Destination Features

It is a city which has undergone a metamorphoses ever since militancy erupted in Kashmir. Once upon a time, Jammu's sole claim to fame was as the winter capital of Jammu & Kashmir, but today it is recognised as a promising business centre, a political hub and a cultural crossover region.

Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are the three faces of breathtaking beauty of the state. While Ladakh and Kashmir are known for nature's bounties, Jammu is the soul that till date remains undiscovered due to the fact that the top end of the state has been stealing the limelight. In clear contrast to Kashmir, Jammu has a different culture, different traditions, different climate and even a different language.

It is divided into two separate cities; the old town of Jammu which is located on a hilltop overlooking the river Tawi while the new town situated across the river. It is home to several ethnic communities, which follow traditional lifestyles with distinctive cultures of their own. Among these communities, the Dogras constitute the dominant group.

During the six months of the winter season, the city bustles with activity as it unfolds into a political and business hub. It is also fast adopting a 'cosmopolitan' culture while emerging as a fertile ground for bulky investments and lucrative projects that are likely to transform the very nature of the town. To get an estimate of the development consider this - during the 1980s, the whole of Jammu would be covered within a radius of three kilometers but today it is almost 15 kilometres. Key areas of the Jammu province like RS (Ranbir Singh) Pura and Kishtwara are becoming business-savvy.

Besides being a prelude of the journey to the Vaishno Devi shrine, Jammu is also known as one of the largest temple cities in northern India housing Gauri Kund temple, Shudh Mahadev temple, Shiva temple, Peer Khoh Cave temple, Ranbireshwar temple and the Parmandal temple. One of the most famous is Raghunath temple which has one of the richest collection of ancient texts and manuscripts in its library.