Jammu Darshan
Wake Up J&K Govt.! Save our Cultural Heritage
0Mission of Exploring the Hidden Beauty Of Jammu
But felt very Bad seeing the sad state of Affairs
My friends outside Jammu always pop me the question whether there are some other places of tourist interest in Jammu other than Katra, Bagh-e-Bahu and Patnitop. To find an answer to this question I plan short trips to adjoining areas in Jammu region.
Jasrota Fort at Kathua is on the Verge of extinct,but still govt. is sleeping
Ujh River,Kathua
During such a similar getaway, I along with a biker buddy ‘Aman’ happened to reach a Heriatge spot ‘Jasrota Fort’ near Kathua. Its existence to the passer-by on NH is reliant on a single board on road-side. While moving in the direction of fort, we found another nice spot ‘Ujjah Barrage’ which was inaugurated in 1980 by Sheikh Abdullah. However, it was abandoned and whole structure was in shambles.Even the wooden steps of surveillance tower were missing.
It promised enormous potential for being developed as a place of tourist interest due to its scenic beauty, abundant water and its strategic location, but it was in complete state of neglect. The park built near it has been installed with fountains but there is no water supply to it and the park was totally dry.
If I compare it with Asang Barrage situated near the border of Uttarakhand & Himachal Pradesh, Asang has been developed as Bird Sanctuary, Water Sports Park and Holiday Resort with cottages. They offer various packages for good value to persons opting for longer stay, but here no such provision exists.
Beautiful Artistic Work on the walls of Jasrota Fort,Kathua
After visiting ‘Ujjah’ we went to Jasrota Fort and it was impossible to find without the help of shopkeepers there as the boards were not properly placed.The fort was few kms inside from the road and the connecting passage was rough and not even the suspension of bike rattled but the columns of our spine also.
We parked the bike near a temple and decided to cover rest of distance of few metres by foot.Ruins of walls of fort were visible. The way was full of bushes giving it a haunting and deserted look.On reaching the destination we found a largedeep pit like structure which on close examination revealed a dry pond in which vegetation had acquired jungle like structure. If this pond was restored, it would surely beautify the place. And the fort was in even worse conditions as most of structure had fallen down.
On one or two walls we found beautiful paintwork, the paintwork on others had faded with tough weather and no maintenance and to make them worse, some morons had written their names on these ruins. The remaining structure of the Fort is prone to collapse anytime and it is duty of the concerned authorities to restore it else we will loose a beautiful Heritage Fort.So,being a Jammuitie and Redefining Jammu member,I request the govt. and concerned department to safeguard our cultural heritage
- Wake Up! J&K Govt.
Wake Up! Omar Abdullah and J&K Tourism Dept.
Compiled and Photographed by-
Vikas Mahajan,RJ member
Shiv Khori Cave
0Famous cave shrine of Shivkhori(शिव-खोड़ी गुफ़ा) is situated in District Reasi of J&K state depicts the natural formation of shivlingum. It is one of the most venerated cave shrines of Lord Shiva in the region.
A number of legends have propounded about the discovery of this holy cave. One of the most important legends among them is that a demon named Bhasmasura after a long meditation of Lord Shiva obtained blessing to end the life of any one with that blessing. After obtaining it, the said devil tried to end the Lord Shiva-On seeing the evil design of the demon, the Lord Shiva run to save himself from the power of the demon and entered in this cave which is presently known as Shiv Khori. After this, Lord Vishnu in the guise of Mohini came forward and asked the demon to dance with her according to her tune. As and when the demon started dancing as per the actions of Mohini, the said demon took his hand at his head and with his own power, he was himself destroyed. As per the legend, 33 crores deities exist in this cave in shape of pindies and natural milky water is falling on them from the top of the cave. In this cave there is also a cave which directly go to amarnathji accordind to a saint who lived there nameeed as baba ramesgiri
To Know more about it,you can visit:- http://photos.jamuredefine.in
The Lure of the Land – Some stories from Poonch
0
The connection to the land is natural and unbreakable. We may go away for a multitude of reasons but it is easier to snip off the umbilical cord than cut away the tie which binds us to our villages and towns and cities….to the land of our forefathers. I have known this 
for a fact and experienced it at close quarters, having lived quite a nomadic life, traveling far and wide. Nothing can beat the pleasure and ‘the heart will burst’ kind of happiness when I come back “home”….to my home state of Jammu and Kashmir.
