TOURISM IN JAMMU & KASHMIR

HELLO WORLD,

This article is about the "TOURISM IN JAMMU & KASHMIR" i.e. various tourist destinations (Natural Beauty, Historical Places, Hill Stations, Religious Places, etc.). This blog informs you about food, accommodation, how to reach, shopping etc. in JAMMU & KASHMIR.  

TOURIST MAP OF JAMMU & KASHMIR

TOURIST SPOTS IN JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu & Kashmir is the northernmost states in India. Kashmir is regarded as "Heaven" on earth. 

• Jammu — Jammu is the winter capital of state and it is famous for its temples, particularly The Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra which is visited by over 1 crore (10 million) pilgrims every year, making Jammu the most visited part of Jammu and Kashmir State.

• Kashmir Valley — some say it is Heaven on Earth, friendly people, beautiful gardens, vast lakes and pristine streams and stunning landscapes, it is all that "Enjoy the Incredible Kashmir"

• Ladakh — truly amazing landscapes high up in the Himalayas, popular for trekking and with those on a search for the most serene place in the world.

• Gulmarg - Gulmarg is well known for its amazing natural beauty and it is counted as one of the unique tourist destinations in the world. Gulmarg is surrounded by dense forest. This place is famous for its golf hikes and beautiful highland golf course. The natural beauty accompanied with clean fresh air and a beautiful environment highlights Gulmarg as a major tourist destination.

• Vaishno Devi - The town of Katra, which is close to Jammu, contains the Vaishno Devi shrine. Nestling on top of the Trikuta Hills at a height of 1700 m is the sacred cave shrine of Vaishno Devi, the mother goddess. At a distance of 48 km from Jammu, the cave is 30 metres long and just 1.5 metres high. At the end of the cave are shrines dedicated to the three forms of the mother goddess — Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasarasvati, which is manifested as Vaishno Devi. Pilgrims start trekking to the cave temple, which is 13 km from Katra, enter in small groups through a narrow opening and walk through ice-cold waters to reach the shrines.

• Sonmarg - The way to reach Sonmarg or the Meadow of the gold is from the Sindh Valley. This valley also shows more amazing facet in Kashmir. Sonmarg is located at an altitude of around 2730 meters from the sea level; it has snow-covered mountains as its backdrop against the sky.

• Raghunath Temple - Raghunath Temple is dedicated to the Hindu Lord Shri Rama. All the inner walls of this temple are covered with gold, on three sides. Galleries of this temples are covered with ‘ Saligrams’. The other surrounding temples are related to other gods from the Ramayana. This temple is located in the centre or we can say in the heart of Jammu.

• Bahu Fort - Bahu fort was modified and improved by Dogra Rulers of Jammu but first it was built by the Raja Bahulochan. This fort is located at a distance of around 5 km from the main city and perhaps is the oldest edifice in the Jammu. This fort is facing the Tawi River. There is a temple of goddess kali in the fort.

• Mubarak Mandi Palace - Mubarak Palace was built with the touch of three different styles, Rajasthani, Mughal and Gothic. Most famous part of this Palace is the Sheesh Mahal segment. There is a Dogra Art Museum, which is a treasure house of miniature paintings from various hill schools.

• Peer Baba - This is one of the holy places for Muslim saints. Here, people from all the religions comes in large number to pray, on Thursday.

• Chadar Trek - Zanskar is located at a very high altitude in Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the best trekking destinations around the world. In Winter, Zanskar river freezes up, and gets converted into an amazing adventures trek called Chadar-The Frozen River Trek.

• Khilanmarg - is another beautiful scenic beauty and a favourite tourist destination . the famous Liddar Valley is prominent feature .The traditional name for the Zanskar Trek is Chadar Trek as the river becomes a snow sheet during winters due to heavy snowfall. It boasts of some of the lowest temperatures making it a challenging trek for the adventurers. The most isolated and inaccessible for nearly eight months in a year due to heavy snowfall resulting in closure of all the access passes; Zanskar has the distinction of being the least interfered with microcosms of Ladakh, and thus one of the last few surviving cultural satellites of Tibet. This geographical isolation together with the esoteric nature of Buddhism practiced here has enabled its ten thousand inhabitants to preserve and perpetuate their cultural identity.

HOW TO REACH:

By Plane

Flights operate to Jammu, Srinagar andLeh. Air India, Jet Airways, Jet Konnect, GoAir India, Indigo Airlines and SpiceJet are some of the flights operating in the state.

By Train 

The last stop on the railway line north is Udhampur, where you can catch onward buses and hire SUVs/MUVs (Tata Sumo / Toyota Innova/ Mahindra Scorpio). However it is better to get down in Jammu and catch a taxi from there as these are more readily available.

The Kashmir Railway is a railway line being built in India to connect the state of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. The Project officially coded USBRL (Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway Link) starts from the city of Udhampur, 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of Jammu, and travels for 290 kilometres (180 mi) to the city of Baramulla on the northwestern edge of the Kashmir Valley. The route crosses major earthquake zones, and is subjected to extreme temperatures of cold and heat, as well as inhospitable terrain, making it an extremely challenging engineering project.

