Cultural Significances and Economic Prospective of Ondra Fort in Gulmit Gojal (Part 4)

Significance of Ondra Fort in the contemporary period

Manifestation of historical Forts are generally considered to be living monuments and reflect of history and culture of the areas they are situated in.

These monuments reflect through their architectural features, size, and internal structure, life style, economic prosperity condition, artistic skills and defense mechanism of the people of that era.

Historical forts are recognized as archaeological heritage, which influences inhabitants of the surrounding localities in a diverse manner.

Promotion of Cultural Heritages

There are few cultural sites in Gulmit, which are in plight condition; these historical sites need people’s attention as quick as possible.

Heritages are pride of nations, which helps people to find their roots in the past, which gives the evidence of their past and helps to elaborate their life style, which they had.

This fort will not only serve as a tool to propagate the cultural and historical heritage of the area. It will also be helpful in boosting up self-esteem and cultural pride of inhabitants, which inherits such historical monuments.

Ondra Fort will help to preserve other historical sites of the area, which have been ignored by the locals.

Cultural Sites in Gulmit

·               Old House of Khalifa Aliyar (near Polo Ground)

·               Shrine Khoja Mardi Wali (bottom of the Fort)

·               Gulmit Cultural Museum (near Polo Ground)

·               Flood-Escaped House in Dalgirum

·               Graveyard of Mir Saleem Khan III

·               Mir’s Palace (Near Polo Ground)

·               Shrine of Shohi Chirogh (Odver)

·               Ismaili Mosque (Scouts Office)

·               Suspension Bridge Gulmit

Promotion of Craftsmanship Tradition

Restoration of Ondra Fort will be as an opportunity for training young preservationists from Gojal or any part of Pakistan. Architects, engineers, and local artisans will be promoting through on-site training sessions, supplemented by seminars, workshops, and special training courses within and outside the country.

Artisanship

 Restoration of Ondra Fort will be a catalyst for positive changes and revitalization of artisanship in Gojal valley.

Micro and macro level of partnership will help to provide income-generating opportunities for local artisans through promotion of the traditional handicrafts of the region.

Woodcarving tradition has a long history in Gulmit and Gojal, which is dying as it’s slowly replaced by the introduction of concrete, aluminum, steel and glass.

Restoration of the Fort will provide an opportunity to revive the woodcarving tradition through skill enhancement and training programs. This will inspire a glitch of change, in traditional building techniques and skills, which are now in high demand.

In addition, rapid and unplanned urbanization will be controllable through modern construction techniques along with traditional style.

Promotion of unique cultural tradition and language

Many activities has been carried out by local organizations and few individuals to conserve and promote the unique cultural tradition, some steps has been taken to protect the endangered language by promoting folk music using modern instrument.

Restoration of this Fort will further energize these activities, as visitors will be taking interest in music, and other traditions of the area.

Economic Significance

Transportation

The Fort will materialize the reason for transport service improvisation of the area specifically and Gojal valley in general, because some new transport service companies will step up to provide their services in the area.

General standard of locally available transport are poor and risky which is a big reason for tourist inflow.

Hotel Industry

Hotel industry throughout the Gilgit-Baltistan and particularly in the Gulmit Gojal will be a source to earn their bread for many people.

Most of the hotels managed by inexperienced local owners, who has not formal education or training in hospitality sector, and employees of these hotels are unskilled and have little work experience.

It will create competitive environment among the hotel owners, which will enhance the services to the tourists.

Promotion of Local goods

It will give an exposure to the international market, which ranges from food items to handicrafts, local handmade Carpets, traditional caps, wool sweaters, and antiques, which subsequently help in promotion of local cottage industry.

Retail Traders

It’s obvious that tourists love to buy souvenirs from the local shops whether it is purchasing of Gems, Picture Postcard, local embroidery, carpets, caps, shirts, dry fruits and other different kinds of antiques from the local retail shops, which help to boost the local economy.

