Jammu

Jammu is separated from Kashmir by the Pir Panjal Range .

Jammu borders on Kashmir in the north, Ladakh in the east, and Himachal Pradesh and Punjab in the south. In the west, the Control Line separates Jammu from Pakistani Azad Kashmir . Sandwiched between the Kashmir Valley in the north and the Damen Kokh Plain in the south, Civalik covers most of Jammu. Pir Panjal , the hills of Tricut and the lowlands of the Tavi River add to the beauty and diversity of the Jammu territory.

The nationality inhabiting Jammu is called Dogra and speaks on Dogri .

Local historians and local historians believe that Jammu was founded by Raja Jambu Locan in the 14th century BC. e. . He went hunting and saw that on the coast of Tavi (river) a goat and a lion drink water in one place. Then the animals calmly left. Returning home, Raja told his friends that this river was probably a place of peace and harmony. Raja built on this place a palace and a city called Jambu Nagar . Over time, the name changed to Jammu. Jambu Locan was the brother of Raj Bahu Locan, who, according to legend, built Fort Bahu .

The city is mentioned in the Mahabharata . Excavations at Akhnur , 32 km from Jamm, testify to the presence of Harrap civilization .

Monuments of Maurya , Kushans , Indo-Sassanids and Gupta Naidina in Jammu. After 480 N. e. the Ephtalites who ruled from Kapisa and Kabul dominated here. They were replaced by the Kushan-Eftalite dynasty from 565 to 670 AD. e., then Kabul Shahi from 670 to 1000th, and finally gaznevidy .

Jammu is mentioned in the history of Timur . After the Moguls and Sikhs invaded, and finally they were replaced by the British . They ruled until the partition of India , followed by the First Indo-Pakistani War .

As the seat of the Dograj Rajput dynasty, Jammu fell under the control of Ranjit Sinha and in the 19th century became a part of the Sikh empire . Ranjit soon appointed Gulab Singh as ruler of Jammu. After the death of Ranjit, the Punjab was defeated by the British after Maharaja Dulib Singh was captured by order of the East India Company. Unable to control the hilly areas of Punjab by themselves, the British placed Gulab Singh , the strongest ruler of the Satlendzh valley, ruler of Jammu and Kashmir . The British collected debts of 7.5 million rupees from him and recognized him as ruler of the state. Gulab Singh is considered the founder of the State.

In 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh decided not to join Pakistan or India, but to leave the principality independent. Ethnic and religious clashes began to destabilize Jammu and Kashmir.

Dogra - 67% of the region’s population. There are also many Punjabis , mainly Hindus and Sikhs .

Most Hindus are 65%, and 30% Muslims are mostly Sikhs . Hindus are Dogras, Kashmiri pandits , immigrants from Kotil and Mirpur, and also Punjabi Hindus . Many Sikhs moved from Pakistani Kashmir (for example, from Muzaffarabad and Punch).

Main languages: Dogri, Punch, Gojri, Cauldron , Mirpuri , Hindi , Punjabi , and Urdu .

Among Hindus, castes of Brahmins and Rajputs predominate. According to the 1941 census, 30% of Hindus are Brahmins , 27% Rajputs , 15% Thakkaras , 4% Jatas , and 8% Khatri . ^[five]

There are 10 counties in Jammu:

• Doda County
• Jammu County
• Kathua County
• Kishtvar District
• Punch County
• Rajouri County
• Riasi County
• Ramban County
• Samba District
• Udhampur County

Jammu is famous for its views, ancient temples, Hindu shrines, Amar Mahal (now a museum), gardens and forts . The Hindu temple Amarnath and Vaishno Devi attract tens of thousands of pilgrims. Tourists who prefer active tours also go to Jama ^{[6] [6]} . In Jammu, Islamic architectural style is combined with Hindu style.

Purmandal

Purmandal, aka Chhota Kashi , is located 35 km from Jammu. This is an ancient shrine, several temples of Shiva and other gods. A festival takes place here at Maha Shivaratri .

Vaishno Devi

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The city of Katra is located near Vaishno Devi. On the top of Tricuta at an altitude of 1700 m is the sacred cave Vaishno-Devi. It is 48 km away from Jammu, the cave is 30 m long and 1.5 m high. The cave represents three forms of the goddess - Mahakali , Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati . Pilgrims begin their journey to the temple, which lies 13 km from Katra. They walk through a narrow passage, past icy waters to a sacred cave in which the Great Goddess hid from the demon, whom she later killed.

Nandini

Nandini - a sanctuary of wildlife, is named so because there are many pheasants living free. Also there are the Common Lane , the Gray Dove , the Common Peacock , the Banking Rooster , Pheasant Wallich and Keklik .

