Jammu

Nestling in the foothills of the Himalayas, with the river Tawi flowing alongside, due to many temples built here it is also known as city of temples. The main credit to populate this place goes to King Jambu Lochan.

Jammu is the gateway of J&K situated on the bank of river Tawi, it is the place that Raja Jambu Lochan discovered while he was on a hunting trip. Legend has it that he came upon a clearing where he saw a sight that left him wonder-struck. A tiger and a goat stood side-by-side, drinking water from the same place in the Tawi River. He was so struck by this unusual sight that he decided to build a city on this land where no living creature seemed to bear enmity towards each other. Earlier its name was Jambupura which became Jammu later.

The history of Dogra king prevails in the living habits of people of Jammu. In 1730 it became the capital of king Dhruvdeva, from that period till the freedom of India Dogra rulers prevailed here.

From the point of view of art, culture and history, Jammu has special importance. This city is the main center of attraction for trade. The traditional language of the state is Dogri. No doubt this is the Gateway of whole state of Jammu & Kashmir, still Hindi, Kashmiri; Punjabi, Urdu and English are spoken here.

Best Time to Visit : September to April

Places to Visit:

• Raghunath Mandir :
  Amongst the temples in Jammu, the Raghunath Mandir takes pride of place being situated right in the heart of the city. It consists of a cluster of temples and is the largest temple complex in northern India. Its inner sanctums contain gigantic statues of deities and numerous 'lingams'. It contains representatives of almost the entire Hindu pantheon, which make it a rare site to behold.
• Bawey Wali Mata Temple :
  The famous temple of Bawey Wali Mata is inside the Bahu Fort where, every Tuesday and Sunday, pilgrims throng to worship the goddess. It is said that if the Bawey Wali Mata is the presiding deity of Jammu, a little further away, on a spur opposite the Bahu Fort, overlooking the river Tawi, stands a temple dedicated to Mahamaya, a Dogra heroine who lost her life fourteen centuries ago fighting foreign invaders. The Peer Kho cave temple overlooking the Tawi River, the Panchbakhtar temple and the Ranbireshwar temple are the other well known Shiva temples in Jammu. Other important temples in Jammu are the Lakshmi Narayan temple, Duda Dhari temple and the Panj Mandir in Gandhi Nagar. The 'durgah' of Peer Budhan Ali Shah or Peer Baba as it is known, is the shrine that protects the people of this city from mishaps and evil spirits.
• Bahu Fort & Gardens :
  Situated 5 kms away from the city centre, Bahu Fort stands on a rock face on the left bank of the river Tawi. Perhaps the oldest fort and edifice in the city, it was constructed originally by Raja Bahulochan over 3,000 years ago. The existing fort was more recently improved upon and extended by the Dogra rulers. Inside, there is a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. An extensive terraced garden, known as Bagh-e-Bahu, has been developed around the fort. The subcontinent's largest underground aquarium in Jammu's Bagh-I-Bahu area is drawing a large number of tourists ever since it was opened to the public, The aquarium-cum-awareness centre comprises of 24 aquarium caves including 13 small caves for holding freshwater fishes
• Ranbir Canal :
  A small garden along the Ranbir Canal, which runs through the city outskirts, provides a cool picnic spot during the summer. The canal branches off from the river Chenab at Akhnoor, 32 kms away. Its water remains icy-cold throughout the year and its banks serve as good viewpoints and walkways