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Discovered by Raja Jambu Lochan in the 9th century B.C. located on the
foothills of Himalayas with the picturesque River Tawi flowing alongside, it
is the winter capital city of the state. Jammu is popularly known as the "City
of Temples" due to the innumerable Temples and shrines with glittering 'shikars'
soaring the sky.
Raghunath Temple
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.
Mansar Lake
Situated 62 km from Jammu, Mansar is a
beautiful lake fringed by forest-covered hills, over a mile in length by
half-a-mile in width. Besides being a popular excursion destination in Jammu,
it is also a holy site, sharing the legend and sanctity of Lake Mansarovar.
Two ancient temples of Umapati Mahadev & Narsimha as also a temple of Durga
are situated in the vicinity of the Mansar lake. People take a holy dip in the
water of the lake on festive occasions. Newly weds consider it auspicious to
perform three circumambulations (‘Parikarma’) around the lake to seek the
blessings of Sheshnag, the lord of serpents, whose shrine is located on its
eastern bank. Certain communities of Hindus perform Mundan ceremony (First
hair cut) of their male children here. There are also some ancient temples on
the lake’s shores, which are visited by devotees in large numbers. Mansar is
also ideal for boating for which the Tourism Department provides adequate
facilities.
With all religions belief and heritage behind the Mansar Lake is also picking
up its fame among the tourists with all its flora & fauna. The lake has
cemented path all around with required illumination, with projected view decks
to enjoy flickering of seasonal birds, tortoise and fishes of different
species. There is a wild life Sanctuary housing jungle life like Spotted Deer,
Neelgai etc. besides other water birds such as Cranes, Ducks etc.
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.
Vaishno Devi
The holy cave shrine of Vaishno devi is situated in a beautiful recess of the
Trikuta Mountains forming a part of the lower Himalayas at an altitude of over
5000 feet. In the cave there are images of three deities viz. the Mahakali,
Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. For the devotees it is a journey to peace and
solace. For nature lovers it is an excursion amidst breathtaking scenic
beauty.
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