Temples in Jammu

The Raghunathji Temple is located in the middle of Jammu and is believed to be the largest shrine in North India having seven temples and each temple has a shikhara. The temple has many gods and goddesses but the presiding deity of Raghunath Temple in Jammu is Lord Rama, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. The inner walls of the main temple are made with gold sheets on its three sides. The temple also has a gallery where different Lingams, which are considered to be the indication of Lord Shiva and Saligrams are placed. The construction of the Raghunath Temple began in 1835 A.D. by Maharaja Gulab Singh, who was the founder of the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir. Its construction was later continued by his son, Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1860 A.D.

Shiv Khori Temple is an avatar of Lord Shiva and is located in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and for its natural formation of Shiva lingam. The Shiv Khori or Shiva's Cave is 200 meters long and one meter wide. In some places, the cave's height is so lightweight that one has to crawl to enter some areas as it is more than 2 to 3 meters high. One of the most interesting things about the cave is that it is a natural formation of Hindu deities. The best time to visit the Shiv Khori Mandir is the month from October to March and festivals like Mahashivratri, Navratri, Diwali and Basant Panchami are celebrated at this temple.

The Mahakali temple famous as Bawe Wali Mata Temple has been built during the 8th century in 1822 A.D. This famous and religious holy place of Goddess Mahakali is situated at a distance of 5 Km from Jammu city. As the temple is situated near the bridge of Jammu Tawi, it is known as the temple of Bawe Wali Mata Mahakali Temple and is considered to be an idol of Jammu. Every Sunday and Tuesday there is a big crowd of devotees in the temple of Bawe Wali Mata. This temple is inside the Bahu Fort and is named after Bahulochan, the elder brother of Raja Jambulochan, the founder of the Jammu state.

Amarnath Temple is located in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of India's most famous pilgrimage destinations dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is 5,000 years old and it is one of the 51 Maha Shakti Peethas. The Amarnath cave has a Shivaling naturally formed with ice which is the same as Lord Shiva, as this place is visited by millions of devotees from all over the world for the challenging mountainous trek called Amarnath Yatra. Best time to visit is during the Sharavan months that is July to August as a festival like Maha Shivratri is celebrated with great enthusiasm. To reach Amarnath Temple, there are two routes available for undertaking the Amarnath Yatra, via Baltal or Pahalgam. The Baltal route is shorter and has a hard trekking while Pahalgam route is longer but is generally preferred by most of the devotees. It usually takes 3 to 5 days to reach Amarnath from the base point.

The Martand Sun Temple is located in Anantnag of Jammu and Kashmir. It is dedicated to Surya, is also called Martand in the Sanskrit language. The Martand Sun Temple was constructed by Lalitaditya Muktapida a third ruler of the Karkota Dynasty in the 8th century. It was constructed in the Kashmiri style of architecture with a high dome, carved pillars, a vast corridor and the sanctum positioned with the idol of the Sun God. It was completely destroyed in the 15th century by a Muslim invader Sikandar Shah Miri and the other part got damaged in earthquakes. The Archeological Survey of India has declared the Martand Sun Temple as a site of national importance in Jammu and Kashmir. The temple appears in the list of centrally protected memorials as Sun Temple.

Ranbireshwar Temple is located in Jammu city and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the ancient temple built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1883 A.D. In North India, this temple is the biggest temple of Lord Shiva. The main speciality of the temple is that it is built on the first floor and is located at a height from the surface of the road as the devotees have to take a set of steps to reach the temple. The idol of Lord Shiva is very unique as the Shivlinga is 8 feet high and is made from black stone. There are also more than 12 Shivlingas in the temple and these Shivlingas are 18 feet high and 12 feet large. Inside, the temple which has around 1.25 lakhs Shivalingas brought from the Narmada River. There are also Idols of Lord Ganesha, Kartikeya and Nandi in the temple. Best time to visit the temple is the month from September to March and all the festivals are celebrated at this temple.