About Swadesh Darshan 2.0
The Ministry of Tourism has revamped the scheme and launched Swadesh Darshan 2.0 with a holistic mission to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations across the country.
Based on the detailed review, the Ministry has revamped the scheme. With the mantra of ‘vocal for local’, the revamped scheme namely Swadesh Darshan 2.0 seeks to attain “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” by realizing India’s full potential as tourism destination. Swadesh Darshan 2.0 is a generational shift to evolve Swadesh Darshan Scheme as a holistic mission to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations covering tourism and allied infrastructure, tourism services, human capital development, destination management and promotion backed by policy and institutional reforms.
Kargil: Ladakh’s best kept secret
The name Kargil is believed to be derived from ‘Gar khil’, which means ‘meeting place’. Historically, Kargil was known as Purig and is the westernmost region of the vast Tibetan plateau. Some parts of Kargil are at relatively lower elevation and receive the moisture that manages to cross the mighty Himalayan mountain ranges that rings Ladakh in the west and south. These parts of Kargil are more productive for agriculture, vegetables, fruits and plants than other parts of Ladakh.
Reaching Kargil
The easiest way to reach Kargil is by road. The nearest airports are in Srinagar (204 km) and Leh (225 km), which are connected by commercial flights to Delhi and other cities in India. The drive from Leh to Kargil is scenic and travels along the historical route that was used to
travel between Kashmir and Ladakh. The daily Srinagar-Kargil bus service operates only in the summer, while the daily Leh-Kargil service operates throughout the year. Once Zoji-la is blocked by snow in the winter, Kargil can only be reached by road from Leh. Alternatively, there are several tr
ekking routes from Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Leh district to different parts of Kargil. Most of these routes can only be traversed in summer, while the famous Chadder trek (over the frozen Zangskar river) can only be used at the peak of winter.
There are regular bus services to most parts of Kargil district from Kargil town. However, the frequency of this service is infrequent for distant locations such as Padum—and in the case of Zangskar is subject to Penzi-la being open for vehicular traffic. The most convenient way of getting around Kargil district is by a hired taxi, who have a fixed rate for different routes. One can also bring their own private vehicle in the summer, when the mountain passes are open for traffic. However, driving on mountain roads requires special skill and awareness of driving etiquette. In this regard, hiring a taxi is a better option for commuting within the district and to areas outside.
NIDHI (https://nidhi.tourism.gov.in/)
NIDHI is an initiative towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat to use technology to empower businesses. NIDHI aspires to become a gateway to opportunities for the Hospitality & Tourism Industry. Stakeholders like Accommodation Units, Travel Agents, Tour Operators, Independent Restaurants etc. will be able to register their entities on this platform and avail electronic delivery of various services and benefits through a Unique NIDHI ID (NID) allocated to them.
NIDHI will also serve as a platform for the Hospitality organisations to ideate, share best practices and connect with the Government for ease of doing business.
