Famous temples in Jammu and Kashmir

Religious places play an important role in the personality and uniqueness of any state. The temples in Jammu and Kashmir also have a major impact on the devotional spirit of people and also attract tourism to the state. Jammu and Kashmir have numerous temples, both ancient and new, which are built by Kashmiri artisans. Jammu is also known as the city of temples. The temples here are very unique and artistic and have beautiful idols of gods and goddesses, most of which are carved out in the city itself. The city also has a huge number of Sufi shrines and that sets a solid example of secularism and religious harmony. Some of the famous temples of Jammu and Kashmir are listed below.

Raghunath Temple (Jammu)

Raghunath Temple is the most famous temple in Jammu. It is the largest temple complex in Northern India. It is situated in the heart of Jammu city. The temple consists of seven shrines. Amongst all the shrines, the most important one belongs to the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, which is Lord Rama. The walls of the main temple are covered with gold sheets and have the idols of Lord Rama, Sita Mata, and Shri Lakshman. The interiors of the temple are gold plated. The temple also has a Sanskrit Library containing rare Sanskrit manuscripts.

Vaishno Devi Temple

Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is a divine Hindu temple and the world-famous holy place of Jammu. It is the second-most visited temple in the country after Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The temple is dedicated to Mata Rani or Vaishnavi, an incarnation of the Mother Goddess. The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is situated in a cave between three-peaked Himalayas mountains called Trikuta. Along with the images of Vaishnodevi, the three idols of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati are also worshipped at the temple. A two-hour aarti of Goddess Vaishnavi takes place twice a day, accompanied by chanting mantras and the 108 names of Mata Durga.

Amarnath Temple

Amarnath temple is considered to be Kashmir’s oldest temple located in the Anantnag district, 29 kilometres away from Pahalgam. The Shiva temple is situated inside quite a large cave on one of the ends of the Lidder Valley at an altitude of approx 3900 m. This temple is mainly famous for the Shiva-Lingam (a natural formation of ice), the holiest and the most famous symbol of the Hindus. There is also an ice block to the left of the lingam representing  Lord Ganesha. To the left of it is a small ice formation denoting Goddess Parvati. It is believed that the formation of ice takes place during the summer days and changes along with the moon. The ‘Yatra’ to  Amarnath is one of the most important yatras of Hindu Dharma which begins from Chandanwari in the month of July or August. 

Avantipur Temple

The Avantipur temple is located 29 km away from the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, on the right bank of River Jhelum. It is believed that the temple was established by the peaceful religious ruler, King Avantivarman. He built two great temples within a range of 1 km, the main temple belonging to  Lord Vishnu, named Avantiswami, and the other one to Lord Shiva, named Avantisvara. The Vishnu temple is famous for its spectacularly unique carvings on the temple walls, floors, and pillars. There are sculptures of the royal family and carvings of the beautiful female demigods known as Apsaras, and also the carvings oF Navagrahas and Kinnara.

Shankaracharya Temple

The Sankaracharya Temple is located in the southeastern part of Kashmir at the top of Gopadari hill above 1100 ft, from the surface level of the city.  The Shankaracharya Temple, also known as Jyeteshwara temple, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is of great importance from both religious as well as architectural viewpoints. The shrine has been built in a circular chamber and offers a breathtaking view of the beautiful Kashmir valley.

Bave Wali Mata (Goddess Mahakali)

Bave Wali Mata is a famous Mahakali temple built within the premises of the Bahu Fort on the left bank of River Tawi. The temple houses a black stone idol of Goddess Mahakali. Bave Wali Mata is the presiding deity of Jammu and is considered to be second only to Mata Vaishno Devi.

Conclusion

Temples in Jammu are very attractive, artistic and must-visit places. The biggest temple is Raghunath, which comprises seventeen marvellous holy places. Another important holy place in Jammu is Mata Vaishno Devi. Millions of devotees from all across the globe come to visit the holy shrine. Some of the other temples in the state are Ranbireshwar Temple, Peer Kho Cave Temple, and Sudh Mahadev Temple. Apart from the temples, Jammu and Kashmir is also famous for its natural beauty and is known as ‘heaven on Earth’.