I saw this emotion amply reflected in the stories I heard this summer during my trip to Poonch. Poonch is also known as Chhota Kashmir and aptly deserves the title, for the regions beauty and splendour are breathtaking. As I traveled by road I repeatedly asked myself as I crossed vales and mountains that how could one ever leave this place and be really happy. The majestic Pir Panchal range in the backdrop, forests, and gurgling streams, crisp fresh air, rugged men and the beautiful women and children…all pulled at my heart strings. I gasped and sighed when I saw the Surankote valley and was left speechless as I entered the town of Poonch.
The history of the region left me intrigued and my fascination with the place increased. Poonch has also been called the battlefield of Kashmir since many rulers who staked a claimon Kashmir had to fight it out in the Poonch valley. There is a book by the same name “Poonch – “The Battlefield of Kashmir” by Mr. Maini a Poonch local which is a must read for all those who want to know more about the history of this region.
I met many people from various backgrounds and the common underlying theme with all of them was a desire to live peacefully and harmoniously. Not one of them was untouched by militancy and the politics of the region. Landmines in the adjoining hills, militant hideouts in the hills of Mendhar, friends and neighbors crossing over to Pakistan, the bloody guerilla warfare, and the infamous ‘Operation Hill Kaka’ to flush out ISI operatives and militants. Obviously the region is considered sensitive and the existing peace fragile.
Considering that it is a land of Saints and Sufis it is a crying shame. This is a land which is abound by similar yet different testaments to the Almighty…Buddhe Amarnath, Nangli Sahib, Shahdara Sharief to name a few. I visited all three and found them equally moving.
Who could leave such a place and yet some did. Some of them at least whose stories I heard have become refugees in their current country of choice, realizing too late that they became victims of propaganda, pressure and trends of their community and a falsely created fear psychosis. The DC/DM of Poonch Shri Kuldip Khajuria told me that there were people who have come back to Poonch on visitor visas and have had to be literally forced to go back after they exhausted their stay limits that too after extending their visas and stay as many times as legally possible.
Many have openly said that they are worse off in Pakistan occupied Poonch economically and socially. This fact was quite clear in my visit to the LOC. One could clearly see ‘kuchha’ houses across the border compared to the modest but pucca houses on our side of the hills. The Principal of Sheesh Mahal School (the oldest girl’s school in Poonch) told me about an ex-student who visited from POK. The ex-student said that they were fed with stories of persecution of Muslims in India by the Pakistani officials. They were told that the Muslim population was denied the right to education and debarred from offering Namaaz and going to the mosque. Upon hearing from the Principal that in a school of 300 plus girls, there were only 35 Hindu girls, the man broke down and cried in the school assembly organized in his honor.
We were saddened to hear that one of my mother’s muslim neighbor and friend moved to Pakistan in the 70’s. He visited Poonch his place of birth many times once it was possible to do so. Common friends told us he regretted his decision all his life and died a heartbroken man.
Some ties bind us all our lives and there is a love which is equal if not greater than the other facets of love and that is a love for our land. A love which blurs the differences in religion and unites us on the common grounds of language, cultural practices, folk lore, dance, music, literature and so much more. It is for the individual to understand this fundamental truth and the politics to let it be.
