Popular as the city of temples, Jammu stands between the Himalayan range in the north and the plains of Punjab in the south. The actual beauty of the city lies in its lakes, valleys and a diverse terrain. One can see countless forests of oak and chestnuts dotted over the lower areas, while deodar and pine can be spotted in abundance at higher altitudes. The city, named after King Jambu Lochan, is said to be established it in 9th century BC. Mostly Hindu temples dominate the sight-seeing highlights here.
Major Attractions
- Most of the tourists who travel to the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, make Jammu their halt. A small town Katra, 50 km from Jammu, is the base camp for the pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi.
- Secondly, Raghunath Mandir in the heart of the city is the largest temple complex in northern India and is devoted to Lord Rama. Maharaja Gulab Singh began the construction of this Temple Complex in 1851. The temple contains representations of almost all the Hindu pantheon, though the emphasis falls on the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The complex also houses a rich collection of ancient texts and manuscripts.
- Bahu Fort is an ideal place for religious minded people as well as the history buffs. Apart from the ruins of this ancient fort, one can see the famous Bawey Wali Mata Temple here.
- Apart from that, Dogra Art Museum, famous for miniature paintings, and Amar Mahal Palace Museum built in red sandstone are also the highly frequented places in Jammu. The golden throne made of 120 kg of pure gold is a major attraction of the Amar Mahal Palace Museum.
- Sheesh Mahal is another fascinating site in Jammu. It houses the Dogra Art Museum, which showcases miniature paintings of the various hill schools. The museum also has the hand written Persian manuscripts of the Shahnama and Sikandernama. The palace was once the royal residence of the Dogra kings.
Mostly the tourists visit the city of temples in the months of October - March as the climate is quite pleasant. The city offers various articles to shopaholics also. The markets are loaded with good quality Pashmina shawls. The state-owned emporiums, Hari Bazaar and Raghunath Bazaar are the prominent places for shopping in Jammu.