Jammu

Overview

Jammu is the largest city of the Jammu Division and the winter capital of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Often called the City of Temples for its numerous Hindu shrines, Jammu lies on the foothills of the Shivalik range, on the banks of the Tawi river. It serves as the principal administrative, commercial and educational hub for the Jammu region and acts as the gateway to the Kashmir Valley.

Key Facts

Geography

Jammu sits in the outer plains and lower hills of the Shivalik range, at the transition between the Punjab plains and the Himalayas. The Tawi, a tributary of the Chenab, divides the city into the older town on its northern bank and the newer extensions to the south. The terrain consists of low ridges, alluvial flats and sloping plateaus, giving the city a distinctly undulating topography.

The climate is humid subtropical, with hot summers, a pronounced southwest monsoon, and cool winters. Because of its lower elevation compared to Srinagar, the seat of government shifts to Jammu in the winter months under the historical practice known as the Darbar Move.

History

Jammu's foundation is traditionally attributed to Raja Jambu Lochan, after whom the city is said to be named. For long stretches of its history, Jammu was ruled by Dogra Rajput chieftains and dynasties controlling parts of the surrounding hill country.

In 1822, Gulab Singh of the Dogra house was invested as Raja of Jammu under the suzerainty of the Sikh Empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Following the First Anglo-Sikh War, the Treaty of Amritsar (1846) transferred Kashmir to Gulab Singh, creating the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, with Jammu as one of its two capitals. Dogra rule continued until 1947, when Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to India.

After Indian independence and the formation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu was designated the winter capital, with Srinagar serving as the summer capital. In August 2019, the state was reorganised into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019; Jammu retains its status as the winter seat of administration of the new union territory.

Administration

The city is administered by the Jammu Municipal Corporation. It is the headquarters of Jammu district and Jammu Division, and houses key institutions of the union territory administration, the Jammu wing of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and the regional offices of central government agencies.

Economy

Jammu's economy combines government services, trade, tourism, agriculture-related commerce and small to medium industry. Wholesale and retail trade in foodgrains, fruit and consumer goods is significant, and the city is a transit point for goods moving between the plains and the Kashmir Valley. Industrial activity is concentrated in zones such as Bari Brahmana and Gangyal, with units in engineering, pharmaceuticals, food processing and textiles. Tourism, driven especially by pilgrimage, is a major contributor.

Culture and religion

Jammu is widely known as the City of Temples due to the dense concentration of Hindu shrines in and around the old city. Notable religious sites include:

• Raghunath Temple, a large temple complex begun under Maharaja Gulab Singh and completed by Maharaja Ranbir Singh.
• Ranbireshwar Temple, dedicated to Shiva and built in the 19th century.
• Bahu Fort and Bawe Wali Mata Temple, overlooking the Tawi.
• Peer Kho cave temple and the Mahamaya Temple.

The nearby shrine of Vaishno Devi at Katra in Reasi district draws millions of pilgrims annually, with Jammu serving as the principal base for the journey