Districts of Jammu

 List of districts of Jammu

Jammu Region consists of 10 districts:-

1. Kathua

2. Jammu

3. Samba

4. Udhampur

5. Reasi

6. Rajouri

7. Poonch

8. Doda

9. Ramban

10. Kishtwar

Samba District of Jammu

 SAMBA DISTRICT

Now let us know about another district of Jammu that is the Samba District.

(Map of Samba District)(Source- Wikipedia)

Samba District was founded in 2006, Samba District is a district of Indian Union Territory, Jammu, and Kashmir. Samba district is also called the ‘City of Sheets’. Before the formation of the Samba District, this sector was part of the Jammu District and the Kathua District. Samba Town is located on the foothills of Shivalik Hills by the side of the National Highway at 384 meters above sea level, on the river Basantar that is at a distance of 40 kilometers from the Jammu City. Samba District is surrounded by the Udhampur District in the North, Kathua District in the East, Tehsil Jammu and Bishnath of District Jammu in the West, while in the Southern side of Samba District it has a 55.5 kilometers long International Border with Pakistan. Around two-third part of the Samba District is Rain Fed. Samba District comprises four blocks- Samba, Vijay Pur, Purmandal, Ghagwal.

Rath Kharda  Mela is the most popular fair in Samba District. An eight-day fair is arranged in Narsingh and Annapurna Temple in Ghagwal of Samba district of Jammu division. This fair requires taking out the procession of creator on a Chariot. Hence, this fair was named Rath Kharda Mela. Thousands of devotees are extracted from neighboring states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, and also the other areas of the Jammu region. People of other hilly areas of Jammu like- Doda, Kishtwar, Basohli, Bani, Dudu Basantgarh set their stalls in this fair and sell the handicrafts and woolen items like- Blankets, Pattus, and Shawls.

During this fair, the temple is ornamented with lights and flowers. Devotees look up the temple and pay adoration to the main deity, Bhagwan Narsimha. A Bhandara is also arranged for devotees. 

The climatic condition of the Samba District is sub-tropical. Samba district is warm and dry in summers and cold in winters. As Samba is in the hillocks of the mountains so the nights of the Samba district are moderately cooler than those in the neighboring places of Punjab. The languages which are spoken in the Samba district are Dogri, Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, and English.

One of the famous landmarks of the Samba district is Mansar Lake which is located on the Samba-Udhampur road about 22 kilometers from Samba. The lake is covered with hills with different Hindu temples and enchants a large number of tourists, religious pilgrims, in the area. Purmandal is a village which is situated 39 kilometers away from Jammu. Purmandal is attached to Samba via the Purmandal-Utterbani-Vijaypur Road. Purmandal is commonly called ‘Chotta Kashi’ and has old Shiva Temples, which have pious importance, covered with the Shivalik hills. The temple Aap Shambhu Mandir is discovered in Jammu. Chichi Mata Mandir is a temple that is discovered in Samba is one of the shaktipeeths where the little finger of Goddess Sati fell. Samba District is also famous for its Traditional Calico Printing where wooden blocks and local dyes are used for block printing of weaved cotton fabrics.

(The road from Samba to Mansar Lake)

(Source- Wikipedia)

Udhampur District

 UDHAMPUR DISTRICT

(Udhampur District)

(Picture from Google)

Udhampur district is a district of Jammu which covers an area of 4,550 square kilometers in the Himalayan Mountains. After being given the name by Raja Udham Singh, Udhampur district assists as the district capital and the Northern Command headquarters of the Indian Army. A Forward Base Support Unit (FBSU) of the Indian Air Force is also established here. Udhampur is used by the Armed Forces as a shipment point between Jammu and Srinagar when traveling by road on National Highway 1A.

At an advancement of 2,024 meters the mountain resort of Patnitop and the temple at Sudh Mahadev trusted to be over 2800 years ago, are the other famous tourists of attractions of the Udhampur district. The major languages which are spoken in the Udhampur district are Dogri, Hindi, Urdu, Gojri, and English. The Udhampur District is rich in minerals like Coal, Bauxite, Gypsum, and Limestone.

Udhampur district consists of various tourist of attractions like Mansar Lake, Surinsar Lake, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel, Sudh Mahadev, Krimchi Temples, Latti, Mantalai Temple, and Gauri Kund. Owing to an abundance of shrines and temples, Udhampur district is also called ‘Devika Nagari’ which means the ‘City of Goddess’. The places of worship that are discovered in the Udhampur district include Kansar Devta’s Shrine, Babore Temple, Shaankari Devta Mandir, Shiv Khori Cave Temple, Bhairav Ghati, Shiv Parvathi Cave Shrine, Cairhai, Mutal Pingla Devi Shrine, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, Deva Mayi Maa Temple, Sheshnag Shrine.

