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Jammu & Kashmir Travel
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Jammu Travel
The City of Jammu
is popularly known as the "City of Temples". Innumerable temples and shrines
with glittering "Shikhars" soar into the sky, like caretakers of the city,
creating the ambience of a truly holy city. Jammu Kashmir is the first Himalayan
state of India, but its not another hill land of India. Jammu and Kashmir is
really three regions: the foothill plains of Jammu; the lakes and blue valleys
of Kashmir rising to alpine passes, the high altitude plains and starkly
beautiful mountains of Ladakh, which lies beyond those passes.
Places of Interest
Jammu
Raghunath Temple
This Temple is situated in the
heart of the city and surrounded by a group of other temples, this temple
dedicated to Lord Rama, takes pride of the place, being situated right in the
heart of Jammu. The temple has seven shrines, with god-plated interiors. The
most important houses the Dogra's patron deity, Rama, Vishnu's eighth
incarnation. The cluster of temples makes it the largest temple complex in
Northern India.
Work on the temple was started
by Maharaja Gulab Singh, founder of the Dingdom of Jammu and Kashmir in 1835 AD
and was competed by his son, Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1860 AD. The inner walls
of the main temple are covered with gold sheet on three sides. There are many
galleries with lakhs of 'Saligrams'. The surrounding temples are dedicated to
various Gods and Goddesses connected with the epic Ramayana.
Ranbireshwar Temple
This temple is located on
Shalimar Road near the New Secretariat, and built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in
1883 AD, Ranbireshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This historical temple
has one central 'Lingam' measuring seven and a half feet in height (7.5 ft.) and
twelve Shiva 'Lingams' of crystal measuring from 15cms to 38cms. And galleries
with thousands of Shiva 'Lingams' fixed on stone slabs.
Mubarak Mandi Palace
This historical oldest
buildings in this Palace complex dated to 1824. The architecture is blend of
Rajasthani, Mughal and even Baroque European influences. The most stunning
beauty segment is the Sheesh Mahal. The Pink Hall now houses the Dogra Art
Museum which has miniature paintings of the various Hill Schools.
Peer Baba Shrine
On the back side of the Civil
Airport is famous Dargah of the Muslim saint, Peer Budhan Ali Shah. This Muslim
Shrine open on Thursdays, Hindu and Sikh devotees vastly outnumber their Muslim
brethren at the shrine.
Travel Excursions from
Jammu
Katra
50 kms from Jammu. This small
town serves as the base camp for visiting the famous shrine of Vaishnodeviji in
the Trikuta Hills. The shrine is approachable on foot along a 12 kms. Long well
laid foot-path.
The
Legend of Mata Vaishnodevi
-
Every year, nearly 4 million pilgrims pass through
Katra on their way to Vaishnodeviji. Popular belief holds that anybody who walks
the Himalayan trail to the goddesses abode to ask for a boon rarely goes back
disappointed. Whatever be it, a new enterprise or a forthcoming examination,
marriage or birth, the devout look up to the Mata For blessings and guidance.
There are many who journey year after year to pay obeisance regardless of their
faith or belief, creed or class, caste or religion.
Other Tourist Places -
Patnitop :
- 112 kms from Jammu. This
famous hill resort is perched on a beautiful plateau, at an altitude of 2024
metres across which the Jammu-Srinagar Highway passes. Patnitop is surrounded by
thickly wooded forests. Patnitop offers beautiful picnic spots, peaceful walks
and breathtaking views of the mountainscape of the Chenab basin. In winter, the
resort is generally covered with a thick mantle of snow thus providing
opportunities for various snow games including skiing.
Aghar Jitto : An another pilgrimage is Just 5 km
away from Katra is Aghar Jitto, the Shrine of Baba Jitto, a devotee of Mata
Vaishno Devi and a revolutionary who led a campaign against the feudal order.
Dera Baba Banda : At about 30 kms from Katra lies
this major Hindu-Sikh pilgrimage centre. Baba Banda Bairaagi was Guru Gobind
Singh's favorite 'Saint-soldier', who had the gurudwara (A sikh religion)
constructed on the banks of river Chenab, where he spent his last days.
Baba
Dhansar : Located 10 kms from Katra (1 km on foot)
is Baba Dhansar, a beautiful and cool picnic spot. Here, a huge spring gushes
out of the mountainside in a thick grove of trees and forms a number of small
waterfalls before flowing into the holy Banganga.
Shiv Khori : This holy cave is nearly a kilometer
long and houses a 4 ft high, naturally formed 'Shivling'. It is considered
second only to the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in religious importance.
General Information About
Jammu
Temperature
Summer: Max. 43.0, Min. 23.4
Winter : Max. 26.2, Min. 4.3
Clothing
Summer : Light cottons
Winter : Woolens
How to Reach Jammu
By Air:
Indian Airlines operates scheduled service from Jammu to Delhi and Srinagar/Leh.Jammu.
Airport is 8 Kms. from the city centre. Jet Airways also operates service
between Jammu-Delhi and Jammu-Srinagar.
By Rail:
Jammu Tawi is an important railhead of the Northern Railways serving the Jammu
and Kashmir State.
By Road:
Jammu falls on National Highway 1-A and is connected by national highway network
to all parts of the country. Some important road distances are : Artisan - 243
kms, Chandigarh - 436 kms , Delhi - 586 kms., Katra - 48 kms, Srinagar - 305 kms,
Manali - 428 kms, Patnitop - 112 kms. Mansar - 60 kms.
Tours To Jammu & Kashmir
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