Jammu - The Administrative Division of J&K
Jammu also known as Duggar, is also one of the three administrative divisions of the Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu city is the largest city and is also the winter capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. 65% of the populace in Jammu are Hindus, 30% are Muslims and rest of them are Sikhs. With the presence of shrines and forts, Jammu celebrates all the Hindu festivals with great enthusiasm. If Bahu Mata is the presiding deity of Jammu, the Dragah of Peer Baba budhan Ali Shah is the other shrine that protects Jammuites. People of Jammu mostly speak Dogri, Punjabi, Hindi, Kottli, Mirpuri, and Urdu. By availing the Tour to Jammu, the travelers would get to stay at luxury or budget Hotels in Jammu, platter of meals served before hand and transport option respectively. The tailor made tour packages to Jammu consists of well structured itinerary which can be availed through an online booking provided by India Hotel Review. The attractions in Jammu are as follows:
Aap Shambhu Temple Sathrian: It is a temple situated at Sathrin. This temple has stone made Lingam, which date backs the centuries when this region was a forest. Legend has that, it was a self made Lingam on which buffaloes and cows after grazing used to shed their milk. The Aap Shambhu Temple in Sathrian is visited by the vacationers on some special occasions.
Chichi Mata Temple: It is situated near Samba and is popularly known as Pehla Darshan of Vaishno Devi pilgrims. Gadhadhar ji Temple: Maharaja Gulab Singh also constructed Gandhar ji temple soon after he became the ruler of the state. The temple has two life size statues of Narayana and Laskhmi.
Mahamaya Temple and City Fort: On the bye pass road, behind Bahu fort, the city forest surrounds the ancient Mahamaya Temple overlooking the river Tawi. The small garden in the temple is surrounded by woods and endows the pilgrims with the commanding views of the whole region.
Raghunath Temple: The Raghunath Temple built in the year 1835 AD, it was built by his son Maharaja Ranbir Singh in the year 1860 AD. This temple consists of statutes of deities Ram, Lakshman, Sita and Hanuman. The statues of these deities are quiet big. The pilgrims can also see good numbers of Lingams in the temple. The idols of Lord Vishnu and his different incarnations are the must sees of this sanctorum. The inner walls of the temple are covered with golden sheets. There are many galleries with innumerable Salligrams. The manuscript of Lord Rama dating back to earlier centuries can be best viewed in this temple.
Ranbireshwar Temple: The Ranbireshwar temple was built by Maharaja Ranbireshwar in the year 1883. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. With the presence of 7 to 8 feet long Linga, this temple has crystal statues of the same which could leave the devotees stunned for a few seconds. Peer Khoh is a cave shrine shrine where the travelers can see the self made presence of Shiva Lingam. The formation and cause of this Lingam is still not known. This pilgrimage is perched in the caves and according to the legends this cave leads to other cave shrines. Peer Baba: The Dargah of peer Budhan Ali Shah is another shrine which is generally visited by Hindus and Sikhs during Thursdays. Being the shrine of a Muslim saint, the most surprising part is that the clusters of other religion outnumber the Muslim populace visiting this sanctum.
Amar Mahal: The Amar Mahal in Jammu was constructed by a French artist. Sharing close empathy with French Chateaus, this palace is built with red sand stone. The remains of the past centuries are preserved in this palace. Dr Karan Singh has donated this palace to the Hari trust which has transformed it in museum. Sprawling over a vast area, this palace is overlooked by Tawi river which provides this palace, totally a unique view. In this palace, there is also a huge stocked library which consists of numerable books. The travelers can make a visit to this grand palace by boarding a auto.
Bahu Fort: Situated along the river Tawi, Bahu Fort is 3000 thousands year and it was renovated later, by the kings of Dogra dynasty. Bandied by walls from all the sides, this fort will remind the travelers about the age old structures which existed even before the annexation of Indian territories. This fort is also known for its Mahakali temple which is visited by millions of pilgrims every year. It is generally known by the name Bawe Waali Mata. After Vaishno Devi, it is regarded only second to Vaishno Devi. Every Sunday and Tuesday huge crowds visit this temple to mark the ceremony of ‘Tawi flowing worship’. In fact, this temple is one of the most renowned temple in India.
Bagh-e-Bahu: Located on the foothills of Himalayas, the Bagh-e-Bahu fort is known for its grand fort. The king Jambo Lochan founded the Jammu city and there is an interesting story behind it. One day he saw goat and lion drinking water from the lake. After watching this incident, he got so impressed that he decided to construct a city where stronger and weaker sections of society could live together. The other tourist attractions in the city include Bagh-e-Bahu. These gardens are dotted with sprawling flowerbeds, presenting the mesmeric views of the entire region. The Baghi Bahu Aquarium is constructed in the shape of fish.he aquarium has attracted large number of tourists visiting the State. The aquarium-cum-awareness center comprises of 24 aquarium caves including 13 small caves for holding freshwater fishes, two large caves for holding marine water fishes and nine medium sized aquariums for holding marine and fresh water fishes. It has state-of-the-art equipment, a public gallery, museum, laboratory and a multimedia conference hall. The entrance is designed in the shape of the mouth of a fish and the exit in the shape of a fish tail. The aquarium houses a museum where 400 varieties of freshwater and marine fish are on display.
Dogra Art Gallery: The Dogra art gallery lures good numbers of visitors from different parts of the world. Located in the pink hall of the Mubarak Mandi palace, this art gallery is imbued with rich repository of art works from various schools. More than 800 painting from the past era have found their place in this exquisite art gallery. Paintings from Jammu, Kashmir and Leh can easily be traced here.
Mubarak Mandi Palace: The Mubarak Mandi palace is visited by infinite numbers of visitors. The oldest of buildings in the Mubarak Mandi Palace dates back to 150 year old architecture. Earlier the pink hall in the palace was the main rendezvous point of royal majesties. The kings and queens, used to hold parties and ceremonies in the Pink Hall. Now these age old buildings houses government offices but the Pink Hall still remains the vital attraction of the region. The Pink hall has been converted into a art gallery inferring remains of Dogra dynasty.
A unique amalgam of Rajasthani, Mughal and European architecture is something at which the visitors can marvel at. The palace commands great views of the Tawi River and the city of Jammu.