If you are naturally enthusiastic it is mainly to visit the Udhampur District of the Jammu Region. The attractive City Udhampur in Jammu is located at an altitude of about 755 meters above sea level that is covered with the impenetrable forests of eucalyptus trees in the Shivalik Range of the Himalayas. Udhampur District is a must-visit for its unreal beauty and fascinating attractions. Udhampur District is famous for its adventurous activities. The things that people can do in Udhampur District are-Skiing and Sledging, Walking Trails, Bird Watching, Temple Tours, etc.

The foremost attractions in Udhampur are the 12th Century krimchi Temples that are also called ‘Pandava Temples, with amazing historical and mythological significance. A set of seven temples, formed over a stone complex with tiny streams flowing close by the Krimchi Temples exhibit conceptual and entangled architecture that recommend a strong Greek influence. The temple houses sculptures of numerous Hindu Gods like Shiva, Ganesha, and Parvati, and it is trusted that the Pandavas had rested here for some time during their exile.

(Krimchi Temples)(source- Wikipedia)

Sheesh Mahal of Ramnagar is a historic royal residence of Jammu. Sheesh Mahal is situated just next to Ramnagar Fort in Ramnagar of Udhampur District. Sheesh Mahal was constructed by the king, Raja Ram Singh in 1885. The mansion got its name Sheesh Mahal from its embellished mirror work. Sheesh Mahal is also called as ‘Place of Mirror’. The walls of this elegant mansion are embellished with beautiful murals and paintings which portray the stories of Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata.

(Sheesh Mahal Ramnagar, Udhampur)

(Source- Wikipedia)

JAMMU-The city of Temples (part-1)

 JAMMU-The City of Temples

Jammu is known as the winter capital of the Indian Union Territory ‘Jammu and Kashmir’. Jammu is situated on the bank of the river ‘Tawi’. Jammu is one of the second most populous cities of the union territory. Jammu covers an area of 240 sq. km. Jammu is covered with the northern plains in the North and the Himalayas in the South. Jammu is one of the most likely and most visited places in Jammu and Kashmir. Samba district is one of the neighboring districts from which Jammu city shares its borders.

             (River Tawi) (source- Wikipedia)

Raja Jambulochan is the founder of Jammu who decided to rule that area in the 9th Century. The Jammu Division is one of the revenue and administrative division of Jammu and Kashmir. In ancient times, Jammu was known as ‘Jamboo’ on the name of its founder, Raja Jambulochan, but now Jamboo is known as Jammu. Jammu consists of 10 districts these are Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, and Samba. Mostly the land of Jammu is hilly and mountainous including the Pir Panjal Range which divides Jammu from Kashmir Valley and the part of Great Himalayas of Doda and Kishtwar. The principal river of Jammu is ‘Chenab’.

             (River Chenab) (source-wikipedia)

Jammu City is also called the ‘City of Temples’ as Jammu has many shrines and temples with glittering shikhars soaring into the sky, which dot the skyline of the city and creating the ambiance of a peaceful and holy city. Jammu is such a major pilgrimage Islamic for Hindus as Jammu is home to some of the most respected Hindu shrines like ‘Vaishno Devi Temple’. The majority of the population of Jammu practices Hinduism while Sikhism and Islam take pleasure in a strong cultural heritage in the Jammu region.

Jammu is popular for its ancient temples, landscapes, Hindu shrines, Mubarak Mandi Palace, Amar Mahal Palace (Now a Museum), forts, and gardens. Hindu holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and Amarnath attract many Hindu devotees every year. The historic monuments of Jammu characterize a unique blend of Hindu and Islamic architecture styles. The natural landscape of Jammu has made Jammu the most favored or popular destination for Adventure Tourism in South Asia.

The list of some tourism places or we can say that the places of interest in Jammu are Purmandal, Vaishno Devi Shrine, Mansar Lake, Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary, Raghunath Temple, Peer Kho Cave, Bahu Fort, Shivkhori, Machail Mata, City centers, and attractions.

The cuisines which are famous in Jammu are Patisa, Chocolate Barfi, Sund Panjeeri, and its exotic local food. The specialty dishes of Jammu are Rajma with Rice and another one is kalaadi. The Dogri food includes Khatta Meat, Maa Da Madra, Kulthein Di Dal, Ambal, Rajma, and Auriya. Typical pickles of Jammu are made of Kasrod, Zimikand, Girgle, Mango with Saunf, Dal Patt, Tyaoo, Potatoes, and Seyoo.

