Poonch Fort

 POONCH FORT- With Glorious Past

(Poonch fort)(source- Google)

The ancient fort of the Jammu region Poonch fort is also called Poonch Qila of the Indian Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir. Poonch fort is located in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Between the years 1760 and 1787, the Poonch fort was built by Raja Rustam Khan. The architecture was very fond of Mughal’s architecture who constructed this huge fort of Poonch district and Raja Moti Singh was very impressed by the design of that architecture so he kept renovating the Poonch Fort for continuous 40 years.

ABOUT POONCH FORT

(Source- Google)

 Poonch fort adds more glory to the ancient city of Jammu and Kashmir. The Poonch Fort is documented and authentic that records a history of the Poonch District. Poonch fort is called the historic monument of Jammu and Kashmir. Poonch fort is sprawling around an area of 7535 square meters. This imposing historical edifice carries stories of periods under the rule of the Dogras, Sikhs, and Muslims within its thick walls. Raja Rustam Khan was the son of Raja Abdul Razaq Khan. The foundation of the Poonch fort was done by Raja Abdul Razaq Khan in 1713 AD. So, after his death, the construction of the Poonch fort was completed by his son Raja Rustam Khan. After several years Raja Moti Singh had hired the European architecture for the renovation of the Poonch fort and the architecture design the Poonch fort in European style. After that, the Poonch fort becomes the tourist destination spot in the Poonch district of Jammu. 

HOW TO REACH POONCH FORT

(Source- Google)

You can reach Poonch fort by Jammu airport or by Jammu railway station. From the airport or railway station, you can take a public transport bus and reach the Jammu bus stand. From the bus stand take the transport bus that will be going to Poonch or you can hire a private cab to reach Poonch fort. The distance from Jammu airport to Poonch fort is about 234 kilometers and the distance from Jammu railway station to Poonch fort is about 236 kilometers. 

Entry fees- None

Timings- From 10 am to 4 pm

Famous for- The different architectural styles and types.

Address- Poonch Fort, Poonch 185101, Jammu and Kashmir

Asha Purani Mandir - Kathua District

 ASHA PURANI MANDIR, KATHUA DISTRICT, JAMMU AND KASHMIR

(Asha purani mandir)

(Source- facebook.com

Asha Purani Mandir is poppularly known as the Prachin Mandir which is situated in the center of Kathua City. The famous temple was constructed by the ex-minister of the state or Mata Durga devotee Shri Bhagat Chajju Ram in 1949. The presiding deity of Asha Purani Temple is Hindu Goddess Durga. The Mandir Bhawan (temple building) is around 30 ft. in height. The idol of the deity goddess is around 10 ft. tall and is positioned on the top of the building of the temple.

(Source- Facebook.com)

According to the Hindu Mythology, the Asha Purani Temple is placed on the spot where the veins (ashes) of the goddess Durga were thrown out by the discus (Sudershan Chakra), a spinning disk like ordnance of the Hindu God of Preservation, Lord Vishnu. Thus, this temple is known as the Asha Purani Temple. Various tourists come here to visit the temple every year to seek blessings from the presiding deity.

(Source- tripadvisor.com)

Kathua District is a place that is well attached to the neighboring towns and cities in the states of Jammu and Kashmir. Buses towards the site could be en route from the neighboring districts of Udhampur, Katra, Jammu, and Srinagar. Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (J&KSRTC) bus services are also accessible for the destination, which are quite reasonable. Public transport services or taxis could be hired to reach Bani from Kathua district as the same are found playing the route. Kathua district has its railway station that is situated at a distance of around 7 kilometers away from the city center. Sheikh ul Alam Airport which is commonly known as the Srinagar Airport is the nearest International airport to Kathua District.

(Source- nativeplanet.com)

Chenab Railway Bridge, An Engineering Marvel ( Post 2 )

Continued from post 1…

The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been isolated from the rest of the country by both geographical and political reasons. The Government of India had worked tirelessly in this regard to connect it with the other parts of the country using numerous projects and schemes. Due to a physical disconnect, the State has lacked economic development and progress making it one of the least developed and poor in the country. The USBRL project ( Also referred to as The Golden Joint ) is a massive one that was conceived and later on successfully completed to bring about connectivity between many of the inaccessible regions, villages of the State with other neighbouring regions, thus opening up ease of transport and business via the Indian Railways. Most of these places were till now reached only via waterways and unreliable roadways. 

Major Challenges - 

No transport till the point for which roads had to be constructed 

Rough, rugged, mountainous terrain of the State 

Difficult Himalayan Geology

High wind speed and very low temperature in the region.

