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Around
Himachal |
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Jammu Hill
Station
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Facts &
Figures of Jammu
Location -
Himachal Pradesh
Altitude -
8900 ft.
Best Time -
July to September.
Jammu is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and |
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Kashmir, the
northernmost state in India. Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the
winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu City is also known as "City of Temples" as it
has many temples and shrines, with glittering shikhars
soaring into the sky, which dot the city’s skyline, creating
the ambiance of a holy and peaceful city - a Hindu holy
city. The city of Jammu, besides being the winter capital of
the state
ammu is the
Home to some of the most popular Hindu shrines, such as Vaishno
Devi, Jammu is one of the most famous pilgrimage tourism
destinations in India. The majority of Jammu's 2.7 million
population practices Hinduism, while Islam and Sikhism enjoy
a strong cultural heritage in the region. Due to relatively
better infrastructure, Jammu has emerged as the main
economic center of the state.
It is believed that Raja
Jamboo Lochan originally founded the city in the 14th
century. According to the popular legend, while the Raja was
hunting one day, he happened to witness a tiger and a goat
drinking water side by side from one and the same pond. He
was so struck by this extraordinary phenomenon that he
decided to build a city at this site so that the strong and
weak could live together in peace and mutual tolerance. Eventually,
he founded the city, which came to be known as "Jamboo"
after his own name. The name later distorted to that of
Jammu as it is called now.
In 1730, the city came under the rule of the Dogra king,
Raja Dhruv Deva and under the patronage of Dogra rulers;
Jammu became an important centre of art and culture,
especially the Pahari School of paintings. Today, the
beautiful city of Jammu boasts of innumerable temples and
shrines, refreshing environs, pleasant climate, breathtaking
views and harmonious existence of Hindus and Muslims.
Prime Attractions of Jammu :
Peer Khoh, Jammu
Just 3.5 km from Jammu, Peer Khoh is a cave shrine, mainly
renowned for its shivalingam. According to a popular myth,
there are underground pathways in the cave leading to many
other cave shrines, in and out of the country.
Ranbireshwar Temple, Jammu
Built by Maharaj Rajbir Singh in 1883, this temple is
dedicated to Lord Shiva. Housed inside the temple are 12
crystal shivalingams that are placed surrounding one central
lingam, which is 7.5 feet high. |
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Raghunath Temple
Nucleus of a group of temples, this temple in situated in
the city center and is dedicated to Lord Rama. Maharaja
Gulab Singh who founded the kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir
initiated the intricate work on the temple in 1835, which
was completed in 1860 by his son, Maharaja Ranbir Singh. |
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Bahu Fort
More than 3,000 years old, this fort is perhaps the oldest
structure in Jammu. It is situated on the left bank of River
Tawi, 5 km away from the city centre.
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Amar Mahal Palace Museum
A beautiful red sand stone palace, it stands amidst the most
picturesque surroundings of Jammu. In the north are pretty
Shivaliks along with the gorgeous gurgling River Tawi that
adds grandeur to this already picture-perfect place. It was
once the residential palace of Raja Amar Singh that has now
been converted to a museum. Hari-Tara Charitable trust looks
after the palace |
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now. The
highlight of the museum is the splendid golden throne, a 120
kg pure gold sofa, which is ornamented by the golden lions
embedded into it. It is placed in a hexagonal room. There is
a gallery in the museum that exhibit paintings known as Nal
Damyanti along with other Pahari paintings and family
portraits of rulers of Jammu and Kashmir. The museum also
houses a library of around 25000 books on various subjects
and disciplines. The building of the museum itself is a
visual treat and is designed like a French Chateau.
Peer Baba
A well-renowned shrine or Dargah of the famous Muslim saint,
Peer Budhan Ali Shah, devotees from all the communities
including Hindus and Sikhs throng to the place on Thursdays
to pay their homage and ask for blessings from the venerated
saint. |
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Mubarak Mandi Palace
A visual treat, this palace is a delightful fusion of
Mughal, Rajasthani and European architecture. The highlight
of the palace is the Sheesh Mahal, the Palace of Mirrors and
the Dogra Art Museum, which boasts of a rich collection of
Pahari School of miniature paintings (the paintings of the
various hill schools). |
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Adventure Activities
in Jammu
Trekking
Trekking is an important part of the tourism industry of the
Jammu region. The government and the tourism industry
promote various delightful treks and the best time for
trekking is in summers because the snow often blocks the
routes during winter.
Skiing
People throng to Patnitop for the skiing classes, as the
gently graded ski slopes of Patnitop are ideal for
beginners. However, there are great slopes in the
surrounding area that attracts skiers of all levels. Some
other places loved by the skiing enthusiasts are Kud and
Sanasar.
Climate of Jammu
Summers in Jammu are pleasant to warm with temperatures
ranging from 23.4°C to 43°C while winter are chilly with
temperature as low as 4.3°C. There is heavy snowfall in the
winters too.
How To Reach Jammu:
By Air:
There are domestic flights connecting Jammu
to and from Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Srinagar. The
nearest airport is the Jammu Airport, 8 km away from the
city centre.
By Train:
Jammu Tawi, 5 km from the city centre, is an
important railway junction of the Northern Railways. There
are Express trains connecting it to and from Delhi, Mumbai,
Chennai, Calcutta and Amritsar. The most popular trains
among the visitors are Jammu Mail, Jammu Express, Shalimar
Express, Sealdah Express, Jhelum Express, Madras Express and
Rajdhani Express.
By Road:
Jammu is connected by the smooth, motor able
roads of the national highway network to all parts of the
country.
What to wear
In summers, light cotton clothes are advisable while you
will need heavy woolen clothes in winters.
Shopping Attractions
A delight for the shopping bugs, the arts and crafts of
Jammu and Kashmir are very famous. Especially the Shahtoosh,
Pashmina and other woolen shawls, some with exquisite and
intricate embroidery and dyed in beautiful cheerful and
sober hues are a must-buy from the place. One may hop from
shop-to-shop and showroom-to-showroom, without feeling a bit
tired and enjoying the visual treat of the handicrafts of
the place at Vir Marg, Raghunath Bazaar and Hari Market.
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