Jammu
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Tawi river side of Jammu City, by Paul La Porte |
Jammu (
Hindi: जम्मू,
Urdu: جموں) is one of the three regions comprising the
Indian state of
Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu borders
Kashmir to the north,
Ladakh to the east,
Himachal Pradesh to the south and
Pakistan occupied Kashmir to the west. Sandwitched between the Vale of Kashmir to the north and the Daman Koh Plains to the south, the
Shiwalik Range comprises most of the region of Jammu. The Pir Panjal Range, the Trikuta Hills and the low-lying
Tawi River basin adds beauty and diversity to the terrain of Jammu.
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. Once a seat of the
Dogra Rajput dynasty, Jammu came under the control of
Ranjit Singh in the 19-century and became a part of the
Sikh Kingdom. Under the command of
Maharaja Gulab Singh, the Rajputs were able to re-establish their control over Jammu and founded the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir. After Maharaja
Hari Singh, the last ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, signed the
Instrument of Accession in 1947, Jammu became a part of the Union of India.
Jammu enjoys the status of an administrative division within the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu city, the largest city in the region, is the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir . Majority of Jammu's 2.7 million population practices
Hinduism [[1]], while
Islam and
Sikhism enjoy a strong cultural heritage in the region.
Many historians and locals believe that Jammu was founded by
Raja Jamboolochan in
14th century BC. During one of his hunting campaigns he reached the
Tawi River where he saw a goat and a lion drinking water at the same place. The king was impressed and decided to set up a
town after his name, Jamboo. With the passage of time, the name was corrupted and became "Jammu". The city name figures in the ancient book
Mahabharata. The name of Jammu is also found in the memories of
Timur. Excavation near
Akhnoor, 20 miles from Jammu city, provides evidence that Jammu was once a part of the
Harappan civilization. Remains from the
Maurya,
Kushan, and
Gupta periods have also been found. The area witnessed the change of control from the invading
Mughals and
Sikhs before finally falling under the control of the
British. After independence it became a part of the Indian republic following a bitter
Kashmir war.
Jammu is the only region in Kashmir that has a
Hindu majority population. 66% of Jammu's population practices
Hinduism while 24% practices
Islam and 4%
Sikhism.
Approximately 66% of the population is
Dogra. Majority of the
Hindus are either
Dogras or people who migrated from
Kotli,
Mirpur and
Kashmir. Jammu is well connected with the rest of India by
rail,
road and air, making it by far the least remote part of the state. Jammu also has direct flights to Srinagar , Delhi , Chandigarh and Leh.
It consists of six districts of the state, namely
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Jammu District *
Kathua District*
Poonch District*
Rajouri District*
Udhampur District *
Doda DistrictJammu District
Jammu is located between 74 degree 24' and 75 degree 18', East longitude and 32 degree 50' and 33 degree 30' North latitude. and . It is approximately 600 km away from National Capital,
New Delhi and is linked with a National Highway, railway and airport.
Jammu District is spread over an area of 3097 km² and has a population of about 12.5 lakhs as per the estimates of 1991. It is second largest populated District of the state and second largest in terms of population density and falls under the category 'B'. The literacy percentage of the District is 42.86% in as per 1981 census which was highest in the state. The Airport is situated at Satwari. This District serves as the Winter Capital of
Jammu & Kashmir state from November to April when all the offices move from Srinagar to Jammu.
People of Jammu mostly speak
Dogri,
Kotli,
Mirpuri,
Hindi,
Punjabi,
Kashmiri and/or
Urdu.
Jammu is a pleasant and cool area with a subtropical climate.
Summers are dry and hot while
winters are cold. Temperatures can soar up to 45 degrees Celsius in summer and dip down to around 4 degrees Celsius in winter.
Jammu is famous for its landscape, ancient temples,
Hindu shrines, castles, gardens and forts. Hindu holy shrines of
Amarnath and
Vaishno Devi attracts tens of thousands of Hindu devotees every year. Jammu's beautiful natural landscape has made it one of the most famous destinations for
adventure tourism in
South Asia. Jammu's historic monuments feature a unique blend of Islamic and Hindu archiecture styles.
Amarnath
Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of the Lidder Valley, Amarnath Holy Cave stands at 3,888 mtrs. and is 363 kms. from Jammu Via Pahalgam and about 414 kms. from Jammu Via Baltal. Located north of Jammu, the
Amarnath cave temple is dedicated to LORD SHIVA. The cave is one of India's most important religious shrines. The Amarnath attracts thousands of
Lord Siva devotees every year. Inside the Amarnath Cave lies the ice
Shiva Linga which is visited by the Hindu pilgrims during May to August. The peak rush is during the Shravani Mela in July. The cave with the 'ice-linga' in it was first discovered by a muslim shepherd some 150 years ago. The cave is located in Kashmir and can be accessed from Pahelgam as well as Bal-tal, both places being accessible from Srinagar, the capital town of Kashmir. The distance of the cave from Pahelgam is 36 km and from Bal-tal 16 km. The areas are under the control of the Indian Army and can be visited with their permission. The journey from Bal-tal/Pahelgam can be undertaken either by trekking or by horseback. The cylindrical ice formation resembling shiva-linga which waxes during May to August and gradually wanes thereafter is a stalagmite.
