Jammu Diaries

      JAMMU- THE HEART OF INDIA




The truth is that the power of words can never comprehend the mysticism that this state possesses. This northernmost state of India has been endowed with nature’s best and that is why it has been an object of interest for many travel enthusiasts😎. Jammu is the largest city in the Jammu Division and the winter capital of state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is situated on the banks of the Tawi River. The city spreads around the Tawi river😍 with the old city overlooking it from the north (right bank) while the new neighbourhoods spread around the southern side (left bank) of river. There are five bridges on the river. The city is built on a series of ridges.🚍

                            

Mansar

 

About 62 km from Jammu, Mansar🌊 is a beautiful lake sounded by forest-covered hills with its length more than a mile and width half-a-mile. Besides being a popular excursion destination for tourists in Jammu, it also has provision for boating for which adequate facilities are provided by the J&K Government.

Mansar is a holy site as well😇, sharing the legend and sanctity of Lake Mansarovar. There are ancient temples on the lake side, which are often visited by devotees in large numbers. Devotees from the region perform Mundan (First hair cut) ceremony of the male baby here✌.

Mansar can be reached from Jammu on the National Highway while traveling from Jammu to bordering state of Punjab. You can also reach from Udhampur😊 (A District Headquarters, Udhampur is a town approximately 60 Kilometers away from Jammu on the National Highway while traveling from Jammu to Srinagar) on National Highway 1A.

Patnitop

About 112 kms from Jammu, the famous hill resort of Patnitop☁ is perched on a beautiful plateau, at an altitude of 2024 m, across which the Jammu-Srinagar highway passes. Enveloped by thickly wooded forests, Patnitop offers beautiful picnic spots, peaceful walks and breathtaking views of the valley of the Chenab basin and the Pir Panjal range🌁 beyond. In winter (mid Dec. to mid Feb.), the resort is generally covered with snow, thus providing opportunities for arious winter sports including amateur skiing. In addition to the Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation accommodation, there are several Hotels at Patnitop, that provide accommodation to suite every pocket and preference🌟.

                                                             Sansar Lake




Further ahead, at a distance of about 19 Kms from Patnitop💥, is Sanasar (2079 m), a satellite resort of Patnitop, with a cup-shaped meadow surrounded by gigantic conifers.✨ A place for a quiet holiday😇, the meadow has now been developed as a golf course.There are several walks in the surrounding hills. The resort itself is ideal for paragliding. Tourists with own vehicle can go on to Sansar from Patnitop and return by the evening🌈.                                                            

                                                   Bahu Fort



Situated 5 kms away from the city centre, Bahu Fort stands on a rock face on the left bank of the river Tawi. Perhaps the oldest fort and edifice in the city, it was constructed originally by Raja Bahulochan over 3,000 years ago. The existing fort was more recently improved upon and extended by the Dogra rulers. Inside, there is a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali🙏. An extensive terraced garden, known as Bagh-e-Bahu, has been developed around the fort.

Bahu Temple is situated inside the Bahu Fort, popularly called Bave Wali Mata Mandir. The Bahu Fort is a fortress representing the lavishness of the Dogra kings and the royal family that resided to rule the region. Pilgrims flock the temple on Tuesdays and Sundays, regarded auspicious.

The fort, along with the Bahu temple,😊 commands a panoramic view of the Jammu city. On the bypass road, behind the Bahu fort, the city forest surrounds the ancient Maha Maya Temple overlooking the River Tawi. A small garden surrounded by acres of woods furnishes a populated destination for tourists. Mahamaya is the local goddess of the Dogras, who lost her life 14 centuries ago combating foreign invaders. The present Bave Wali Mata mandir was built shortly after the coronation of Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1822. It is also known as the Mahakali Temple, the goddess considered second only to Mata Vaishno Devi in terms of mystical power. The Bahu Temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali, the reigning deity of the region of Jammu & Kashmir🌟.

                                                          

                                             Vaishno Devi


Located in Trikuta hills🌄, 13 Kms from Katra at a height of 1560 m😲 above sea level with shimmering clouds and thinning air, this town is the holy cave temple of Mata Vaishnodevi, with spirituality and vibrancy lingering in the atmosphere😍.

Revered and highly believed in, thousands of Pilgrims visit each year to seek blessings and show unflinching faith in this temple. Vaishno Devi is a religious trekking destination where pilgrims walk about 13 km uphill to reach the little caves which is among one of the 108 Shakti Peetha. Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani is a manifestation of Durga, a Goddess according to Hindu mythology🙏. The trek itself is very enjoyable, though it might be a little difficult for kids and elderly people😇.

