Jammu

A peek into mountain destination of Jammu

An ancient Himalayan hill resort that is more rooted in the world of sacred Hindu shrines, caves, palaces and forts is arguably Jammu. The mountain destination is the ideal place to experience the best of Dogri culture. The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been a celebrated tourist destination but the city of Jammu to a large extent, remains unexplored by tourists. In contemporary times, Jammu is a great getaway from our high-pressure lifestyle.

I couldn’t make it to Jammu during my earlier visit to the state but in the aftermath of Vaishno Devi sojourn, it was time for us to discover the pilgrim treasures of the Himalayan town. Lying on the banks of the meandering river Tawi, the city is bubbling with teeming population and has a potted history of its own. Most of the Himalayan hill resorts like Shimla, Mussoorie, Ranikhet and Nainital are British in origin but Jammu has a vibrant religious life and has been the discovery of the Dogra ruler, Maharaja Gulab Singh. The city has an amiable gathering of Dogras, Punjabis and Kashmiris.  

For discerning tourists with a passion to visit age-old shrines steeped in mythology, do visit Jammu. We began with New Shiva Classic temple that took shape in 1992 and exhibits glittering mirror-spangled work at its interiors. The shrine houses lord Shiva and Parvati and has a centrally-placed Shiva-Lingam. One of the most popular shrine complexes in the city hub is Raghunath temple that has a number of shrines in the complex and is among the front-ranking temple complex in North India. The interiors display a whole range of Hindu pantheons from lesser-known to popular Gods. The shrine complex has an accommodating capacity of around 24 lakh devotees during the time of “Mahayagya”.

New Shiva Classic temple

From here, we took the winding road leading downwards to reach the Jamavant Peer Kho cave shrine overlooking river Tawi, around 3.5 km from the city. Popular as Yama cave, there are a number of shrines underground that would blow the tourists away.  Besides, honouring the nine forms of Goddess Durga, the principal deity of the shrine is Lord Jamavant and the cave has the natural Shiva Lingam. We received nuggets of info from the priest of the cave shrine well-versed with Hindu mythology and serves as a local guide.

A visit to the Amar Mahal Palace and Museum, a one-time seat of Dogra rulers is essential. The palace is in the form of a French castle with sloping roofs and provides panoramic views of the river Tawi with dark shadows of the mountain at a distance. The adorned palace was thrown open for public in 1975 and has been transformed into a museum of modern times. There is a library with books and antique paintings. The museum shares a strong historic association of regal times and provides glimpses of Pahari School of paintings illustrating the epic, “Nala Damayanti.” We had a glance at the genealogy of the Dogra rulers of Jammu and their dynasty and the Rajput rulers of Udaipur as well.

One should not leave out Ranbireshwar temple tucked near the New Secretariat. Set up in 1883 A.D, the shrine has been conceptualized by Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Known as the abode of Lord Shiva, the shrine has a centrally-placed Lingam measuring 7.5 feet high with 12 crystal Lingams. The shrine has galleries with thousands of Shivalingams crafted in stone.

Ranbireshwar temple

The legendary 3000-year-old imposing fort of Jammu- Bagh-e-Bahu is encircled with terraced gardens amidst cascading waterfalls. The creation of Raja Bahulochan, history says that the fort emerged in limelight after the coronation of Maharaja Gulb Singh. It lies on an upland plateau overlooking river Tawi. The reigning deity of the fort is Bhabe Wali Mata, a hallowed pilgrim site for thousands of devotees. 

Before retiring for the day, we drove past the upmarket ambience of Gandhi Nagar and Green Park, the vibrant Karan Market and the old-world ambience at Taangewali Gali. Today, the lingering experience remains etched in my memory.