Jammu is the largest city of Jammu and Kashmir, known as Jammu Tawi and also the “city of temples”. It is one of the three administrative divisions of Jammu and Kashmir, the other two are Kashmir and Ladakh. The area is mountainous and hilly. Jammu is the economic centre of the area and the Pir Panjal Range divides it from Kashmir valley and the Himalayas. You can take a taxi from Jammu to Katra to reach the gateway to Vaishno Devi shrine, the second most important temple situated in Katra, India.  

Jammu serves as the gateway to one of the famous pilgrimages in India, the Vaishno Devi altar, which is about 64 kms from Jammu. There are a few other temples like Ranbireshwar Temple and Raghunath Temple that are situated in the vicinity. A major attraction of Jammu is Katra. You can take a taxi from Jammu to Katra, which is at an elevation of 2474 ft. above the sea level. You can buy many quality products such as Kashmiri carpets, Pashmina shawls, wooden furniture, etc. as it is called the shopper’s paradise. Here is the list of places that you can visit on a trip to Jammu:

Bahu Fort

It is located in the city of Jammu and said to have been built by Raja Bahu Lochan on the bank of Tawi river. The fortress has a temple of goddess Kali which is surrounded by terrace garden. The temple entices pilgrims on weekends, and tourists stopover by the fort to look at the history of the Dogra kings who inhabited in the fort for years. The temple is one that pilgrims visit after the Vaishno Devi temple.

Raghunath Temple

Raghunath Temple includes seven different holy places inside its premises and is the largest temple premise of Northern India. There are paintings in the complex, based on the Mahabharata, Gita and Ramayana. Raghunath Temple is established in the area known as Sui, with three doors of entry.  Numerous Hindu gods and goddesses reside in the temple, and it is a sought after tourist destination of Jammu.

Vaishno Devi Temple

This is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites of India and is visited by almost 10 million pilgrims every year. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Mahalakshmi,  who draws a lot of pilgrims who come to pray and pay their salutations to the goddess. It is famous all over the world among Hindu pilgrims due to the belief that their wishes are fulfilled by  the goddess. The trekking area is 12 kms, and devotees walk up to the temple to pray.

Katra

Katra is a shopper’s paradise. You can buy leather goods, textiles, hosiery items and leather goods. Main Bazaar is the perfect place to go and buy some silks, namdas, silverware, phernas, etc., and if you are a cricket fan then you can buy good quality cricket bats and baseball bats from here. Katra lies on the National Highway 1C and Jammu to Katra distance is about 42 kms. Jammu, being a part of the Jammu and Kashmir state, is much like  paradise on earth. Tourism is the industry that Jammu depends on majorly since a couple of years, due to the panoramic beauty and wondrous atmosphere of the region.