By bus

There are two ways to get in by land - via Jammu and up to Srinagar or via Manali in Himachal Pradesh and up to Leh.

Transportation Within 

• Buses are operated by J&K SRTC to most points around the state. They offer package tour to Gulmarg, Shonmarg, Yusmarg, Ular lake, City tour, etc. There is Tourist information center, where one get the tickets plus info.
• 4 wheel drive jeeps are quicker, a little more expensive and reach more locations. Private hire jeeps are also available.

HOTELS IN JAMMU

AJAY HOTEL 

Hotel Ajay is one of the premier budget hotel in jammu. Hotel Ajay is a budget hotel located at Gumat in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. 

Ajay Hotel

Upper Gumat Bazar | Near Raghunath Temple, Jammu City 180001 Jammu - 180001
Jammu and Kashmir, India

ASHOKA NEW DIAMOND HOTEL

Ashoka New Diamond Hotel, Jammu Tawi, is a boutique hotel to lodge in. This beautiful hotel is surrounded by spectacular valleys and picturesque views. 

Ashoka New Diamond Hotel

Jewel Cowk, Near Rani Mandir, B C Road, Jammu Jammu -180003
Jammu and Kashmir, India

COLONEL'S RETREAT

Colonel's Retreat, Jammu, is an extra-ordinary property, well located with a personalized service, culture and a home - like ambiance.

Colonel's Retreat

3C / C Gandhi Nagar, Jammu City 180004, India Jammu -180004
Jammu and Kashmir, India

FORTUNE INN RIVIERA

Savor the pristine locations of Jammu, in the lap of the majestic Himalayas, during the stay at Fortune Inn Riviera. Gorgeous snow clad mountain peaks visible through the hotel.

Fortune Inn Riviera

9, Gulab Singh Marg Jammu -180001
Jammu and Kashmir, India

HARI NIWAS PALACE

Hari Niwas Palace The Heritage Hotel, Jammu is nestled between the Tawi river on one side and majestic hills on the other. 

Hari Niwas Palace The Heritage Hotel

Palace Road, Jammu City 180005, India Jammu - 180005
Jammu and Kashmir, India

WHAT TO EAT:

At the very outset let be known that the local cuisine of Jammu has more similarity with Punjabi cuisine than with Kashmiri cuisine. The similarity with Punjabi food comes in the form of daal thadka, daal makhani, pronthah (parotha - as pronounced by locals), aloo-nan, tandoori-kulcha, kardi-pakorda, malai kofta, matar-paneer, aloo-ghobi. These items can be found in almost all the hotels, restaurant and dhabas. Chhole-bature, chhole-purdi, aloo-tikki, dhai-bhala, paneer pakorda account for the major snacks! Chat lovers can also enjoy gol-gappe, kachaloo, kimb et al.

Besides all this, the local specialties include khatta meat, yakhni, chaamp, tava chicken, murgei da aachar, andei da aachar, seekh-tikka, tandoori murga, rajma (rajma of Bhadrwah), khoye wala kardam, mitha madra, ma da madra, talei-ma, tandoori rutti, kyeuur, khamira, aambal, shardai besides others.

The locals also love their cookies called khatai. Some of the other bakery related products include bakerkhani (this is different from Kashmiri bakery's bakerkhani), kachori (not to be mixed with Rajasthani kachordi, this one is oven baked), puff (a sugar coated bakerkhani), patties (stufffed bakerkhani and not like the patties used in a burger or what one finds in Maharashtra as ragrda-patties), cream rolls, pastries, stuffed kulcha (oven baked), mittha baand (sweet bun), baand (salted bun), double roti (bread).

Popular after-meal deserts are rasmalai, malaibaraf and kheer (rice cooked in milk with added sugar, some milk solids i.e. khoya and lots of dry fruits) in it. Another desert is karda (suji ka halwa). Even kaddu-halwa is one of the traditional deserts, but seen less often these days. Karda is an important part of all major worships and ceremonies. It is offered to gods/goddesses. Karda is liked more, if cooked in desi-ghee. Karda is mostly a part of a festive breakfast. Maal-purda, baalushahi, sakarware, kahajoor (not dates), jalebi, burfi, boondi ladoo, boondi, badana, khurmei etc. are other traditional Dogri sweets. Matthi is a deep fried thick maida roti, available at sweet shops. It is mostly salted. But at a few times it is sugar coated also. Ladoo and matthi have a great significance in festivals and marriages. Katlama and feni are two other salted snacks, specially prepared on Karva-chouth.

Rajma and basmati rice of Jammu are vary famous and are vegetarians delight and is almost a must have for Sunday lunch. There are a few eating joints famous exclusively for their rajma-chawal with loads of desi ghee.