The list of festivals that are celebrated with full of joy and happiness are- Uttarain or Maghi Sangrand (Makar Sankranti), Bhugga (Sankashti Chaturthi), Kan Chauth (Gauri Chaturthi), Ram Naumi (Rama Navami), Basoa (Vishuva) or Baisakhi (Mesha Sankranti), Bahu Mela ( March-April and September- October), Basant Panchmi, Chaitre Chaudash( March- April), Purmandal Mela (February- March), Dhamdeh (Dharma Dhihada- Aashada Sankranti) and Nirjala Ekadashi, Rutt Raahde and Sakolade (Shravana Sankranti), Holi, Thongren Da Vrat (Krishna Janmashtami), Bacch Dua (Vatsa Dwadashi) and Drubadi (Durvashtami), Singh Sankrant (Simha Sankranti), Lohri, Tulsi Puja and Panj Bhikham (Bhishma Panchak), Jhiri Mela (October- November), Navratri Festival (September- October), Rath Kharda Mela, Shivratri (Herath).

JAMMU- The city of Temples (part-2)

 The official languages of Jammu are Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi, and English. But the languages which are spoken in Jammu are Dogri, Kashmiri, Pahari- Pothwari, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu. The Pin code of Jammu is ‘180001’. Jammu is vested at 32.73 degrees North 74.87 degrees East. Jammu is covered by the Shivalik Range to the East, North, and Southeast while the Trikuta Range covers Jammu in the Northwest. The total population of the Jammu region is around 5,350,811. Jammu city is the largest city of the union territory Jammu and Kashmir.

The climatic conditions of the Jammu region change with altitude. In and around Jammu city, the climate is homogeneous to the nearby Punjab region with the rainy monsoon, warm summers, and mildly cold and gloomy winters while Jammu city does not sophisticate any snowfall itself, the higher hills and mountains are elevated during the winters. Tourists from all over India come to the Patnitop mountain resort to view and enjoy the winter snow. In winter, the Vaishno Devi shrine is covered with snow and also looks exquisite. Most people love to visit the Vaishno Devi shrine in winter to look at the beauty of that shrine. The place is a wonderful idea to visit especially for travelers who wish to experience the natural scenic beauty and teeth-chattering temperatures.

Jammu covers Kashmir valley to the North, Ladakh to the East, and Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the South, and the line of control divides Jammu from Pakistan administered Kashmir to the West. Jammu region has earthly 8 sub-regions:- Chenab valley, Ravi-Tawi Kandi Plains, Shiwaliks Pir Panjal Belt, Bhaderwah Valley, Paddar Valley, Gandoh Valley and Warwan-Marwah Valley.

The handicrafts work of Jammu is prominent. Jammu is undoubtedly a heaven for shopaholics on Earth. With such unblemished things to buy from stunning places, shopping in Jammu is certainly an experience you would not miss. From the outstanding fabric to the exquisite charm in every item, anything that you may buy from Jammu city will have a sterling vibe to it. The list of 10 most famous handicrafts work of Jammu are- Kashmiri Carpets, Crewel, Carving, Chain Stitch, Papier Machie, Namdha, Phool Kari, Kashmiri Shawls, Painting, Calico Painting. Now here are the 10 best places for shopping in Jammu for a unique experience to buy these handicrafts are:- Raghunath Bazaar, City Square Mall, JDA Complex, Vermani World, Wave Mall, Hari Market, Poshish, Kashmir Government Arts Emporium, Gole Market, Bahu Plaza. These are the places where you can buy famous handicrafts at a feasible price.

              (Jammu Division) (source- Wikipedia)

Kathua District

 KATHUA DISTRICT

Let’s know about the first district of Jammu that is the Kathua District.

(Kathua District)

(Picture from Google)

Jammu consists of 10 districts in which Kathua district is one of the 10 administrative districts of Jammu. Kathua district is covered with Jammu to the Northwest, the Doda and Udhampur districts to the North, the state of Himachal Pradesh to the East, Punjab to the south, and Pakistan’s working boundary to the West. The homestead of Kathua is diverse, that consists of rich agricultural areas along the Punjab/Kashmir border. Kathua district is separated into 8 blocks- Bani, Barnoti, Basohli, Billawar, Duggan, Ghagwal, Hiranagar, Kathua, and Lohai Malhar. The traditional language which is mainly spoken in the Kathua district is Dogri. Pahari languages are operable in the mountainous area of the East. English, Hindi, and Urdu are the principal languages of Kathua. The total population of the Kathua District is around 59,866.

