Jammu and Kashmir, India’s fascinating
northernmost state consists of three regions
differing in topography and culture. Jammu
was the stronghold of Hindu Dogra kings and
abounds with popular temples and secluded
forest retreats. Kashmir’s capital city,
Srinagar offers delightful holidays on the
lakes with their shikaras and houseboats.
Ladakh is the northern most province of the
state, with a bleak terrain of barren mountains.
Hilltop monasteries and a colourful way of
life, completely at one with the surroundings,
make Ladakh one of the best living traditions
of Tibetan Buddhism in the world today.
Amongst the three regions of Jammu &
Kashmir State, Jammu, perhaps, offers the
widest diversity of terrain and beauty. The
entire region is pocketed with lakes and valleys,
some still little explored. The foundation
of the settlement of Jammu is attributed to
King Jambulochan of the 9th century BC. In
1730 AD, it came under the Dogra rule of Raja
Dhruv Deva and Jammu became an important centre
for arts and culture, now renwned as the Pahari
School. Religion, too, played an important
part in its development, so beautifully evidenced
in its various shrines and temples spread
throughout the region.
General Information :
Area: 20.36 sq.km
Altitude: 305 metres
Temperature (°C): Summer- Max.39.9, Min.23.4,
Winter- Max.20.2, Min.4.5
Rainfall: 107 cms (June to September)
Clothings: Summer- Light cottons, Winter-
Heavy woollens
Best Season: Throughout the year
How to get there?
By Air : Indian Airlines connect
Jammu with Delhi, Leh and Shrinagar
By Rail : Jammu Tawi, the
railway station to reach Jammu, is connected
by rail to Calcutta, Delhi, Bombay, Madras
and other main cities in India
By Road : Jammu, on N.H.no
1A, is connected by good all-weather roads
to all parts of India. Some of the road distances
are:- Amritshar 243 kms, Chandigarh 436 kms,
Delhi 586 kms, Katra 48 kms, Shrinagar 305
kms, Manali 428 kms.
Major tourist attractions of Jammu
& Kashmir : Ranbireshwar Temple;
Raghunath Temple (Raghunath Bazar); Raghunath
Temple (Purani Mandi); Ranbir Canal (3.5 kms);
Bahu Fort (5 kms); Bage Bahu (5 kms); Amar
Mahal Palace Museum (Ramnagar, Tel.45676,
Timming: 1000-1200 & 1500-1700 hrs for
six days and 1000-1200 hrs only for Sundays,
Closed on State holidays, Entrance Fee: Rs.5);
Dogra Art Gallery (Gandhi Bhawan, Opp. New
Secretariat, Timmings: 1100-1700 in winter
& 0730-1300 hrs in summer, Closed on Mondays).
Excursions from Jammu & Kashmir
:
Akhnoor: 32 kms. Regular bus-services available
from Jammu
Batote: 113 kms, 1560 metres. Health Resort
on the Jammu-Shrinagar highway
Kud: 106 kms, 1738 metres. Resort on Jammu-Shrinagar
highway
Mansar Lake: 80 kms. Regular bus-services
available from Jammu
Purmandal (Chhota Kashi): 39 kms. Religious
place connected by bus with Jammu. Accommodation
is available in pilgrim shelters
Patnitop: 112 kms, 2024 metres. A resort &
picnic spot on the Jammu-Shrinagar highway
Ramban: 148 kms
Ramnagar: 102 kms. Regular bus-services available
from Jammu
Sanasar: 129 kms, 2079 metres. 19 kms from
Patnitop, slightly away from the National
Highway
Sudhmahadev: 120 km, 1225 metres
Surinsar Lake: 42 kms. Picturesque spot. Accommodation
available in huts
Kishtwar High Altitude National Park: 248
kms
Vaishno Devi Shrine : The
holy cave shrine of Vaishno devi is situated
in a beautiful racess of the Trikuta Mountains
forming a part of the lower Himalayas as in
the state of Jammu & Kashmir at an altitude
of over 5000 feet. In the cave there are images
of three dieties viz. the Mahakali, Mahalakshmi
and Mahasaraswati. The shrine can be visited
throughout the year, but during the winter
season the route is often blocked by snow-fall.
How To Reach : Jammu (62
kms) is the nearest airport as well as the
nearest railway station and by Road: Jammu-Katra
48 kms (by road) and Katra-Vaishno Devi 14
kms (on foot). Route from Katra to Vaishno
Devi: Katra - Ban Ganga (1.5 kms) Ban Ganga
- Charan Paduka (1.5 kms) Charan Paduka -
Adhkunwari (3 kms) Adhkunwari - Bhavan (8
kms) The 14 kms track from Katra to the shrine
has been relaid and tiled. Railings have also
been installed for protection. The 100 feet
cave is very narrow with an average height
of 5.5 feet only and has ankle deep water.
The pilgrims are allowed in batches through
the cave. A newly constructed exit makes the
process of going out of the shrine easier.
Buses leave for Katra from the General Bus
Stand (Jammu), throughout the day. During
peak season buses are also available from
Jammu-Tawi railway station. Journey time 2
hours. Taxis are also available from Jammu.
Srinagar, the Mughals
aptly called Kashmir, Paradise, and they journeyed
acroos the tortuously hot plains of India,to
summer in the cool environs of srinagar. And
here they laid, with great love and care,
Srinagar's many formal, water-front gardens,
now collectively known as the Mughal Gardens.
Today's Srinagar is a pleasure resort for
the tourist who can experience, at first hand,
the peculiar beauty of the valley that has
attracted the Chinese, the Mughals and the
British to it.
General information :
Area: 103.3 sq km
Altitude: 1,730 metres (approx)
Temperature (°C): Summer- Max.29.5, Min.10.6,
Winter- Max.7.3, Min.-1.9
Rainfall: 529 mms (Mid June to Mid September)
Clothings: Summer- Cottons/Tropical; Winter-
Heavy woollens
Best Season: Throughout the year, though
winter months are quite cold
How to get there?
Air : Srinagar Airport (14 kms from
the Srinagar city) is connected by Indian
Airlines to Delhi, Amritsar, Jammu, Leh, Chandigarh,
Ahmedabad, Bombay.
Rail: Nearest railhead Jammu Tawi (293 km
from the Srinagar city) is connected to all
parts of the country with mail and express
trains.
Road: Srinagar, on National Highway, is connected
with all the major places in India and in
the State, viz. Jammu 293 kms, Leh 434 kms,
Kargil 204 kms, Gulmarg 52 kms, Pahalgam 96
kms, Delhi 876 kms, Chandigarh 630 kms etc.
Note: All foreigners
entreing Jammu and Kashmir State are required
to register their arrival and departure with
the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office
located at the airport and in the city.
Major tourist attractions of Srinagar
: Pather Masjid 6 kms, Shah Hamdan
Mosque 5 kms, Jamia Masjid 5 kms, Hari Parbat
Fort 5 kms, Nagin Lake 8 kms, Hazratbal 9
kms, Shalimar Bagh 15 kms, Harwan 19 kms,
Nishat Bagh 11 kms, Cheshma Shahi 9 kms, Pari
Mahal 11 kms, Shankaracharya Temple 5 kms
and Daal Lake 0.5 km and
Shri Pratap Singh Museum at Lal Mandi (1000
to 1700 hours, Closed on Wednesdays &
Govt. holidays)