Gushi/Guchhi - a kind of wild morel - is very popular in the region. This morel is not cultivated and raw Gushi can cost upto Rs. 5000 per Kg.

Kaladi has its origin from Udhampur District of Jammu region and is a sour cheese. It is mostly fried (doesn't need any oil/ghee for frying as is full of fats).

FAMOUS RESTAURANTS:

A number of restaurants fall on the National Highway NH1 making it rather convenient for the tourists on way through Jammu city to have food.

Restaurants along National Highway (NH1 also known as B.C. Road in Jammu & Kashmir State) near/ in Jammu as you travel from Punjab to Jammu for onward journey to Katra/ Srinagar are:

Restaurant Phone Location along NH1 17-Miles 01923-211977 Vijaypur, Samba (NH1 – B.C. Road) Pahalwan's Food Mall 01923-221695 Bari Brahmana (NH1 – B.C. Road) Café Coffee Day Gandhi Nagar (NH1 – B.C. Road, opp. Convent School) Yangtse Chinese 0191-2435757 Asia Hotel (NH1 – B.C. Road, before Twai Bridge) Bikano Cafe City Square Mall, Dogra Chowk (below Fly-over NH1 – B.C. Road) Domino's 0191-2566210-5 Moti Maha 0191-2565151 Yo China 0191-2564750 Barista Jewel Fast Food 0191-2520802 Jewel Chowk (below Fly-over NH1 – B.C. Road) Kana Khazana 0191-2543949 General Bus Stand (below Fly-over NH1 – B.C. Road) KC 360 0191-2107900 KC Cineplex, National Highway (NH1 – B.C. Road) Barista Hot Billion 0191-2543498 Rehari Chungi (NH1 – B.C. Road)

There are a number of well-stocked bars and wine shops in the city, which offer a vast range of Indian and foreign liquors as well. However, National holidays and certain State holidays are dry days.

SHOPPING IN JAMMU

Jammu offers the combination of traditional as well as modern shopping.

The famous market of “Raghunath Bazaar” is very popular among the tourists/ pilgrims as it is right in the heart of Jammu city. Named after the famous Raghunath Temple, this market is right next to the Raghunath Temple in Jammu. Some of the most liked restaurants in the adjoining Residency Road provide food ranging from the simple to the exotic.

Shops range from Handicrafts (Kashmir Government Arts Emporium, Veer Marg, Jammu- Telephone No.: 0191-2542946 & Kashmir Government Arts Emporium, Bahu plaza Shopping Complex, Rail Head Jammu Telephone No.: 0191-2477693), Handloom (Poshish - an Outlet of J&K Handloom Development Corporation at Vir Marg, Residency, Jammu Telephone No.: 0191-2564012) to Dry fruits. Besides Rajma is one of the specialty dish of Jammu. There are a number of Dry Fruit outlets selling a wide range of dry fruits including specility like Rajma.

Another popular shopping place among shopping markets in Jammu is Gole Market which is a little distance away across the Tawi River in Gandhi Nagar locality. This locality is famous for modern shopping including electronics, garments, footwear and other modern accessories. Poshish - an outlet of J&K Handloom Development Corporation (a shopping centre for Handloom products) is also located at Gole Market, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu Telephone No.: 0191 2433982.

Jammu is also famous for its Choclate Burfi and Sund panjeeree, famous shops for such sweets are Amritsarian Di Hatti at Raghunath Bazaar and Pahalwan Di Hatti at Gole Market Gandhi Nagar. Jammu Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation’s Wazawan & Vegetarian Restaurants (for authentic Kashmiri cuisine prepared by professional waza for traditional kashmiri cook) is another popular restaurant at Residency Road, Jammu. 




BEST TIME TO VISIT

Spring The joyous chirping of birds, orchards heavy with fruits, alpine meadows dotted with grazing herds, and shepherds lilting with their music - a vivid mosaic of this place - takes shape before your wandering eye. It presents a picture of an unforgettable tapestry which is amongst the most beautiful any place in the world has to offer. Summer Fruits spill out of brimming baskets; strawberries and cherries, peaches and apricots; all the bounty of a fertile land. Pale green paddy fields rise in tiered steps upon the hills. In the high meadows, trout are jumping in rushing, snow-fed streams. The encircling snow-capped mountains provide a perfect setting for a valley that's vibrantly alive Autumn The misty morning sprawls over the vivacious valleys, the flushing meadows wrap the hillsides like a cloak. The sunlight softly caresses the leaves, the dew drops sparkle like diamonds to welcome the new day. The rustle of the fallen leaves adds to the music of the place and the sweet fragrance of flowers lingers on... Winter The white sheet of snow spread far and wide concealing the resonating beauty of this paradise. The soft snowflakes adorning the coniferous, the misty hazy breath, the chilly breeze gently tingling your senses, the tender sunlight deflecting from the ice capped peaks and spreading the much needed warmth. All so milky and pure. It is picture of a true heaven on earth.