Jammu

Rising from the muddy banks of the Tawi River, Jammu makes its home in the only low-lying section of its mother state of Jammu and Kashmir. To the north, the rising ridges of the Sivalik Hills herald the first of the mighty Himalayas; a wall of ice and rock that has kept this city relatively isolated in its mountain-shrouded enclave. That said, the Mughals, the Sikhs, the British and the dynastic princes of northern India have all made a mark on the town over the centuries, leaving it with the enviable epithet of the “City of Temples”. To do this nickname justice, travellers can quiz their Jammu tour guide for an itinerary of the city that includes all the major worshipping spots from the Ranbireshwar Mandir and Raghunath temple to the Peer Kho Cave temple, the latter deriving their significance from the legends of the Ramayana. There are also old fortresses and palaces to discover, some strong and sturdy like the Bahu Fort; while others like the like the Amar Mahal speak of the proud past of the Dogra dynasty. The highest numbers of footfalls however, come from the millions of devotees making their way through to the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple higher up in the hills, one of the most revered pilgrimage sites for the Hindus.