The city of Jammu, besides being the winter capital
of the state, is also known as the city of temples. It is believed that
Raja Jamboo Lochan originally founded the city in the 14th century.
According to the popular legend, while the Raja was hunting one day, he
happened to witness a tiger and a goat drinking water side by side from
one and the same pond. He was so struck by this extraordinary phenomenon
that he decided to build a city at this site so that the strong and weak
could live together in peace and mutual tolerance. Eventually, he
founded the city, which came to be known as "Jamboo" after his
own name. The name later distorted to that of Jammu as it is called now.In 1730, the city came under the rule of the Dogra king, Raja Dhruv Deva and under the patronage of Dogra rulers; Jammu became an important centre of art and culture, especially the Pahari School of paintings. Today, the beautiful city of Jammu boasts of innumerable temples and shrines, refreshing environs, pleasant climate, breathtaking views and harmonious existence of Hindus and Muslims.
Location:In southwestern Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Significance: Winter Capital of J&K.
STD Code0191
Best SeasonSeptember-April
Climate
Summers in Jammu are pleasant to warm with temperatures ranging from 23.4°C to 43°C while winter are chilly with temperature as low as 4.3°C. There is heavy snowfall in the winters too.
How To Reach
By Air: There are domestic flights connecting Jammu to and from Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Srinagar. The nearest airport is the Jammu Airport, 8 km away from the city centre.
By Train:Jammu Tawi, 5 km from the city centre, is an important railway junction of the Northern Railways. There are Express trains connecting it to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta and Amritsar. The most popular trains among the visitors are Jammu Mail, Jammu Express, Shalimar Express, Sealdah Express, Jhelum Express, Madras Express and Rajdhani Express.
By Road:Jammu is connected by the smooth, motorable roads of the national highway network to all parts of the country.
What to wear
In summers, light cotton clothes are advisable while you will need heavy woolen clothes in winters.
Shopping Attractions
A delight for the shopping bugs, the arts and crafts of Jammu and Kashmir are very famous. Especially the Shahtoosh, Pashmina and other woolen shawls, some with exquisite and intricate embroidery and dyed in beautiful cheerful and sober hues are a must-buy from the place. One may hop from shop-to-shop and showroom-to-showroom, without feeling a bit tired and enjoying the visual treat of the handicrafts of the place at Vir Marg, Raghunath Bazaar and Hari Market.
Prime Attractions:
Peer Khoh
Just 3.5 km from Jammu, Peer Khoh is a cave shrine, mainly renowned for its shivalingam. According to a popular myth, there are underground pathways in the cave leading to many other cave shrines, in and out of the country.
Ranbireshwar Temple
Built by Maharaj Rajbir Singh in 1883, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Housed inside the temple are 12 crystal shivalingams that are placed surrounding one central lingam, which is 7.5 feet high.
Raghunath Temple
Nucleus of a group of temples, this temple in situated in the city center and is dedicated to Lord Rama. Maharaja Gulab Singh who founded the kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir initiated the intricate work on the temple in 1835, which was completed in 1860 by his son, Maharaja Ranbir Singh.
Bahu Fort
More than 3,000 years old, this fort is perhaps the oldest structure in Jammu. It is situated on the left bank of River Tawi, 5 km away from the city centre.
Peer Baba
A well-renowned shrine or Dargah of the famous Muslim saint, Peer Budhan Ali Shah, devotees from all the communities including Hindus and Sikhs throng to the place on Thursdays to pay their homage and ask for blessings from the venerated saint.
Mubarak Mandi Palace
A visual treat, this palace is a delightful fusion of Mughal, Rajasthani and European architecture. The highlight of the palace is the Sheesh Mahal, the Palace of Mirrors and the Dogra Art Museum, which boasts of a rich collection of Pahari School of miniature paintings (the paintings of the various hill schools).
Trekking
Trekking is an important part of the tourism industry of the Jammu region. The government and the tourism industry promote various delightful treks and the best time for trekking is in summers because the snow often blocks the routes during winter.
Skiing
People throng to Patnitop for the skiing classes, as the gently graded ski slopes of Patnitop are ideal for beginners. However, there are great slopes in the surrounding area that attracts skiers of all levels. Some other places loved by the skiing enthusiasts are Kud and Sanasar.