Kathua is situated at a distance of about 88 km from Jammu. About 2000 years ago, a popular Rajput King, Jodh Singh of the Andotra Dynasty was settled here with his three sons, those three sons founded their own small towns namely, Taraf Tajwal, Taraf Manjali, and Taraf Bhajwal. These three towns were together called Kathai by the local people. Ultimately, Kathai became Kathua.

(Night view of Kathua district)

(Source- Wikipedia)

The climatic conditions of Kathua are sub-tropical which is similar to the rest of the places of Jammu. Kathua endures cold winters and warm summers. Summer seasons are quite salubrious here and most of the tourists love to visit this city during summers. The summer season commences from April and continues till June. During summers travelers can delight in all the outdoor activities such as sightseeing and trekking.

Kathua district has beautiful gardens and parks, of which one is Dr. K. K. Birla Garden. Kathua city has a garden along with the tributary of Ravi river which is famous for its beauty throughout the Jammu Region. 

(Dr. K.K Birla Garden)(source- Wikipedia)

(Dream park)(source- Wikipedia)

(Atal Setu Bridge on Ravi River)

(Source- Wikipedia)

Tourists are attracted to the various tourist places where they can relish and make their journey unforgettable. So, the following are the list of the comprehensive famous tourist of attraction in Kathua District-

 1- Bani

2- The Dream

3- Chandel

4- Mata Sundrikote

5- Mata Bala Sundri

6- Airwan Temple

7- Peer Chattershah

8- Gurudwara Singh Sabha

9- Panyalag

10- Sarthal

11- Jodia Di Mata Temple

12- Sukrala Mata Temple

13- Mahabilvakeshwar Temple

14- Chamunda Devi Temple

15- Sanan Ghat

16- Hiranagar

17- Narsingh Ji Temple

18- Shree Anand Ashram

19- Jasrota

20- Asha Purani Mandir

21- Sapt Sarober Mandir

22- Dhoula Vali Mata

23- Billawar

24- Machhedi

25- Bhaddu

26- Mankote

27- Shiv Temple

28- Dhar Mahanpur 

29- Basohli

Basohli is a town of Kathua District which is majorly known for its paintings, memorialized by their artistic eminences and their connoisseur patrons, today Basohli is a metaphor town which is a vigorous, bold, and imaginative artistic style, stylish rich, and unconventional. The painting style is characterized by the vigorous use of primary colors a peculiar facial formula that persists in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries in the foothills of the Western Himalayas in the Jammu and Punjab states.

(Famous painting of Basohli)

(Picture from Google)

State Info of Jammu and Kashmir

The Heaven of India this state is like crown of India. Formed on 26/10/1947.

The languages spoken here are Dogri and Kashmi.

Jammu is the winter capital and Srinagar is the summer capital of this state. (The only state with 2 capitals).

The state borders with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

The largest city is Srinagar. 

Grand Mumtaz Resort Pahalgam

Grand Mumtaz Resort Pahalgam is a Resort from the Grand Mumtaz group Kashmir. Pahalgam is famous for its Golf courser, Lidder River, Kolohoi Glaciers and Trout fishing. Pahalgam is also called as "The Shepherd's Village".

The Grand Mumtaz Resort have 82 furnished rooms, with central heating systems and 24 suites with all modern facilities and amenities. There are single deluxe room, double deluxe room, executive suites available. On request extra beds are provided. The rooms are provided with Cable TV and multi channel facilities. One can listen to the music via the four channels. All the rooms are covered with carpet from wall to wall. Guests can make use of the STD/ISD and Fax facilities available in the resort. The toilets attached to the rooms have 24 hours of running hot and cold water. In house laundry and doctor facilities are provided on call. Guests can make use of the car parking facilities too. Breakfast is complimentary for all the guests.

The resort have Samavar Multicuisine restaurant and a coffee shop for dining. Guests can make use of the conference hall

Vivek Express

To mark the 150th birthday of Swami Vivekananda, the Railway Ministry of Government of India have introduced new trains named Vivek Express. These trains will be run till 2013. Four trains in four routes of the different regions are run initially. On Jan 12, 2011, the Vivek Express was flagged off from the Howrah Junction by the Minster of Railways, Ms. Mamta Banerjee. This train is a gift from the government on the celebration of 150th birthday. The train have an onboard exhibition which includes photographs and life history of Vivekananda.

The routes through which Vivek Express runs:
1. Diprugai - Trivandrum - Kanyakumari via Kokrajhar  (Weekly once)
2. Dwaraka - Tuticorin via Vaadi  (Weekly once)
3. Howrah - Manglore Express via Palkad (Weekly once)
4. Bandra(T) - Jammu Tawi via Marwar, Decana, Ratangar, Jakkar, Ludhiana (Weekly Once)