Deep gorge of the Chenab river 

Innovations in the Architectural Design -

1. Large span single arch steel bridge

2. Approach viaducts on either side

3. Two - ribbed arch that has been fabricated from large steel trusses

4. Trussle chords are sealed steel boxes that are internally stiffened along with being filled with concrete

5. This will assist in control of wind - induced forces on the bridge

6. No need of internal painting due to the concrete filling 

7. Minimization of the number of bearings to reduce need of maintenance, inspection and it also leads to an improvement in the riding quality 

8. The piers near the arch are as per IRS ( Indian Railway Standards ) and IRC ( Indian Road Congress )

9. Additionally UIC ( , International Union of Railways ), BS ( British Standards ) and Euro Standards have also been Incorporated

10. Involvement of Global experts 

    
    
    

Technical Details regarding the Design Considerations - 

1. Limit state philosophy of design has been decided to be followed as per BS codes

2. Computation of wind load effects as per wind tunnel tests

3. Site specific seismic spectra developed by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee

4. Provision of Euro code 8 for ductility detailing of very tall and hollow rectangular RCC piers

5. Provision of long welded rail (LWR) over the bridges and resulting force calculation as per UIC - 774-3R guidelines

6. Blast resistant design used

7. Design checking for fatigue as per BS codes

8. Deformation limits as per comfort criteria of UIC - 776-2R and UIC 776 -3R guidelines

9. Redundancy provided in the structures, for lower level of operation during mishaps and against collapse in extreme cases of one pier failure

The Chenab River Railway Bridge has been a tremendous success for all the minds as well as manpower involved right from its conception, execution to its completion. In spite of innumerable obstacles ranging from the geographical, climatic and technical to the sheer massive volume of the project that needed to be overcome, the fruition was immensely emotional for the teams involved. The inauguration had the workers euphoric with the unfurling of the Indian Flag, chants of Vande Mataram and bursting of crackers. 

The bridge lies in the lap of ethereal natural beauty with beautiful views of the river, mountains and valleys. The cover of clouds with the sun shining through on the gleaming bridge is a sight to behold. A trip across the bridge is surely going to be an unforgettable experience of a lifetime due to various factors ranging from architectural marvel, spell binding views and the feeling of victory of the human spirit that can achieve the impossible with determination and courage.

It also adds to the tourism attractions of an already tourist-rich state. 

Images : Wikipedia and www.architecturaldigest.in

Chenab Rail Bridge, An Engineering Marvel ( Post 1 )

 

Having the distinct record of being India's highest Railway bridge, the Chenab Railway Bridge  is nothing short of an engineering marvel that blows one's mind with varied technical details, miscellaneous factors, sheer man power required, coming together of various government departments for coordination, expert and experienced personnel; be it the engineering department, design team, execution workers / agencies and a constant fight against inhospitable terrain, extreme and risky weather conditions in the Himalayas, logistic factors that required massive pre-work of building roads leading up to the point, that include tunnels of 63 km length and 7.5 km of bridges.

Here are a few details regarding the same. 

Cost - ₹ 1,486 Crores 

River - Chenab

State - Jammu and Kashmir

District- Reasi

Region - Bakkal and Kauri

Range - Pir - Panjal

Links - Katra and Banihal

Height - 1178 feet, from the river bed to the formation and 1056 feet from the river surface

Length - 4314 feet / 1415 m that includes  2,130 feet long viaduct on the northern side

Material - 63 mm Thick, Blast - proof Steel

Number of Spans - 17

Designers - DRDO, Konkan Railways, Afcons Infrastructure

Construction Company - Mumbai based Afcons Infrastructure

Number of Workers involved - More than 1300

Number of Engineers involved - 300

Major Institutions Involved include DRDO, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, IIT - Delhi, IIT - Rourkee, GSI, National Remote Sensing Agency among others 

Railway Zone - Northern Railways 

Number of Villages Connected - 73 

Part Of USBRL - Jammu - Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla Railway Line 

USP - Connects the State of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country

Design Life - 120 + years 

Start of the Project - December, 2003

Open to public / Inauguration - 13 August 2022, on the occasion of Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav

The engineering of the bridge was something that had not been attempted in such a unique Himalayan terrain and posed a huge challenge right from the envisioning stage and then on to its implementation meticulously to the T.

Major Features of the Bridge include -

• 36 m long approach spans

• 469 m main arch spans across the river

• 480 m arch length

• 1.2 m wide central verge

• 14 m wide dual carriage-way

• Can withstand wind speed upto 260 km / hour

• Can withstand an earthquake measuring up to magnitude 8 ( Highest intensity - Zone V )

• Can withstand a blast of up to 40 kg TNT blast 

• Can resist temperatures up to - 20℃ 

• 24 hours online monitoring and warning system managed by the DRDO along with the Indian Railways

• Aerial security 

• An approach road of 26 kms had to be constructed first to reach this point 

• It is 35 m higher than the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

• Having the longest span in the 5 ft 6 in  / 1,676 mm broad gauge railway network

• Material used include up to 4000mt of reinforced steel, 25,000MT of steel,  46,000m³ of concrete

• Need of Eight million cubic metres of excavation.