TRIP - Moments of life

             DREAM TRIP TO DARJEELING


Lets have a trip to Darjeeling another beauty of India.Darjeeling is a town in India's West Bengal state, in the Himalayan foothills.Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, or “Toy Train,” 🚆completed in 1881😊. It's famed for the distinctive black tea grown on plantations that dot its surrounding slopes. Its backdrop is Mt. Kanchenjunga, among the world’s highest peaks👼.
 


                                                   Tiger Hill



Tiger Hill🌄, the highest point, a short drive away from the town is ideal for hiking and trekking through the day. Besides amazing views of the Kanchenjunga Range, the Tiger Hill rendkgers😉 perfect views of the sunrise🌈. 
During peak tourist season, you'll see hundreds of tourists get up as early as four in the morning to view the beautiful sunrise from the observatory on top of the hill. The wind is so strong here; it will make you shiver with cold in a matter of minutes✨.
                                    Batasia Loop
    
Reach Batasia😊 loop at nine in the morning and you'll see the most amazing spectacle ever - shopkeepers with their little makeshift stalls and curio-spreads on the railway lines wrap up their business with superb agility and speed as the Toy Train arrives to traverse this little loop🚆.

On a clear day, the Batasia Loop renders clear views of the surrounding valleys and mountains🌄.

                                                              Zoologizal Park
 
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was established by🐂 Tenzing Norgay, the sherpa who, along with Sir Edmund Hillary🐘, reached the summit of Mount Everest. The campus has a memorial for him, and it also houses a museum that showcases mountaineering equipment. These include the ones that Tenzing Norgay used. The Mountaineering Institute also has a small zoological park that houses various species of Himalayan animals🐯.                   Dali Monastery

      

                       

 The monastery was originally built at the time of Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoche in 1971🙏. He was a well known religious Tibetan teacher😮. Dali Monastery belongs to the Kargyupa sect. Today it is the head quarters and residence of Drukchen Rimpoche the XII, who is the supreme head of the Kargyupa sect of Buddhists. As you enter through the arch gate and walk up along the ramp, you will be awestruck with the structure of the buildings. Soon you will need to climb flights of many steep stairs. On the way you will see a prayer room on your right. There are several huge cylindrical golden colored drums on one side of the room✌. During prayer time monks sit in front of the drums and offer prayers. The chants and humming sound creates a wonderful spiritual ambience😊.  

                                              Japanese Temple 

   

  

There is a wonderful Japanese temple located at a 10 minutes driving distance from the Darjeeling town center😇. The temple is also known as the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist Temple. The two storied white building was built in a traditional Japanese style in the year 1972.

Close to the temple is the Peace Pagoda that showcases four avatars of Lord Buddha. From the top of the Pagoda, you get a panoramic views of Darjeeling landscape including the Kanchenjunga range🌄
I had that opportunity once. In the prayer room you will see the present Guruji or the chief priest offering the prayers, beating a huge drum (also known as Ho-ko) from which a reverberating sound originates that fills the entire temple premises. The humming sound and the chants add to the solemn atmosphere✨.

As you enter the room, you will be invited to sit and join the prayer🙏. A small drumming pad and a stick will be given to you so that you too can drum in the same rhythm. I was amazed how such a small pad too can generate similar resonating sound🎵

.    TEA PLANTATION                                               A visit to a tea plantation is a must when in Darjeeling🌄. There are more than 86 gardens that produce the famous Darjeeling tea. Visit tea estates and take a guided tour and learn all that goes in to processing tea🍃. The estates in this region are renowned for the high quality Dooars and Terai teas. You can get a taste of all these teas at the plantations itself for Rs. 5 to Rs. 10. Else you can always visit the mall road for a tea tasting sessions at the shops of Nathmulls and Golden Tips tea🍃.

Adorable Arunachal

                 
                                      SPLENDID  BEAUTY

Tenga Valley is a small town of valley which is located in the valley of Eastern Himalayas in Arunachal pradesh🌄.It is situated at an altitude of 6,500 feet above sea level😇.I was there approx. for 2 and half years because my dad.He were in army and his posting in Tenga Valley.

        

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🙋I was studied in KV tenga vellay school which is situated in lap of nature ,and surrounded by mountains under the blue sky.The right side of school their is river☺ and cliff on one side is known by the name Chindit Top and other is Tenga👌.That was the natural beauty of Tenga Valley😍 which we have seen daily.

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 We go school by bus 🚍they took only 5 min to reach our school.This was my one of best chilhood memory. Now,lets see the amazing and beautiful places of Arunachal Pradesh.