Manu Khajuria
Dogri Cuisine-Part1(Rajma Chol)
7
अज अस निकले दे हन जम्मू सूबे दे मशहुर राजमा चोल खाने ते कन्ने ही निक्की मुट्टी सेर करने उपर,आशा करदे हन तुस्सें लोककें गी एस ब्लॉग 
ऊपर हून एक नवी चीज़ वि लबग और तुस डोगरे दुनिया दे किसी वि कोने च बेयिये जम्मू दे जायके दा मज़ा लेई सकदे हो और हून अस पेश करदे हन एस श्रंखला दी पहली कड़ी :-
राजमा चोल ते जम्मू दा इक वखरा ही मेल है .जम्मू सूबे दे किसी वि कार च कोई वि समागम होए,यां फी किसे मंदिर इच कोई पंडारा और हर एतवार गी, राजमा चोल ते बनना बड़ा ही जरूरी है। राजमा चोल ते डोगरें दा इयो रिश्ता है जियां जम्मू च बरखा ते आंधी तूफ़ान दा,सूरज ते तूप दा। सब्तु बड़ी खासियत एह है की ख़ुशी होवे या गम राजमा चोल हर वेल्ले लबी ही जाने। जम्मू सूबे दे राजमा(रायमा in pure dogri) गी पुरे भारत च सब्तु वदिया मन्या जौंदा है।
सुरनकोट(चड़ीमाडी) ,भदरवाह ते पूँछ दे रायमें दी गाल ही निराली ही , इन्हें गी सोचदे ही मुह च पानी आई जौंदा है।हून ते चाइनीज़,कश्मीरी ते रुसी राजमा वि बाज़ार च आई गेदे हन पर जम्मू सूबे दे राजमे दा मुकाबला कोई नि करी सकदा।
हून अस गाल करनेयाँ एक ऐसे अलाक्के दी जिथे दे राजमा चोल खान दे लेई लोग दूर दूर तूं औंदे हन। जी हां! अस गाल करादे हन पीड़े दे राजमा चोलें दी। पीड़ा ग्रां जम्मू -श्रीनगर नेशनल हाइवे उपर पोंदा है।
जियां ही तुस्स बटोत तूं लंघो और चंदरकोट पूजन तूं पेल्ले तुस्सें गी एह जगह लबी जानी । पर अस्सें गी पीड़े दे राजमा चोल खान दे लेई पीड़ा ग्रां जान दी कोई लौड़ नि है,हाइवे ऊपर ही एक जगह है जिसे गी पीड़ा मोढ़ आख्या जौंदा है,उथे बने दे निक्के निक्के टाब्बें च ही तुस्सें गी राजमा चोलें दा असली सवाद पता लगियाना। टाब्बे आलें दा मीठा स्वाभाव किसे दा वि दिल जीती सकदा है।
तां ही किसे ने सेई आख्या है मीठी है डोगरें दी बोली ते खंड मीठे लोग डोगरे
टाब्बे च तुस्सें गी रायमा दे कन्ने बासमती चोल और ओदे उपर देसी क्यो, ते औदे कन्ने अनारदाने दी चटनी ते उथे चलदी ठंडी ठंडी बा ने तुस्सें गी मंत्रमुग्ध करी देना। तुस लोककें ने अगर एक वारी वि उस जगह दे राजमा चोल खाऊडे ते तुस्सें गी और किसे वि जगह दे राजमा चोल पसंद नि औने, एह गारंटी है साडी …और जो खाए एक बार वो आये बार बार …..बड़े लोग पीड़े दे राजमा चोल खाने दे बाद पुछदे हन की आखिर खासियत एह के पीड़े दे राजमा चोलें दी? एह सारा कमल उथे दे देसी पानी दा हा,जो राजमा चोल बनाने दे मौकी इस्तेमाल होंदा है
जियां की हर कोई जानदा ही ओना जम्मू सूबे दे हर इलाके दे पानी च थोड़ा थोड़ा फरक पेयी जौंदा है और इए फर्क हर जगह दे राजमाएं च वि महसूस किता जौंदा है। इए थोड़ा फर्क आई ही जौंदा है सुन्दरकोट च बन्ने आले राजमा चोल च ते भद्रवाई राजमा चोलें च
पीड़े दे रायमा चोल खान दे वाद हून थोड़े बाटते दे सेयू(सेब) वि खांदे चल्नेयां थोड़ा और जांदे जांदे पतनीतटॉप च वि कूमि लेनेयाँ …पतनीतटॉप दी ठंडी ठंडी बा,यूथ हॉस्टल ग्राउंड ते चिल्ड्रेन पार्क च बेयिये गप्पां मरना,कोड़े(घोड़े) दी सवारी करना,डिस्क कन्ने खेलना,बचे दा चूटे लेना,और उथे दे गोलगप्पे दा वि वखरा ही स्वाद है(एह सारा मज़ा उथे दे देसी पानी दा ही है)
और जौंदे जौंदे कूद दा पतीसा चखिए मुंह मीठा करदे चलो। प्रेम दी हट्टी दे गरम गरम पतिसे दा, ना ही पुरे कूद ते ना ही पूरी दुनिया च कोई मुकाबला है । हून ते प्रेम स्वीट्स आलें ने उधमपुर च दो ते एक जम्मू च वि अपनी हट्टीयां खोली दिति हैं,पर जो मज़ा कूद च प्रेम दी हट्टी दा गरम गरम पतीसा खाने च है ओह और कुधर वि नि है ।
