India /Jammu and Kashmir / Jammu /Jammu

Jammu is located at the foot hills of great Himalayas and is the winter capital of the state Jammu and Kashmir. It is believed that Raja Jamboolochan founded this exotic city in 14th century BC. The city, which figured in ancient epic Mahabharata, was named first as Jamboo, but later it has become Jammu. Jammu city is known for its ancient temples, imposing palaces and historically renowned places. To list a few important attractions Shri Mata Vaishno Devi temple, Gauri Kund Temple, Bahu fort, Amar Mahal, Amarnath caves, Mubarak Mandi Palace complex, Gadhadharji Temple, Dogra Art museum and many more. Surinsar Lake is a natural attraction here. Adventure sports are the main characteristic of this amazing city. Tourists are challenged with many opportunities like mountaineering, nature walks, trekking and Rafting. Patnitop, Kishtwar, Krimchi and Sanasar are some of the adventure spots. This is an agriculture base with major crops of Maize, wheat and Paddy. This is a place where one can get the valuable handicrafts made with perfection. Saffron, the highly priced spice, is the cultivated in Jammu fields. The fauna comprises wild sheep, cheetah, leopard, deer, bear, muskrat, and different varieties of reptiles, brown musk shrew, snow partridge and pheasants. Many festivals are celebrated here with much enthusiasm. Adorned with beautiful gardens, lakes, hillocks, snowy mountains the land of temples is a must see place in India. Jammu has a pleasant and cool climate most of the period during the whole year with a subtropical climate. Summers are hot and sweaty while winters are cold, mostly snow falls are observed.

Quick Facts-Edit

Category : Hill Station

Time Zone: UTC + 5:30 Hours

Pincode: 18xxxx

STD Code: 191

Info Website: jammu.nic.in

Best Time to Visit:  october- April.

HistoryEdit

Jammu can be credited to Raja Jambu Lochan, who founded the city in the 14th century B.C. He was convinced Jammu to be a place of peace and tranquility after witnessing a lion and goat drinking water from the same place at the same time and then going their own way. The city was thus named as Jambu-Nagar, which was later changed into Jammu.The popular mythological epic, Mahabharta, also has mentions of Jammu. The excavations conducted near Akhnoor (20 kms from Jammu) confirms the city to have been a part of the Harappan civilization. Various remains have connected the evolution of the city to the Mauryan, Kushans and even the Gupta civilizations. Before coming under the reigns of the British, Jammu was ruled by the Mughals and Sikhs for sometime. The Erstwhile Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled here during the 19th century. During the ruling of Gulab Singh, The British signed a treaty and declared him as the independent ruler of Jammu till independence.

Places to VisitAdd 

Jammu Sightseeing

How to ReachEdit

By Air : Jammu airport which is at a distance of 8 kilometres from the city is well connected with various airports in India. Various airlines have regular flights to Jammu, which make it comfortable for the tourists. Jammu Airport (Satwari Airport): 91-191-2437843.

By Train : The Jammu Tawi railway station in the Jammu city has good rail connectivity with trains from various Indian cities, which even connect it with the Trivandrum railway station in the far south. Jammu Tawi railway station : 0191 – 2470079, 2470082, 2477865.

By BUS : Jammu is well connected by bus services. It is connected to many neighboring cities through private tourist buses including Manali (Rs 1,500), Shimla (Rs 1,500), Amritsar (Rs 900), Ludhiana (Rs 1,200) and Delhi. Delhi to Jammu is about 684 km and tourist deluxe buses charge about Rs 2,000.

By Taxi : Jammu is well connected by a road network and national Highway No. 1A . The tourist can reach to Jammu by taxi. The normal Indian taxi charges of Rupees 8 to 20 will be charged for each km.

By Other : N.A

Top HotelsAdd

Budget  – Up to Rs. 800

• Hotel Raghunath ; Near Raghunath Temple, Opp.Hari Market, Jammu. ; Ph – 094 19 133412 ; Facilities – Travel Desk, 24-hour front desk, Air conditioning, Laundry, Doctor on call.

Economy – Up to Rs. 801 to Rs. 1200

• Hotel Jewel’s ; Jewel’s Cinema complex, Jammu. ; Ph – 1912520801 ; Facilities – Travel Desk, 24-hour front desk, 24-hour room service, Laundry, Parking, 24-Hour Security, Doctor on call.

Deluxe – Up to Rs. 801 to Rs. 1200

• Hotel Meridian Palace ; Opp. Shakuntla Cinema New Rehari Road, Jammu 180001. ; Ph – 09419 312627 ; Facilities – Travel Desk, 24-hour front desk, 24-hour room service, Air conditioning, Laundry, Parking.

Luxury – Rs. 2501 and above

• Hotel KC Residency ; Residency Road, Jammu 180001. ; Ph – 0191 257 5444 ; Facilities – Shopping, Travel Desk, 24-hour front desk, Air conditioning, Conference facilities, Elevators, Laundry, Parking, 24-Hour Security, Catering Services, Guest Lift to all floors, Laundry/Valet Services, Wedding Services, Banquet facilities, Doctor on call.

