Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir, India)

Jammu is rightly known as the city of temples. It has been the ancient city of Faith and its backdrop presents as if the city is nestled at the feet of the Almighty. The Hindu goddess Bahu Mata temple has the presiding deity, the Goddess Kali, of Jammu. It is also known as the Bawey Wali Mata and is present inside the Bahu fort where devotees throng to worship the Goddess. The deity is considered to be second only to Mata Vaisno Devi in the region. Jammu, the city of temples, is the winter capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is believed that Raja Jamboo Lochan, who reigned in 14th century BC, originally founded the city. The temples of Jammu overshadow all of its other attraction like palaces, forts, forests, etc. Jammu has come to be known for the numerous holy places in and around the city. On one hand is Bahu Mata (Kali Mata), the presiding deity of Jammu, while on the other hand is the Dargah of Peer Budhan Ali Shah that is revered by the people of Jammu. Then, there is the Ragunath temple complex, dedicated to Lord Rama. It is considered to be one of the most outstanding and brilliant temples in North India. The Peer Khoh (natural cave shrine) and the Ranbireshwar temple, both dedicated to Lord Shiva are the other examples of the splendid temples of Jammu. However, apart from the shrines, there are a number of other places also worth visiting in Jammu. The Bahu Fort, Mubarak Mandi Palace, Amar Palace Museum, Dogra Art Gallery, etc count amongst the other tourist attractions of the Jammu city in India. Festivals add a little color and gaiety to the life of the people in the Jammu city. A number of festivals are celebrated in Jammu, ranging from Lohri to Ramnavmi to Shivratri.

Mata Vaishno Devi shrine is located near the Katra district at a height of 5200 ft. The Devi resides inside a cave on Trikuta, a three-peaked mountain. After reaching Katra, one has to undertake a trek of approximately 12 km to reach the cave of Mata Vaishno Devi. After the trek is over, the yatris (devotees) are blessed with the darshan (a view) of the goddess inside her holy cave. The cave does not contain any statues or photos. The cave houses three natural rock formations, called the Pindies that represent the three goddesses. The pindi in the middle represents Laxmi Mata, on the right is Kali Mata and on the left is Saraswati Mata. Vaishnodevi pilgrimage tour is considered to be one of the holiest pilgrimages in India.

Sightseeing:

Amar Mahal Palace Museum:
Amar Palace is a magnificent red sand stone monument, surrounded by beautiful Shivaliks and gushing Tawi River. Once the residential palace of Raja Amar Singh, the palace has now been converted into a museum. The museum has a hexagonal room housing a magnificent golden throne, along with a 120 kg pure gold sofa, embedded with golden lions. Other attractions of the museum include a gallery displaying paintings known as Nal Damyanti along with other Pahari paintings and family portraits of rulers of Jammu and Kashmir. Designed like a French Chateau, Amar Mahal Palace Museum also boasts of a library having a collection of around 25000 books.

Dogra Art Museum:
Dogra Art Museum is situated in the Pink Hall of Mubarak Mandi complex. Around 800 rare paintings belonging to Basoli, Jammu and Kangra schools of paintings form the rich collection of the museum. Another attraction of the museum is a gold plated bow and arrow belonging to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The museum also has on display an array of carpentry tools, hand written manuscripts of Shahnama and Sikendernama (written in Persian) and a Takri script inscribed stone plate.

How to reach:
By Air: The city of Jammu has its own airport, well connected with most of the important cities. Almost all the major airlines like Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, etc operate flights to Jammu on a regular basis.
By Rail: The most important railway station in the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is that of Jammu only and is known as Jammu Tawi station. The station is well connected with almost all the key cities of India.
By Road: Jammu has good network of roads connecting it with all major cities like Delhi, Amritsar, Ambala, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Shimla, etc.