Around Himachal

Jammu Hill Station

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 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.

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.

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.

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.