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Jammu, gate way to Kashmir, may not be rich like the Kashmir valley with the bounties of
nature, but it offers, nevertheless, resorts of scenic beauty, hill treks, picnic
spots, lakes and places of pilgrimage. The shrines of the
province especially Vaishno Devi - attract large numbers of pilgrims from all
over the world. In 1997, about 60,00000 pilgrims visited this shrine.
Jammu city has long been a centre of Indian pilgrimage and culture, renowned
especially for the Pahari school of miniature painting which developed in this
region. The towering citadels and spires of this unique 'city of temples',
perched on a ridge can be viewed from afar. Worship of Shakti - is prevalent in all parts of Jammu province.
The best known of the Shakti shrines is the one called Vaishno Devi, which has
the same place in Jammu as the Amarnath cave has in Kashmir.
Raghunath Temple
Raghunath Mandir situated at the city centre is one of the
biggest temple complexes of northern India. Though 130 years old, the complex is
remarkable for sacred scriptures, one of the richest collection of ancient texts
and manuscripts in its library. Build in 1857, this temple consists of seven shrines, each with
tower. Its arches, surface and niches shows the Mughal influence.
The interior of the temple is plated with gold. Its principal sanctuary is
dedicated to Vishnu's eighth incarnation and Dogras' patron
deity the Rama. There is a Sanskrit Library here which contains rare Sanskrit
manuscripts.
Vaishno Devi Shrine - Katra
The holy cave shrine of Vaishno-Devi is situated in the Trikuta Mountains of lower Himalayas
in the Jammu province. The shrine is approachable on foot along a 12 kms trek from Katra town at the foot of the
hills. Read more about Vaishno
Devi shrine in Jammu.
Patnitop
Patnitop, a popular hill station in Udhampur district on the National Highway
1A from Udhampur to Srinagar is located at a height of 2,024 metres above sea level.
The resort is located close to the Pir Panchal range about 47 km from Udhampur
and 112 kilometers from Jammu. Among the main attractions of Patnitop are delightful picnic spots, serene walks
through pine forests and magnificent views of the mountains forming the backdrop of the Chenab river.
The place also offers trekking opportunities to Shivagarh 3500m, 11 kms away
from Patnitop, here the sacred Gourikund Goddess Parvathi used to bathe everyday
and offers basic skiing, paragliding and pony rides. Read
more details of Patnitop
Kud and
Batote are nearby villages of Patnitop. Kud to Sanasar, 19kms from Patnitop is
another destination in the tourist circuit. This
is the position where it is considered that Devi Parvati, the goddess, comes and
bathes every day before her wishes. This is a recognized position. Taking a dip
in the sacred water of this holy Gaurikund is expected to keep away all the bad
fortune. From the area of Gaurikund, visitors can see the top of holy Kailash
Parvat (peak). |
