Where To Visit:

Jammu
Situated on the banks of the Tawi river against the ravishing backdrop of the majestic Trikuta ranges, the winter capital of the state is Jammu. It is believed that King Jambulochan, considered the place to be auspicious because he saw a tiger and goat drinking water from the same pool. He laid the foundation of a new city, Jammu Nagri. In 1832, Gulab Singh merged Jammu with Kashmir to form the present state. Jammu has a large number of temples and shrines, the soaring spires of which seem to perforate the skies above. Katra, 48 kms from Jammu is the starting point of the heavily thronged shine of Vaishno Devi.



Vaishno Devi
A shrine of immense religious significance, the Trikuta Bhagwati cave, better known as Vaishno Devi, attracts thousands of devotees.

Festivals
The principal festivals of Lohri (January), Baisakhi (April), Bahu Mela (April and October), Chaitre Chandash (April), Purmandal Mela (February), and Jhiri Mela (October) are celebrated here.

Accommodation
ITDC's Hotel Jammu Ashok is a beautiful riverside hotel at Ramnagar. The JKTDC runs a tourist hotel here with AC options. Private lodging houses are also available. The office of the Deputy Director, Tourism of the J & K government, Jammu, makes reservations for accommodation at Patnitop, Kud, Batote, Mansar and Sanasar.

How to Get There
Air : Indian Airlines operates flights between Jammu and Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Srinagar. A private airline also operates a daily fight to Jammu from Delhi.
Rail : Jammu Tawi is an important railhead on the Northern Railway line. Express trains connect it with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta and Amritsar.
Road : Located on the National Highway 1A, Jammu is linked by a network of roads to Amritsar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Katra, Srinagar, and Manali.

Hazratbal Shrine
The Hazratbal Shrine, situated on the left bank of the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar, is the most revered Muslim shrine of Kashmir. Dedicated to Prophet Mohammad, whose Moi-e-Muqqadus, or sacred hair, is preserved here, the shrine is known by many names including Hazratbal, Assar-e-Sharief, Madinat-us-Sani, Dargah Sharief and Dargah.

Emperor Shah Jahan's subedar, Sadiq Khan, laid out a garden and constructed a palatial building, Ishrat Mahal or 'pleasure house' in 1623. However, the Emperor, during his visit in 1634, ordered that the building be converted into a prayer house. Moi-e-Muqqadus was brought to Kashmir in 1699, during the reign of Aurangzeb and was first kept in the shrine of Naqashbad Sahib in the heart of the city. Later it was shifted to Hazratbal in view of the unprecedented rush of people who came here for a glimpse of the Moi-e-Muqqadus. The construction of the present marble structure was started by the Muslim Auqaf Trust in 1968 and completed in 1979. The Moi-e-Muqqadas is displayed on various occasions related to the life of the prophet and his four holy companions.

How to get There Regular transport is available from various points in Srinagar city. The shrine can also be reached from Dal Lake.

Shahdara Sharief
Symbol of communal harmony, the Shahdara Sharief shrine is a popular tourist spot in Rajouri district. Baba Ghulam Shah, born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, made Shahdara his home and Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs visit the shrine to offer prayers and seek blessings of the Pir. Buses, cars and jeeps carrying pilgrims ply regularly on the road from Rajouri, which is 30 km from the shrine and 158 km from Jammu.

Raghunath Temple
Dedicated to Lord Rama of the epic Ramayana, the Raghunath temple's inner walls are covered with gold sheet on three sides. Construction of the temple was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh, founder of the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir in 1835 AD and completed by his son Maharaja Ranbir Singh 1860 AD. There are lakhs of 'saligrams' in the numerous galleries of the temple. The surrounding temples dedicated to the various gods and goddesses of the epic Ramayana, form a part of the Raghunath Temple Complex, which is situated in the heart of Jammu city.