मैं आशा करदा हैं तुस्सें गी एह निक्की जेई सेर पीड़े मोड़ तूं कूद तक शेल लगी होनी …और अगर तुहाडे वि कोई तुजर्बे हन इन जगह ते ज़रूर सांझे करो साडे कन्ने
To be Contd……
National Heritage Tour Expedition,Udhampur,2010
3
Youth hostel association of India,J&K have joined their hands with Udhampur Administration,Tourism Dept. and Sports Department to organise a national heritage track expedition from April 29th to july15th ,2010.A very good step towards the promotion of the adventure tourism in J&K.
J&K is one of the best place for such adventure tourism thanks to its varied topography,geographical and climatic conditions.And if properly developed can surely gonna help the socio-economic Conditions of the the citizens of the state.
Such type of expeditions can help jammu to show its Unique heritage sites, green meadows and pastures, lofty mountains with thick deodar forests, clear natural water springs, brooks and the river.
This type of trekking expeditions can really help youngsters in strengthening bonds among each other,gonna learn about different plants and wildlife, and last but not the least,the great experience and infusion of fresh energy.
Alongwith this they can also spread messages of GO GREEN and how to protect these beautiful forests.As we have seen many times,forests are burning every other day in the months of summer especially due to the ignorance of natives.Most fire incidents are deliberate acts. The local villagers also tend to set grasslands afire to get softer grass after the rains. In most cases, the fire from grasslands spreads to nearby forests.
The base camp of trekkers is Udhampur and from here these trekkers are going to drop in Pancheri.From the beautiful Sankri Devta Hills,the trekking is going to start and will cover areas like Nathatop,Sanasar,Patnitop,Sudh Mahadev and Mantali. Last year this national event was attended by a total of 1843 Trekkers but this time it is expected to cross four thousand.
Such type of programmes have to be regularly conducted by Sports department or any other department.And then someday make it an national event or if possible an international event,so that world comes to know that its not only terrorism which exists in our state.Such type of events can really helps in improving the finacial health of the state which is at present in deep shambles. Tourism industry can really boost our state’s economy.We,really appreciate your work and hope to see such programmes in the near future Motivation is what gets you started,Habit is what gets you keep going.
So Keep this good habit:)
Jai Hind
Mantalai-SudhMahadev—A very famous Pilgrimage in Jammu Kashmir
14Mantalai,Situated a few kilometers further away from Sudh Mahadev
, Mantalai is surrounded by lush deodar forests, at an altitude of over 2000 metres. 
It is believed that Lord Shiva had got married to the Goddess Parvati here.
