Some of the Best of Jammu

It is usually assumed that a trip to Jammu is like a break journey before visiting Srinagar and other more famous areas of Kashmir. This is true to an extent but the city is also a hotspot for tourists in its own right. In fact, just one small fact here. Jammu, with its numerous religious centres has firmly staked its claim as the ‘City of Temples’. However, the destination is not just about temples and Gurudwaras and has quite a few other credits to its name. Come, let’s take a quick Jammu sightseeing tour and a look at the nearby destinations of Dalhousie and Patnitop. Religious Travel Trail Temples are perhaps the most significant of the tourist attractions in Jammu. Some of the most commonly visited and well known ones are Raghunath Mandir, Peer Kho Cave Temple, and Bawey Wali Mata Temple. Of all the temples here, the Raghunath Mandir may well be the most revered one. Surrounded by many other temples, it is dedicated to Lord Rama and has gold plated interiors. Besides Lord Rama, the temple has deities of almost every other Hindu God. The Peer Kho Temple of Lord Shiva is located inside a cave amidst forests and the principal deity here is that of Swayambhu Shivling. The Bawey Wali Mata Temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali and Bawey Wali Mata is said to be Jammu’s presiding deity. In fact, this temple is also a very strong contender for the slot of the most renowned temple and comes a close second to the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple. This is just the tip of the iceberg and you can look forward to a lot more of religious sightseeing during the course of your Jammu tour. Nature Tour of Jammu Almost every Jammu trip planner will bombard you with delightful information on the natural beauty of the destination and why not? After all, nearby hilly trails and forests go a long way in enhancing the appeal of Jammu. A couple of wonderful natural attractions are the Mansar and Surinsar lakes. The Mansar Lake languidly stretches to over a mile in terms of length and almost half a mile in width. It is located amidst rolling tree covered hills and is also connected to the legend of the Mansa Sarovar. No less mesmerising is the Surinsar Lake sitting amidst similar scenic locales and covered with spectacular floating lotuses. Legend goes that the mighty warrior Arjuna created both of these lakes by shooting an arrow into the earth. Keep aside at least a day’s time in your Jammu travel planner for a proper tour of the destination’s natural attractions. A Historic Jammu Tour If you are a history bug, be prepared to be spoilt for choice in terms of numerous fabulous Jammu tourist places offering a great cultural and historic experience. Just a handful of the most popular of such attractions include Amar Mahal Museum, Bahu Fort, Mubarak Mandi Palace. All these structures boast remarkable architectural feats and smack of the rich bygone royal era. Including a tour of historic attractions is a definite must for framing your Jammu tour planner. Tourist Places near Jammu There is no dearth of attractive tourist places near Jammu. A couple of options are Dalhousie and Patnitop. Here is a quick travel planner to these places to help you fix your trip from Jammu. A Dalhousie Trip The Jammu to Dalhousie distance is just some 185 km. The most popular attractions at this lovely hill station include Khajjar, Upper Bakrota, and Kalatop Wildlife Reserve. The driving time from Jammu to Dalhousie is approximately 3 hours. Trip to Patnitop The Jammu Patnitop distance is approximately 112 km. This place is a beautiful hill destination and offers quite a few adventure sports. In fact, many tourists travel from Jammu to Patnitop to try out paragliding. It will take you some one and a half hours to travel from Jammu to Patnitop by road.