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A GREAT DESTINATION
ETERNAL
INDIA
encyclopedia
The interesting monuments of the city are the Ran hires war
temple, Raghunath temple of Raghunath Bazar and the
Raghunath temple of Purani Mandi, Ranbir Canal, and Bahu fort.
Ranbi'reswar temple
: Built in 1883, this shrine for Lord Shiva,
apart from the main symbol of Shiva, has twelve crystal symbols
and thousands more fixed on stone slabs.
Raghunath temple
: Amidst a group of smaller temples conse-
crated to different Gods and Goddesses connected with the
Ramayana,
in the very heart of the city stands this shrine of
Rama. The inner walls of the main temple are covered with gold.
Here are galleries with lakhs of Saligrams — the rare sacred black
stones. Also a Rama temple, this shrine depicts scenes from the
lives of Rama and Krishna through paintings.
Bahu fort
: After enjoying a view of the Ranbir Canal, you can visit
Bahu Fort on a rock-face on the left bank of the river Tawi.
The original fort is said to have been built by King Bahulochan of
a remote past. The present fort was the work of later Dogra
rulers. Inside is a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali.
Vaishno Devi
: 62 km away from Jammu this ancient cave shrine is
situated in a recess of the Trikuta Hill. The Trikuta Bhagwati,
popularly known as Vaishno Devi, draws lakhs of visitors round
the year.
The cave, at an elevation of 5,300 feet, has three images of the
Devi, representing her creative, preserving and destroying as-
pects. Buses run regularly to a small town, Katra, 48 km from
Jammu. The remaining distance has to be covered on foot or by
pony.
Batote :
At an altitude of 1,560 metres, this health-resort 113km
away on the Jammu-Srinagar highway can be reached by bus. A
tourist bungalow is available.
Sudh Mahadev
: At a height of 1,225m. and at a distance of 120km
from Jammu, this summer resort has a lovely spring.
Ramnagar
: 102km away, this place is famous for murals in the
Pahari style. Buses are available from Jammu.
Shiva Khori
: 88km away, this is a shrine for Lord Shiva. One can
go by bus up to Bara (80km) The remaining 8km has to be covered
on foot.
PICNIC SPOTS
There are excellent picnic spots nearby. They are Swinsar Lake
(42km), Mansar Lake (80km), Paramandal (39km), Patnitop at an
altitude of 2,024 metres (112km) and Sansar at an altitude of 2,079
metres (129km). There are rest houses at all places. Visitors can
contact the Government Tourist Officer before proceeding to any of
these resorts.
Leh
: The headquarters of India's largest district, Ladakh, with the
smallest population was first opened to tourists in 1974.
This area of mysterious mountains, and fearful gorges, was not
always cut off from the world. Leh, for centuries, was an im-
portant commercial junction linking Central Asia with Kashmir,
and the Kulu Valley of Himachal Pradesh with Tibet and China.
In this land of the Lamas there are many monasteries called
Gomphas where the Buddhist deities are worshippped. The near-
est to the town is Shankar Gompha, 3 km away containing many
golden images and a collection of rare pictures. The famous
Gomphas, numbering 12, are scattered around the town. Hemis
Gompha is the largest of them all, 49km. from Leh, with several
golden images and a stupa adorned with most valuable metals.
The famous Hemis festival is held in the second half of June or
early July every year. It features mask dances. It draws crowds of
spectators. A legend says that Christ spent some years as a boy
here.
Among the other Gomphas are Thikse and Shye, both on the
way to Hemis Gompha.
A drive to Leh by bus from Srinagar (434km) is an unforgettable
experience. Tourists must contact the Government Tourist office
at Srinagar before embarking on their journey into Ladakh. Being a
frontier territory, it prescribes some discipline for the visitor.
One ought to carry enough warm clothes, lotions and creams
against sun-burn, dry food, and primary medicines. Many tourists
carry tents. Buses carrying passengers from Srinagar leave in the
morning and halt for the night at Kargil. These reach Leh the next
day, in the afternoon.
The state of Karnataka, formerly known as Mysore, is a state
of strong contrasts, with the modern, industrialised city of Banga-
lore at one extreme and the forest - lined Western Ghats on the
other; the orange groves of Coorg and the ancient sculptured
temples at Belur, Halebid and Aihole.
Bangalore :
Situated at an altitude of 921 m above sea-level,
Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, is a graceful city with charm-
ing gardens, parks, well-designed houses and salubrious climate.
It is now the fifth largest urban agglomeration of India with a
population of48,23,951. Though a modern, bustling city and an i m-
portant industrial centre, Bangalore remains one of India's pleas-
antest cities. The central area is studded with beautifully-laid-out
parks and gardens. Bangalore's important industries include ma-
chine tools, aircrafts, electronics and computers. The city was
founded by Kempe Gowda in the 16th century.
Vidhana Soudha
: This is one of Bangalore's — and indeed one of
India's — most spectacular buildings. Built of granite in the neo-
Dravidian style of architecture and located at the northern end of
Cubbon Park, it houses both the Secretariat and the State Legis-
lature. The cabinet room is famous for its massive door made of
pure sandalwood.
Cubbon Park & the Museums
: One of the main 'lungs' of the city,
this beautiful shady park, full of flowering trees, covers an area of
120 hectares and was laid out in 1864. In it are the red Gothic
buildings which houses the Public Library, the High Court, the
Government Museum and the Technological and Industrial Mu-
seum.
The Government Museum, one of the oldest in India, was es-
tablished in 1886 and houses sections on geology, art, numismat-
ics and relics from Mohenjodaro.
The Visvesvaraya Technological & Industrial Museum, also on
Kasturba road, adjacent to the Government Museum is dedicated
to the memory of M. Visvesvaraya, the architect of modern