Top RestaurantsAdd

• Falak Revolving Restaurant ;  Residency Rd, Lalkuan, Old Heritage City, Jammu, JK. ; M –  0191 – 2520770, 2575444 ; Food Serve :  Multi-Cuisine.

• Imperial Grill Restaurant ;  TRG Complex, Bahu Plaza, Gandhinagar, Jammu, JK 180004. ; M –  0191 247 0244 ; Food Serve :  Multi-Cuisine.

• McDonalds ;  Shop no 1, Ground Floor, Denis Gate, Residency Road, Old Heritage City, Jammu, JK 180006. ; M –  095 96 631616 ; Food Serve :  Indian, Fast Food.

• Pizza Hut ;  Ground Floor, Indira Theatre, Canal Road, Jammu, JK, 180002. ; M –  0191 250 3520 ; Food Serve :  pizza, Fast Food.

Must Eat FoodAdd

Must Do ActivitiesAdd

• Trekking ; Lamayuru to Padum traverse, Stok-Khangri round trek, Zanskar ranges, Ladakh range between the Indus and Shayok valleys. ; Cost – N.A. ; Visiting Time –  9.30 am ; Closed Time :  6.00pm.

Must ShopAdd

• Kashmiri handicrafts, traditional Dogra jewellery. ; Raghunath Bazaar ;  Raghunath bazaar, Raghunath mandir road, Jammu. ; Ph/M:  N.A.
• Dry fruits, chiefly walnuts (‘akhrot’) and almonds. ; Hari Market ;  Hari Market ; Ph/M:  N.A.

Nightlife (Pub / Disc / BAR)Add

• Jammu Club ; Nawabad, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir 180016, India ; Ph/M: N.A. ; Cost:  Rs.1700.00 ; Food Serve : N.A.
• Baron Bar & Pub ; Hotel KC Residency, Residency Road, Jammu Tawi, Jammu- 180001. ; Ph/M: (191) 2575444, (191) 2520770 ; Cost:  N.A. ; Food Serve : N.A.

SpaAdd

• Naturals Family Spa ;  3, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu- 180012. ; Ph/M – (191) 2479441, 9858639441 ; Cost:  N.A. ; Services –  Back Massage, Baliness Massage, Bleaching, Body Polish, Body Wrap, Face Massage, Facial, Foot Reflexology, Hand & Feet Massage, Head Massage, Rejuvenation, Spa Manicure, Spa Pedicure, Steam Bath, Steam Wrap, Waxing.
• Spa Radise ;  47/7 Trikuta Nagar, Jammu – 180012 ; Ph/M – N.A. ; Cost:  N.A. ; Services –  Body Contouring, Body Polishing, Body Wrap, Hand & Feet Massage, Stress Relieving Treatment.

FestivalAdd

Lohri Festival ;Venue:  N.A. ; Period :January ;Details:The Lohri festival marks the onset of spring and is also known as Makar Sankranti. The whole region wears a festive look on this day. Thousands of devotees take a dip in the holy rivers. ‘Havan Yagnas’ light up nearly every house and temple in Jammu. In the rural areas it is customary for young boys to go around asking for gifts from newly-weds and parents of new-borns. A special dance called the ‘Chajja’ is held on the occasion of Lohri.

Bahu Mela ;Venue: Kali Temple in Bahu Fort.; Period :September-October.; Details: Bahu Mela is a major festival which is held at the Kali Temple in Bahu Fort, twice a year in the month of March-April and September-October.

Purmandal Mela ; Venue: Panjbhaktar Temple.; Period :February-March ; Details:On Shivratri, the Jammu town wears a festive look as people celebrate the marriage of Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati. This festival is celebrated for three days in Purmandal which is about 39 kms from Jammu city and known as Purmandal Mela. The people of Jammu also come out in their colourful best to celebrate Shivratri at Peer Khoh, the Ranbireshwar Temple and the Panjbhaktar Temple. In fact, if one visits Jammu during Shivratri, one finds a celebration going on almost everywhere.

Safety / WarningEdit

•  Beware of pickpockets as Jammu is a major tourist city in India.

HelplineEdit

• Ambulance : 102
• Fire Brigade : 101
• Police : 100

ItineraryEdit

Day-1
7:12 am – Ranbir Canal ;Approx. time spent : 4 hrs
12:30 pm- Bahu Fort & Gardens ;Approx. time spent : 4 hrs
2:30 pm – Patnitop ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
4:30 pm – Sanasar ; Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
Day-2
8:30 am – Katra ;Approx. time spent : 3 hrs
11:30 am – KUD ;Approx. time spent : 3 hrs
2:30 pm – Batote ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
4:30 pm – Mansar Lake ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
Day-3
7:12 am – Purmandal ;Approx. time spent : 45 hrs
1:00 pm – Shiv Khori ;Approx. time spent : 3 hrs
3:00 pm – Dera Baba Banda ;Approx. time spent : 4 hrs
5:30 pm – Sudh Mahadev ;Approx. time spent : 3 hrs

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