Significance in Tourism sector

Due to their historical importance, this Fort can attract thousands of visitors from within and outside of the country.

Promotion of Eco-Tourism

It will give a proper understanding of the term Eco-tourism to the local community. The locals are in a view that only nature based tourism is ecotourism; they are ignoring the social and environmental aspect of it. The reconstruction and renovation of the fort can play key role to promote ecotourism in the area to prevent from further harm.

Promotion of Trophy Hunting Sport

Trophy hunting is a form of sport hunting that has been practice as long as humans have hunted.

Trophy hunting usually involves a hunter seeking for hunt/trophy; the hunter has to pay before the hunt. This is in practice everywhere to reduce the illegal hunting and poaching.

 This Fort can a catalyst to promote trophy hunting which will help to earn reduce the illegal hunting and poaching further more through trophy hunting the local community will be able to earn handful amount of money in terms of

 Government License Fees

Community Trophy Fees

Auctions (Auctions usually raise the money when the hunt being offered is unique)

The practice will help to overcome the illegal hunting and will be useful too, to protect the endangered species.

Guiding and Porting

In guiding profession most of the locals are involved during tourist season, (normally they call it high season) because the locals can speak English, Urdu and some other European languages, they can communicate and exchange information easily.

Guiding is the most important field in tourism sector but ignored by the Government, the local community and the Non-governmental agencies.

This Fort possibly will provide opportunity to the locals to adopt guiding as profession and will increase the income level of those who are involved in it.

Portage is also an important part of tourism industry and source of income for many locals. Healthy tourism activities in the area will facilitate the local porters by giving earning opportunity and also awareness regarding using quality equipment for trekking and climbing to keep the safety measures.

 FINDINGS

Awareness about restoration of Ondra Fort and other cultural heritages has been augmented among the educated locals but it is still lacking among the general mass.

Therefore, demand for conservation and restoration of historically unique architectures have been increased significantly in the Gojal valley. Historical and traditional architectures have now regained respect and recognition, the ecological friendly and efficient land use nature phenomena can’t be denied. The local culture has been given a transformed justice with newly introduced powerful factors of change in Gulmit Gojal over the past few decades.

Using Ondra Fort as a museum and cultural center will play a vital role in research on local traditions, language. This Fort will be a center for exchange between national, international organizations interested in Gilgit-Baltistan in general and Gulmit Gojal in particular, especially for those who are in need of a base for their fieldwork.

Restoration of Ondra Fort will transform Gulmit Gojal into a focus of interest in Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan.

Restoration of Ondra Fort as a cultural heritage will be a step further for sustainable development in the region.

Recommendations

The local community should take initiative regarding rehabilitation of the Fort, if it is ignored again as the locals did in the past than it will be total disaster.

Due to the significance of this fort from historical, economic and tourism point of view, government or any non-governmental organization must invest handsome amount of money for reconstruction and maintenance of the Fort. Baltit, Altit and Shiger Forts are living examples in this connection.

There is strong need to form a Committee (e.g. Ondra Fort restoration committee) by the locals which should be included notables, historians, architectures, engineers and educated youngsters.

The Committee should adopt multi-branched initiatives, by establishing sub-committees for different purposes in Gulmit, Gilgit & Islamabad.

Giving stake and integration between Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association (WTCA), Gulmit Organization for Local Development (GOLD), Gulmit Young Stars Club and Social Welfare Organization, Open Ismaili Boy Scouts Gulmit and other local organizations will be a great help for the restoration of the Fort. 

The notables of Gulmit Gojal must guarantee the ownership of Ondra Fort for restoration purpose.

There is always a room for new experiences like construction of pony track from K.K.H. Chamangul via Dalgirum and Kamaris to the Fort, and using horses on this track will beautify the excursion which will be income opportunity to the local community.  

Creation of some new USP’s (Unique selling proposition) will help to increase tourist inflow like jeep safari, silk route car rally, and mountain motorbike or bicycle race.