View of Jammu City

Nestling in the foothills of the Himalayas, with the river Tawi flowing alongside, is the place that Raja Jambu Lochan discovered one day while he was on a hunting trip. Legend has it that he came upon a clearing where he saw a sight that left him wonderstruck. 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. Little is known of Jammu’s subsequent history until, in 1730 AD, it came under the rule of the Dogra king, Raja Dhruv Deva. The Dogra rulers moved their capital to the present site and Jammu became an important centre of art and culture, especially the Pahari school of paintings.

Today, as if in testimony to Raja Jambu Lochan’s vision, the city of Jammu has come to be known as the ‘City Of Temples’. Innumerable temples and shrines, with glittering ‘shikhars’ soaring into the sky, dot the city’s skyline, creating the ambience of a holy and peaceful city.

City Information

Temples and Shrines

Amongst the temples in Jammu, the Raghunath Mandir takes pride of place being situated right in the heart of the city.

The Temple skyline of Jammu 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.

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.

Ranbireshwar Temple

Each has its own legend, its devotees and specific days of worship. In Ranbireshwar Temple, there are twelve Shiva ‘lingams’ of crystal measuring 12" to 18" and galleries with thousands of ‘saligrams’ fixed on stone slabs. Other important temples in Jammu are the Lakshmi Narayan temple, Duda Dhari temple and the Panj Mandir in Gandhi Nagar.

It is said that if the Bawey Wali Mata is the presiding deity of Jammu, 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.

Peer Baba Shrine at Satwari

A friend of Guru Gobind Singh, Peer Baba is said to have lived his entire life on milk alone and lived to the age of five hundred. On Thursdays, Hindu and Sikh devotees vastly outnumber their Muslim brethren at this shrine; such is the faith of the people in Peer Baba. Most VIPs make it a point to visit this ‘durgah’ when they come to Jammu.

Shrine of Peer Mitha

Peer Mitha is another famous Muslim shrine in Jammu. Peer Mitha was a contemporary of Ajaib Dev and Ghareeb Nath - both saints were famous for their prophecies and miracles.

‘Mitha’ means ‘the sweet one’, for the Peer would accept nothing more than a pinch of sugar in offering from his devotees.

Other places of worship

St. Marry's Garrison Church

Christian

• Garrison Church, Satwari.
• St. Paul’s Church, Wazarat Road, Jammu.
• St. Peter’s Church, Christian Colony, Jammu.

Jamia Mosque Jammu

Muslim

• Jamia Masjid, Talab Khatikan.
• Jamia Masjid, Ustad Mohalla.
• Jamia Masjid, Gole Market.
• Ibrahim Masjid, Wazarat Road.

Gurudwara Singh Sabha - Nanak nagar

Sikh

• Sunder Singh Gurudwara, Gurudwara Road.
• Tali Sahib Gurudwara, Talab Tillo.
• Maharani Chand Kaur Gurudwara, below Gumat.
• Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Nanak Nagar.
• Kalgidhar Gurudwara, Rehari.
• Singh Sabha Gurudwara, Raghunath Bazaar.

Forts and Palaces

On the opposite bank of the Tawi river, on an upland plateau, is situated the majestic Bahu Fort, the oldest edifice extant in the region. Looking at this fort one can imagine the wars fought, invasions prevented, and yes, even the grandeur the royal family must have enjoyed at the time. Today it is surrounded by a lush green terraced garden, with waterfalls and flowers of just about every kind and colour. It is a favourite picnic spot for the city folk.

Amar Mahal for large view click on image

The Amar Mahal Palace, a sight to behold, is on an eyrie overlooking the Tawi river. This grand palace, with sloping roofs and tall towers, so characteristic of continental castles, reminds one of France. The palace has been converted into a museum which also houses the city’s finest library of antique books and paintings. An entire series of miniatures on the epic Nal-Damayanti can be seen in the museum.

Old Bazaars and Designer boutiques

There are two charmingly contradictory aspects to the city of Jammu which one can see while shopping. For instance, in the crowded streets of Raghunath Bazaar, among the age-old dry fruit shops, you’ll find designer boutiques that display the very latest in fashion and fashion accessories.

Here the main bazaars – Vir Marg, Raghunath Bazaar and Hari Market – are famous for Kashmiri handicrafts, traditional Dogra jewellery and various dry fruits, chiefly walnuts (‘akhrot’) and almonds. Jammu is also known for the superlative quality of its ‘basmati’ rice, ‘rajma’ (red beans), ‘ampapar’ (dried and candied mango peel), ‘anardana’ (dried pomegranate seeds) and ‘barfi’ (milk sweets).For purchasing authentic Kashmiri handicrafts, one can visit the J&K Government Arts Emporium near the Tourist Reception Centre on Residency Road. The emporium displays and sells a wide variety of handicrafts, including Pashmina shawls and exquisite hand-knotted carpets of silk and wool.