalyzing the socio-economic development of Gurez by skilling and guiding the local youth of the valley in order to provide them with avenues of self-employment through the blossoming tourism industry of Gurez.
One such initiative to boost the tourism and skill the local youth is the Jashn-e-Azadi trek which is being organised by the Indian Army and Boots and Crampons, an international award winning trekking company, with accolades of having successfully summited seven peaks across five continents, apart from numerous other prominent treks in India. The Jashn-e-Azadi trek aims at exploring the unexplored Patalwan Alpine lakes, which is one amongst the many other unexplored treks of Gurez. A team of 27 trekkers from different part of the country along with 10 local trekkers were flagged off today from the Jashn-e-Gurez campsite in Dawar by Tehsildar Gurez, Mr. Tariq Ahmed Bhat and an officer from the Indian Army who presented the team leader with a tricolor which would be established at the Alpine lake for the First time in history.
The enthusiastic trekkers plan to summit on 11 August 2021 and spend a night in the pristine environment of the Patalwan Lake before finishing their trek at Dawar on 13 August 2021. The participants and the local trekkers accompanying the expedition will be provided participation and ‘on the job training’ certification by ‘Boots and Crampons’ and the Indian Army, which will further aid and assist them to pursue the sport or take it up as a profession to earn their livelihood. These small initiatives by the Army and the District Administration will put Gurez on the tourism world map and connect the remote valley with the main land and also align Gurez with the national aim of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative being carried out in different parts of the country.