Mammals live on the territory of 34 km²: leopard , wild boar , rhesus monkey , Nahur and gray langur .

Manasbal Lake

Mansar Lake, located 62 km from Jammu, is a beautiful reservoir surrounded by wooded hills, more than 1.5 km in length and almost a kilometer in width. This is a sacred place and a popular sightseeing route.

Ananta Shesha Temple on the eastern shore of the lake. In the center of the sanctuary is a large boulder, and next to it are iron chains that symbolize the serpents that guard the peace of Ananta-shesha, which the stone symbolizes. The newlyweds go around three times ( Perikarma ) around the lake to be blessed by Ananta-shesha.

The ancient temple of Umapati Mahadev and Narsimha and the temple of Durga are located near the lake and many Indians are washed in its sacred waters. Some people perform eccentricity here - cutting hair of children.

Recently, the lake has become popular with tourists who watch the local fauna. Gujars , who live near the lake, wear traditional costumes and do crafts, so they receive additional income from tourism.

The road to Lake Mansar leads from Pathankot to Udhampur . Udhampur is a city of strategic importance, connected to National Highway No. 1A. The road goes from Mansar or Samba to Udhampur, bypassing the city of Jammu. Surinsar Lake is a small lake near Mansar, 24 km from Jammu on a bypass.

Fort Bahu

Bahu Fort , is also a temple, located 5 km from Jammu on a rock on the left bank of the Tavi River. This is most likely the oldest fortress in Jammu. Erected by Rajah Bahulochan 300 years ago, the fort was rebuilt by the Dogra rulers. Inside the fort is a temple dedicated to Kali . Every Tuesday and Sunday, pilgrims visit the temple and participate in the worship of the Tavi River. The fort is also surrounded by gardens in which residents arrange picnics.

Bagh-i-Bahu - the famous Mughal garden on the banks of the Tavi River. The garden offers views of the old city and Tavi. The garden serves as a resting place, there is also a cafeteria.

On the bypass road behind the fort, there is a forest in which there are ruins of the ancient Mahamaya temple (mother of Buddha Shakyamuni). This beautiful temple was abandoned 14 centuries ago. A new temple on this site was built after the coronation of Maharaja Gulab Sinha in 1822. This temple was dedicated to Mahakali (although it is sometimes called Mahamaya) and it is considered the second most important after Mata Vaishno-Devi in mystical power.

Raghunath Temple

Among the temples of Jammu, Raghunat Mandir occupying a central place, as located in the heart of the city. In 1857, Gulab Singh began to erect it. Inside the walls of the temple are covered with gold sheets. There are halls with thousands of Salagram-sila in the temple. Around are the shrines of the gods and goddesses associated with the Ramayana . The temple has seven shrines and a tower is erected above each. This is the largest temple complex in northern India. Despite its youth, the temple has collected a magnificent library and is famous for rare sacred texts, and Sanskrit manuscripts. In the architecture of the temple in its arches, courtyards and niches, the influence of the Mughal architectural style is felt, inside the temple was abundantly decorated with gold. The main sanctuary is dedicated to Lord Cherry , or rather to its incarnation - Rama, the patron saint of dogrov.

Pir Kho Cave

Shaivist temples Pir Kho Cave , Panchabhatar and Ranbireshwar are located on the coast of Tavi. On the bank of the Tavi in ​​Pir Kho Jambavantha, the bear god from Ramayana indulged in meditation. In Ranbireswara, Shiva's lingams carved from crystals are also galleries with thousands of saligrams mounted on stone slabs. It is located on the Shalimar Road near the New Secretariat and was built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1883. The central lingam is 230 cm high, 12 crystalline lingams are from 15 cm to 38 cm high and galleries of thousands of simple lingams on stone slabs.

Shivkhori

The famous Shivkhori Cave Temple , located in the Risi district, is a natural shava lingam. This is one of the most revered shrines of the cave of Shiva. The cave is more than 150 meters long and inside is a 120-centimeter Swayambhu Liggum, which is washed by a milky-lime fluid draining from the ceiling. The cave is a unique natural formation and, according to believers, is filled with divine power, it is known as the "House of the Gods." The road from Jammu to the cave goes past picturesque mountains, waterfalls and lakes.

Jammu Town Center

In Jammu, there is a Falak revolving restaurant on top of the KC Residency Hotel. Ragunat Bazar is often visited by tourists for shopping. Gandhi Nagar, Gol market, and Apsara street are famous. The place of walks is the "Green Belt" - a boulevard with beautiful bungalows for relaxation. Rajinder Park, recently built on Canal Street. The park is located between two canals and in the center of the fountain illuminated at night, the park has places for children.

