Jammu- the Duggar land where the past still has a living
presence. A land of grand ancient temples, and beautiful palaces.
Nestled against the backdrop of the snow-cappedPirPanjalMountains,
the region ofJammuconstitutes the southernmost unit of the state of
Jammu & Kashmir. It forms part of the transition between the
Himalayan range in the north and the dusty plains ofPunjabin the
south. Between these two extremities lie a series of scrub-covered
hills, forested mountain ranges and river valleys, encompassing
several microclimatic regions that extend from Kishtawar in the
north-east to Akhnoor in the south-west, and the historic town
ofPoonchin the north-west to the borders of Kangra (H P) in the
south-east. The Shivalik hills cut across the area from the east to
the west while the riversRavi, Tawi andChenabcut their way through
the region.
The last stop on the railway line north is Udhampur, where you
can catch onward buses and hire SUVs/MUVs (Tata Sumo /ToyotaInnova/
Mahindra Scorpio). However it is better to get down inJammuand
catch a taxi from there as these are more readily available.
Numerous domestic airlines fly toSrinagarandJammu, and frequent
buses and share jeeps provide connections to Ladakh and the
plains.Jammuis served by frequent train services. Buses are
operated by J&K SRTC to most points around the state. They
offer package tour to Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Yusmarg, Ular lake, City
tour, etc. There is Tourist information center, where one get the
tickets plus info. 4wd jeeps are quicker, a little more expensive
and reach more locations. Private hire jeeps are also
available.
Amar Mahal, located inJammu, is a palace depicting grandeur of
an erstwhile era.
A small garden along theRanbirCanal, which runs through the
city outskirts.
Bahu Fort stands on a rock face on the left bank of the river
Tawi.
Jasrota Mata
Patnitop is the most popular tourist spot ofJammuregion.
Mata Sukrala
A place for a quiet holiday, the meadow has now been developed
as a golf course.
Mata Sundrikote
This small town serves as the base camp for visting the famous
shrine of Vaishnodevi in the Trikuta hills.
Mata Balaji Sundri
This resort straddles the forested slopes of the Patnitop
mountain range, overlooking the spectacular lie of
theChenabgorge.
Boating facilities are available in the spot. Every year around
Baisakhi, a food and crafts festival is organised here by J&K
Tourism.
Often referred to as 'Chhota Kashi', its main temple is
dedicated to 'umapati'.
It is a major Hindu-Sikh pilgrimage centre situated 75 Kms
fromJammu.
Peer Khoh is a cave shrine located on theCircular Road, 3.5 kms
from the heart of the town.
Behind theCivilAirportis the famous durgah of the Muslim saint,
Peer Budhan Ali Shah.
On the way to Sudhmahadev-Mantalai, a short detour takes one to
Krimchi, site of three of the oldest temples ofJammu.
The crystal clear, cool water of Jajjar attract picnickers in
large number during summer.
This town is associated with the legend of Soni-Mahiwal.
The west of the Holy Shrine of Vashnodeviji is the Salal Dam
andLake.
On way to Salal Dam, Baba Dhansar is a beautiful and cool
picnic spot.
Dedicated to Lord Rama, Situated in the heart of the city and
surrounded by a group of other temples.
This historic temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The city forest surrounds the ancient Mahamaya temple
overlooking the river Tawi.
It is situated near Samba and is popularly known as Pehla
Darshan of Vaishno Devi pilgrims.
The architecture is a blend of Rajasthani, Mughal and even
baroque elements.