Legend goes like this,One day while’ Mata Parvati’ was passing through these dense forests, demon ‘Sudhant’s’ evil eyes fell on her and he chased her. To Her utter agony,
‘Mata Parvati’ cried terribly, “Oh Lord Shiva, save me from the cruel hands of the demon.” ‘Lord Shiva “ who was in his deep meditation and sensing the helping voice emanate His anger and got infuriated and let loose his tridant (trishul) which instantly decapped demon’s head who in turn cried agonistically, “Lord Shiva”, “Lord Shiva”.
Hearing his deplorable voice, the lord realized that He has killed his own worshipper and He, therefore, came to ‘Sudhant’ and promised to bring him back to his life. But in the arbitrary prayed overwhelmingly and said, “Oh my lord, I am fortunate enough to have been, killed piously”. Lord Shiva thus gave His divinity at that place and so the name of the sacred shrine thence forth called as ‘Sudhmahadev’.
Lord Shiva married to the Goddess Parvati in the region of Mantalai. There are number of Shiv temples abound the region. The Sudh Mahadev Temple lies close to the town of Mantalai. The ancient place of worship is said to be 2800 years old. Pilgrims flock in the region in the full moon night in the month of August. Wading through the River Devika that
flow by the temple, the pilgrims enter the Sudh Mahadev Temple to offer their prayers to the black marbled Shivling in the temple. The temple is eight kilometers away from the town of Mantalai and the Gauri Kund Spring. The spring is sacred to the Hindu devotees, as it is believed that the Goddess Parvati would bathe in the waters of the spring before offering her prayers to the Lord Shiva.
Insides of the temple is beauteous and enthralling with black idol of ‘Lord Shiva’ and ‘Mata Parvati’ mounted on ‘Nandigan’ and this idol has been excavated from insides of Mantalai. The Lord’s tridant is well in existence which is reported of 16th -17th century back. The broken trident is in three pieces sanctimoniously embedded within the complex of the temple and the top part of Trishul is having a height around eight feet or so.
India’s one of the great Yoga teacher,Dhirendra Brahmachari had tried his best,when he was alive to establish a Yoga centre in Mantalai which is now in deep shambles at present,As he is no more alive. He was born in Bihar in 1924 in District Madhubani,village – Dhanushi Chanpura. He left home in the age of 13 and went to Varansi . He died in controversial circumstances in an aircrash in the 1994.
He was a charishmatic yoga teacher who befriended the Nehru-Gandhi Family. He was also the personal tutor of Indira Gandhi. It was rumored that he had an affair with Indira gandhi, In 1982-83, during the tenure of Indira Gandhi, Brahmachari ran an immensely popular weekly yoga program on Doordarshan.
Dhirendra Brahmachari used to run an arms factory in Jammu. He owned his own personal aircraft and was into major money laundering. His Ashram in Mantalai, Udhampur, was closed after his death and is still not open. He developed this place as a center for yoga several steps were taken.But his dreams remain dreams not only for him but for the whole state.
There is no plausible explanation either why the infrastructure raised by the late Dhirendra Brahmachari at Mantalai should remain unutilised. It includes a building for a hotel and one goshala. The Government should consider executing a scheme for exploiting these resources through public-private partnership. We have a rare natural bounty in our vicinity. Nothing should be left undone to make the most of it.
Now Swami Ramdev have shown some interest in developing this beautiful place. Dhirendra Brahmachari’s death in a plane crash stopped the development of the ashram. A few days ago when Swami Ramdev arrived here in Jammu.The local people requests him to develop this dream project of Late Dhirendra Brahmachari and Swami Ramdev have accepted the proposal rather I should say proposal put by locals. Now this dream project will soon comes to reality If everything goes fine. 
The ashram is spread in almost 1600 canals. Ramdev said that the Center for Yoga and no place can be better than Mantalai.Lets hope for the best and our biased govt. shows some interest in this and helps Swami Ramdev to develop this place as a Yoga Centre.
Signing Out,
**Copied from Few Websites