• World's largest cable cranes used 

• Footpath and cycle trails 

• Repainting period - 15 years 

• 
  
  

Continued…..Click here for the second part of the post 

Images - Wikipedia and www.architecturaldigest.in

Sanan Ghat -Kathua

 SANAN GHAT, KATHUA DISTRICT, JAMMU AND KASHMIR

(Source- nativeplanet.com)

Sanan Ghat is a small town in Bisohli, Dhar Mahanpur. Sanan Ghat is situated at an elevation of around 3700 ft above sea level. The Sanan Ghat is dotted with the plantation of thick Chir, Deodar, and several shrubs. Sanan Ghat experiences temperate climatic conditions. Pleasant summer and cold winter are the foremost attractions of this place. 

PLACE- Sananghat

TALUKA/ TEHSIL- Basohli

DISTRICT- Kathua

STATE- Jammu and Kashmir

PIN CODE- 184201

Narsingh Ji Temple -Kathua

 NARSINGH JI TEMPLE, KATHUA, JAMMU AND KASHMIR

(Narsingh Ji Temple)(source- justdial.com)

Narsingh Ji Temple is an ancient temple. The presiding deity of this temple is Lord Narsingh or Narshima, which is a form of Hindu God of Preservation, Lord Vishnu. Narsingh Ji Temple is a 1600-year temple which is located in the town of Ghagwal in the district of Kathua. 

(Foremost view of Narsingh Ji Temple)

(Source- justdial.com)

The Narsingh Ji Temple represents three idols namely, Narsingh Roop, Narsingh Avatar, Annpurana. Narsingh Ji Temple is the temple of Ghagwal where these three idols can only be spotted together. A large water pond can be spotted by the visitors in propinquity to this temple.

(Inner beauty of Narsingh Ji temple)

(Source- justdial.com)

Travelers can also see in the complex a Jinda Samadhi of Baba Nar Hari Dass Ji Maharaji in this Narsingh Ji Temple. Another thing the pilgrims can spot is a Maha Mandleshwar Gaddi which is popularly known as Shri Amarnath Jammu and Kashmir Nagar Khalsa at this religious center.

(Narsingh Ji temple, Kathua)

(Source- justdial.com)

At this site, the meal of all time (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are provided daily for more than 200 people. This religious site is thronged during the occasion of Ratha Khara, Makarsakranti, and Janamasthmi. During the special occasions, a fair is held in which people from the hilly areas come and sell their woolen items which include blankets, and handicrafts.

(Inner view of temple)

(Source- Facebook.com)

People can find this Narsingh Ji Temple in Jammu city by the official address: Kathua Ho, Kathua-184101

The Dream - Recreation Park in Jammu and Kashmir

 DREAM, THE RECREATION PARK, KATHUA, JAMMU AND KASHMIR

The Dream is a popular and beautiful recreation park which is come up along the canal of Kathua over 24 canals of area. The Dream Park was inaugurated on July 14, 1994, by the former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir or Retired State General Kotikalapudi Venkata Krishna Rao. The Dream is connected with a 1.5 kilometers long blacktopped road which takes off from the bridge of the canal which is near the District offices Complex. The tourists’ Department has also been introduced the facility of river rafting at the site. 

ADDRESS- Dream Park Road, Shivpora, Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

PIN CODE- 184104

Picture source- Google

Basohli - The town on the bank of River Ravi

 BASOHLI, KATHUA DISTRICT, JAMMU AND KASHMIR

(Source- nativeplanet.com)

Basohli was formerly known as Vishwasthali. Basohli is located at an altitude of around 1876 fr above sea level. Basohli is a small town which is located in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. Basohli is situated on the bank of the river Ravi. Basohli town was founded in 1635 by King Bhopat Pal. Travelers from all over the country visit the Basohli town to see the amazing old stone carved idols and miniature paintings which are also called Basohli Paintings (Basohli school of Pahari Painting). The Battle of Basohli was brawled in this Basohli region.

(Basohli paintings)(source- in.pinterest.com)

COUNTRY- India

UNION TERRITORY- Jammu and Kashmir

DISTRICT- Kathua

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES- Hindi, Dogri, English

Tourists places in Samba District

 TOP 10 PLACES OF ATTRACTION IN THE SAMBA DISTRICT

“SAMBA AT A GLANCE”- A Land of Rajput Warriors

Samba District is one of the 20 districts of Indian Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir. Samba District is famous for its Land of Warriors. Samba District is located on the Basantar stream. 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 popularly known as bedsheets and it is also called the “City of Sheets”. Samba District has many famous tourists of attractions but here is the list of the 10 best places of attraction in Samba district. 

1- Mansar Lake

2- Kol Kandoli Mata Mandir

3- Baba Sidh Goria Shrine

4- Utterbahni and Purmandal 

5- Baba Chamliyal

6- Chichi Mata

7- Devsathan Baba Shivo Goran

8- Dargah Garib Shah Shrine

9- Baba Narsingh Dev Ji Temple

10- Samba Fort