Jammu:
nestling in the foothills of the Himalayas in Northern India
with the river Tawi flowing alongside, is the place that Raja
Jambu Lochan discovered one day while he was on a hunting
trip.It is also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative
divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state
in India. Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the
winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu City is also known
as "City of Temples" as it has many temples and
shrines, with glittering shikhars soaring into the sky, which
dot the city’s skyline, creating the ambiance of a holy and
peaceful Hindu city.
Places Of Interest
Raghunath Mandir: Amongst
the temples in Jammu, the Raghunath Mandir takes pride of
place being situated right in the heart of the city. This
temple is situated at the city centre and was built in 1857.
This temple consists of seven shrines, each with a tower of
its own.
Bawey Wali Mata: The
famous temple of Bawey Wali Mata inside the Bahu Fort attracts
pilgrims every Tuesday and Sunday who come here to worship
the presiding deity of Jammu while opposite the Bahu Fort,
overlooking the River Tawi is a temple dedicated to Mahamaya,
a local heroine of Dogras, who lost her life fourteen centuries
ago fighting foreign invaders.
The Dargah (shrine) of Peer Budhan
Ali Shah or Peer Baba: is said to protect the people
of this city from mishaps and evil spirits. A friend of Guru
Gobind Singh, it is said that Peer Baba lived his entire life
on milk alone and lived to the age of five hundred and still
people from all faiths and religions verate him in equal respect.
Mata Vaishno Devi: The
abode of the Goddess Vaishno Devi is in the Moutains of Trikuta
Hills, in the Jammu and Kashmir State of Northern India. The
Goddess resides in a beautiful cave in the form of 3 'Pindis'
namely, Maha Kali Maha Laxmi and Maha Sarawati. Vaishno Devi
is a hard four-hour (13-km) climb from Katra. In fact, the
number of Yatris visiting the Holy Shrine annually now exceeds
5 million. This is due to the unflinching faith of the devotees
who throng the Shrine from all parts of India and abroad.
Krimchi
- On the way to Sudhmahadev-Mantalai, a short detour
takes one to Krimchi, site of three of the oldest temples
of Jammu. The architecture of the temples shows distinct Greek
(Hellenic) influences. Pancheri, a hill resort is a short
distance away from here.
Ranbireshwar Temple:
this historic temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has one
central 'lingam' measuring seven-and-a-half ft in height,
twelve Shiva 'lingams' of crystal measuring from 15"
to 38" and galleries with thousands of others carved
on stone slabs.
Mahamaya Temple and City Forest
: On the bypass Road, behind Bahu Fort, the
city forest surrounds the ancient Mahamaya temple overlooking
the river Tawi. A small garden surrounded by acres of woods
provides the best view of the city.
Shiv Khori:
Khori means cave (Guffa) and Shiv Khori thus denotes Shiva's
cave. lt is about 200 metres long, one metre wide and two
to three metres high natural cave contains a self made lingam,
which according to the people is unending. The first entrance
of the cave is so wide that 300 devotees can be accommodated
at a time. It is double chamber being quite spacious to accommodate
large number of people. The inner chamber of the cave is smaller.
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