Vaishno Devi shrine
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The Vaishno Devi shrive attracts hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees every year |
The town of
Katra, which is close to Jammu, is home to the famous
Vaishno Devi shrine. Nestling on top of the
Trikuta Hills at a height of 1700 m is the sacred cave shrine of Vaishno Devi, the mother goddess. At a distance of 48 km from Jammu, the cave is 30 metres long and just 1.5 m high. At the end of the cave are shrines dedicated to the three forms of the mother goddess—
Mahakali,
Mahalakshmi and
Mahasarasvati. Pilgrims start trekking to the cave temple which is 13 kilometers from
katra. They enter in small groups through a narrow opening and walk through ice-cold waters to reach the shrines. According to legend, the mother goddess hid in the cave while escaping a demon whom she ultimately killed.
Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary
Areas around Jammu used to be thick forests few years ago teeming with wild life. A wildlife sanctuary, called Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary, was started to preserve that forest. Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary is located 28 km from Jammu and derives its name from Nandini village. It is characterized by stunning locale and varied topography. The region play hosts to a large number of rare and endangered species of mammals and birds. It supports 8 species of mammals and a wide variety of bird species. Much acclaim has been accorded to the Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary, famous for its diversity of wildlife and best known for wonderful species of pheasants. It is renknowned natural habitat for a significant population of phesants. Among the other avifauna Indian mynah, blue rock pigeon , peafowl, red jungle fowl, chir pheasants, chakor etc.
Spread over an area of 34 km², the sanctuary is rich in fauna and provides refuge to a wide variety of mammals. The main species are
leopard,
wild boar,
rhesus monkey,
bharal and
grey langur.
Mansbal Lake
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The Mansbal lake in Jammu. Jammu's beautiful and diverse landscape makes it a popular adventure tourism destination in India. |
Famous for its
water lillies and
lotus flowers, the sweet water Mansbal Lake is located in Safapur, 30 kms from Srinagar.
The lake's crystal clear water and beautiful mountainous landscape makes it a popular tourist destination in the region. Adjoining the Mansbal lake is the Manser (Mansrover) lake, that is about 20 km from National Highway No. 1A. Road to Manser Lake starts from just near Samba on National Highway No. 1A. This Manser lake road joins to another important road that directly links Pathankot (Punjab) to Udhampur (Jammu & Kashmir, Jammu Province. Udhampur is a Town of strategic importance, again on National Highway No. 1A. The shortcut road from Mansrover or Samba to Udhampur by-pass the Jammu town.
Amar Mahal
Jammu city has several forts and palaces, the most famous of which being the
Amar Mahal palace . This palace is reminiscent of a fairytale
castle with splendid towers capped by sloping roofs. The
Palace is on a precipice overlooking the Tawi river. This grand palace features sloping roofs and tall towers, characteristic of continental
European castles. The palace has been converted into a
museum which also houses the city's finest
library, with a collection of roughly 25,000 antique books and paintings. An entire series of miniatures based on the
epic Nal-Damayanti (the story of
Nala and
Damayanti) can be seen in the museum.
Bahu Fort
The
Bahu fort, which also serves as a religious temple is situated about 5 km from Jammu city on a rock face on the left bank of the river Tawi. This is perhaps the oldest fort and edifice in the city. Constructed originally by Raja Bahulochan over 3,000 years ago, the existing Fort was more recently improved and rebuilt by
Dogra rulers. There is a temple dedicated to the Goddess
Kali inside the fort popularly known as Bave wali Mata. The fort overlooks the river running through Jammu city. Every Tuesday and Sunday pilgrims throng this temple and partake in "Tawi flowing worship". Bave Wali Mata is the presiding deity of Jammu. Today the fort is surrounded with a beautiful terraced garden which is a favourite picnic spot of the city folk.
Bagh-E-Bahu located on the banks of Tawi river, is a famous Mughal-age garden. It gives nice view of the old city and Tawi river. Bagh itself is very beautiful. There is a small cafeteria on one side of the garden.
On the by-pass road behind
Bahu Fort, the city forest surrounds the ancient Maha Maya Temple overlooking the river Tawi. A small garden surrounded by acres of woods provides a commanding view of the city.
The famous temple of Bawey Wali Mata inside the Bahu
Fort attracts pilgrims every Tuesday and Sunday who come here to worship the presiding deity of Jammu while opposite the Bahu Fort, overlooking the River
Tawi is a temple dedicated to
Mahamaya, a local heroine of Dogras, who lost her life fourteen centuries ago fighting foreign invaders. The present temple of Bawey Wali Mata was built shortly after the coronation of
Maharaja Gulab Singh, in 1822. It is also known as the temple of
Mahakali and the goddess is considered second only to Mata
Vaishno Devi in terms of mystical power.