City Square is the main shopping center, clothing, accessories and restaurants under one roof. Also, the new Bahu Plaza shopping complex in the Tricuta Nagar area is often visited by young people and various specialists. The offices of several companies and mobile operators are located in Bihu Plaza: Airtel , BNSL , Vodafone , Airtzel, Reliance and Tata Teleservice . KC Cineplex was the first multiplex in the city, the old Indira Cinema was also rebuilt into the KC Central multiplex.

Jammu is famous for its chocolate Barfi , Sund Panjiri , Patisa and a local dish - Rajma (with rice) is especially popular in Jammu.

Lohri (Jan 13)

The beginning of spring is also celebrated, also called Makar Sankranti . This holiday celebrates all of Jammu.

Thousands of residents bathe in the river, the ritual is called Havan Yagnas , candles are lit in almost every Jammu house. Newlyweds and young parents give presents to local children in the village.

Chajj dance, the boys build a long Chajjad procession, decorate themselves with garlands of flowers and move along the streets with foams and drumming.

Vaisakhi (April 13 or 14)

The name Vaisakha is given in the first month of the Wikram calendar. Every year on the first day of Vaisakha, people of Jammu are celebrated. It is called the "harvest festival" and is considered favorable for marriage. Believers jump into rivers, canals, ponds. People go to Nagbini Temple to celebrate New Year.

Fairs open and thousands of people come to see the Punjabi dance of Bhangra . For the Jamma Sikhs, Vaisakha is the day of the tenth Guru, Singh, Gobind , founder of the Khalsa sect in 1699. Gurdwaras are crowded with people listening to kirtans, playing and celebrating prasadam with a joint meal (langar).

Bahu Mela (March-April and September-October)

The main festival of the Kali Temple in Fort Bahu is celebrated twice a year.

Chaitre Chaudash (March-April)

Caitre Chaudash is celebrated at Uttar Behni and Purmandala, 25 km and 28 from Jammu, respectively. Uttar Behni is so named because the Devak River (local name Gupt Ganga) flows here in a northerly direction.

Purmandal Mela (February-March)

Purmandal is 39 km from Jammu. On Maha Shivaratri, people celebrate the wedding of Lord Siva with the goddess Parvati . Jammu residents also celebrate Shivarati at Pir Khokh Cave, Ranbireshwar Temple and Ranjbhaktar Temple. Shivaratri is celebrated throughout Jammu.

Jhiri Mela (October-November)

The annual fair in honor of Bab Jitu, a simple farmer who committed suicide, instead of abandoning his harvest at the request of the local lord. He lived in the village of Jhiri , 14 km from Jammu. People gather in the village to honor the memory of the brave and honest Baba Jitu.

Navaratri (September-October)

Although the yatra to the sanctuary of Mata Vaishno-Devi does not stop all year, the pilgrimage during Navratri is considered the most favorable. Showing respect for local culture, heritage and traditions, the Department of Tourism established the Navratri festival in September / October for 9 auspicious days. The festival is accompanied by concerts by popular performers, tourist trips are organized, and in general the Jammu State showcase was made from the festival. Pilgrims flock to Vaishno-Devi during this period.

Urs (all year)

Urs (or Ziarats ) is a typical Kashmiri holiday. Urs is celebrated by local Muslims at the mausoleums of the saints on the anniversary of their death. The proverb says: “If there is snow, then there will be Urs at Misha Sahib, if there is wind, then Urs at Batamol Sahib will happen, and it will rain on the occasion of Urs at Bahauddin.” That is, Urs is observed despite the bad weather.

• Jammu University
• State College of Engineering and Technology, Jammu
• Maharaja Harisingh University School
• State Medical College and Hospital, Jammu.
• Model Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET), Cat Vhalval, Jammu
• Mahant Bachittar Singh College of Engineering and Technology (MBSCET) Baliana, Jammu
• (ICES) College of Engineering and Technology
• Acharya Sri Chander College of Medicine and Hospital
• Sri Pratar Rajput Memorial, Business College, BBA, BCA
• Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agronomy - Jammu
• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Livestock, RSPura
• Saynik Nudity School

• Dogri
• Dogra

• Vardaan Hotel Jammu Near Gen Bus Stand +91 9419135103
• Vardaan Resort Patnitop, Your Host in PatniTop
• Heaven of earth in jammu and kashmir
• Jammu district
• Jammu Kashmir: Travel & Tours
• Brief history of Jammu rulers with coinage details
• Jammu kashmir features
• Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board
• Duggar Times- The land, people (Dogras) and their culture
• Official site of Jammu and Kashmir Government
• 'God of Small Things,' Travelogue in The Indian Express, March 05, 2006, by Arjun Razdan