Raghunath Mandir
Amongst the temples in Jammu, the
Raghunath Mandir takes pride of place being situated right in the heart of the city. This temple is situated at the city center and was built in 1857. Work on the temple was started by
Maharaja Gulab Singh, founder of the
Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir in 1835 AD and was completed 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. This temple consists of seven shrines, each with a tower of its own. It is the largest temple complex in northern India. Though 130 years old, the complex is remarkable for sacred scriptures, one of the richest collections of ancient texts and manuscripts in its library. Its arches, surface and niches are undoubtedly influenced by
Mughal architecture while the interiors of the temple are plated with gold. The main sanctuary is dedicated to Lord
Vishnus eighth incarnation and
Dogras' patron deity, the
Rama. It also houses a
Sanskrit Library containing rare
Sanskrit manuscripts.
Peer Kho Cave
Alongside the same Tawi river are the
Peer Kho Cave temple, the Panchbakhtar temple and the Ranbireshwar temple dedicated to Lord
Shiva with their own legends and specific days of worship. Peer Kho cave is located on the bank of river Tawi and it is widely believed that
Ramayan character
Jamvant (the bear god) meditated in this cave. The Ranbireshwar Temple has twelve
Shiva lingams of crystal measuring 12" to 18" and galleries with thousands of
saligrams fixed on stone slabs. Located on the Shalimar Road near the New Secretariat, and built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1883 AD. It has one central lingam measuring seven and a half feet height (2.3 m) and twelve Shiva lingams of crystal measuring from 15 cm to 38 cm and galleries with thousands of Shiva lingams fixed on stone slabs.
Dargah of Ali Shah
The Dargah (shrine) of
Peer Budhan Ali Shah or
Peer Baba is said to protect the people of this city from mishaps and evil spirits. A friend of
Guru Gobind Singh, it is said that Peer Baba lived his entire life on milk alone and lived to the age of five hundred and still people from all faiths and religions venerate him in equal respect.
Peer Mitha was a saint who has a shrine of his own and was a contemporary of
Ajaib Dev and
Ghareeb Nath, who were famous for their prophecies and miracles. "Mitha" means "the sweet one" and the saint was so-called, as the Peer would accept nothing more than a pinch of sugar in offering from his devotees.
Lohri (13 January)
This festival heralds the onset of spring and is also known as Makar Sankranti. The whole region wears a festive look on this day.
Thousands take a dip in the holy rivers. 'Havan Yagnas' light up nearly every house and temple in Jammu. In the rural areas it is customary for young boys to go around asking for gifts from newly-weds and parents of new-borns.
A special dance called the 'Chajja' is held on the occasion of Lohri. It makes a striking picture to see boys along with their 'Chajjas' elaborately decorated with coloured paper and flowers dance on the street in a procession. The whole atmosphere comes alive with pulsating drumbeats.
Baisakhi (April 13 or 14)
The name
Baisakhi is taken from the first month of the Vikram calendar. Every year, on the first day of
Vaishakh, the people of Jammu, like the rest of northern India, celebrate Baisakhi. Also known as the "harvest festival", it is considered auspicious especially for marriages. Devotees who take a ritual dip every year, throng the rivers, canals and ponds. Many people go to the Nagbani temple to witness the grand New Year celebration.
The occasion is marked by numerous fairs and people come in thousands to celebrate the beginning of the New Year and watch the famous Bhangra dance of Punjab. For the Sikhs of Jammu, Baisakhi is the day their tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singhji, formed the Khalsa sect in 1699. The Gurudwaras are full of people who come to listen to kirtans, offer prayers and feast on the ‘prasad' from the common kitchen ('langar').
Bahu Mela (March-April & September-October)
A major festival is held at the Kali Temple in Bahu Fort, twice a year.
Chaitre Chaudash (March-April)
Chaitre Chaudash is celebrated at Uttar Behni, about 25 km from Jammu. Uttar Behni gets its name from the fact that the Devak river (locally also known as Gupt Ganga) flows here in the northerly direction.
Purmandal Mela (February-March)
Purmandal is 39 km from Jammu city. On Shivratri, the town wears a festive look and for three days as people celebrate the marriage of Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati. The people of Jammu also come out in their colourful best to celebrate Shivratri at Peer Khoh, the Ranbireshwar Temple and the Panjbhaktar Temple. In fact, if one visits Jammu during Shivratri, one finds a celebration going on almost everywhere.
Jhiri Mela (Oct-Nov.)
An annual fair is held in the name of Baba Jitu, a simple and honest farmer who preferred to kill himself rather than submit to the unjust demands of the local landlord to part with his crop. He killed himself in the village of Jhiri, 14 km from Jammu. A legend has grown around the Baba and his followers congregate at Jhiri on the appointed day from every corner of North India; they revere him for his compassion, courage and honesty.
Navratra Festival (Sept-Oct)
Though the yatra to the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is a round-the-year event, the one undertaken during the Navratras is considered the most auspicious. In order to showcase and highlight the regional culture, heritage and traditions of the area during this period, the State Tourism Department has instituted the Navratra Festival as an annual event to be held during September / October for all the nine auspicious days of the Navratras. A large number of tourists pay their obeisance to the deity during this period. This festival showcases the religious traditions as well as the popular culture of the region among the millions of pilgrims who visit the Vaishnodeviji Shrine during this period.
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Jammu District*
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board*
Official site of Jammu and Kashmir Government 