👉In Arunachal Pradesh their are soo many beautiful places that you may visit😇.In this world there has many places that offer you great experiences, breathtaking moments and amazing views😍. Some tourist spots have beautiful mountains and stunning valleys; some are deserts but still have a great deal to offer. Each is beautiful in its own way and every place is unique for what it has to offer. While nature plays its game at its will on various locations, mankind had been playing its own game.Some places are rich with man made monuments and arts, while some have nothing special to boast of in terms of human being’s contribution. Very few places have the best of everything and Arunachal Pradesh💕 is one such place. The state is rich with picturesque beauty that offers relaxation and rejuvenation. The place offers you peace😊 and action🙏.
                                      Tawang

 

With Tibet to its north, Bhutan to its southwest and Sela range of West Kameng to its east, Tawang🌊 captivates you with its scenic beauty. It is located 10000 feet above😅 Mean Sea Level. Tawang has beautiful lakes around it and you will love the view offered by the place. The 400-year-old Tawang monastery is not only one among the oldest but it is named one among the largest Indian monasteries😊.

                       Roing 

Roing is one of the most important tourist😇 attractions in Arunachal Pradesh. It is located in Lower Dibang Valley. The picturesque beauty of the place attracts tourists from all parts of the world🌳. Nature lovers🌻, archeologists and adventure seekers🌄 will find the place engaging, educative and interesting. The place has many lakes and waterfalls and here you will find yourself at peace. A perfect place if you want to be in solitude👸.



                         ITANAGAR






Our tour of Arunachal Pradesh is not complete without visiting Itanagar🌴, the state capital. Itanagar has various attractions to offer which include Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary🐃, Ita Fort, The State Museum, Ganga Lake, Polo Park and a lot more. Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary is a sprawling sanctuary that houses various species including langur, antelopes, Himalayan black bear, porcupines, goral and many more. The bird species 🐦exceed 400 in number and hence this place is great for birdwatching. Ita Fort is an ancient monument belonging to the 14th and 15th centuries. The gallery in State Museum has great collections that speak of the rich heritage of the tribes in the state. Ganga Lake offers scenic views with the green forest and orchids around. Polo Park is a botanical garden and it soothes your mind👼.

                      Bomdila




            TOP VIEW OF BOMDILA

Bomdila is one of perfect place if you are aiming to have a stunning view of snow⛈ clad Himalayan mountain ranges. It is situated 8000 feet above the sea level. The cool climate is enjoyable and so are the apple orchards and the beautiful surroundings🌜. You could find a centre for crafts where local crafts are on display and a shopping centre.


                                   Anini





Anini is one of the most enticing places in Arunachal Pradesh✨. Although the history of the place is a bit clouded⛈, it is said to have housed the Idu Mishimi who migrated from Tibet around the 1st millennium BC. The Town is located atop a Plateau between two tributaries of the mighty ⛅Brahmaputra river. Due to its high elevation🌈 above sea level, the town enjoys a pleasant climate throughout the year and is a great place to visit with several natural and man made tourist attractions making Anini a perfect location for mental relaxation🌝.

beauty of sikkim

ENCHANTING BEAUTY

Sikkim is one of the best natural beauty of himalayas.Their are best tourist guides who explores the beauty of himalaya hills of sikkim.Sikkim is the small state but its beauty and attractive himalayas explain this state in a bigger way. It is located in the north eastern part of india,this state is famous for virgin forest, awesome waterfalls, Tibetan

WALK TOWARDS THE CLOUd style Buddhist Gompas, nathu la border and more.kanchenjunga , is the third highest mountain in the world, and also lies in sikkim. The Sikkimese call their land ‘Ney Mayal Lyang’ that translates to ‘heaven.’

Sikkim is the kingdom of himalayas in which there are numbers of peaks is 6000m and more in eastern  border.There is cold weather in sikkim maximum times , and its beauty of weather attract the tourist more in summer months.

Gangtok market

This is the main market in gangtok in which road is lined with all types of shops on both sides. A part of the shopping area here is known as New Market.You will get nice collection of books here including ones on Sikkim tourism, culture etc. If you are looking for jewelry items, you can buy it here with pocket friendly price. They are excellent in designs like dragons on gold pendants, ear rings, finger rings and even in metal craft.

  

Traditional Dress Sikkim

Rumtek Monastery

Rumtek monastery is one of the largest Monastery in Sikkim and belongs to the

kargyu sect of Buddhists which originated in the 12th century in Tibet. The architecture of the monastery is one of the finest in the world and resembles the original one in Tsurphu, Tibet.The main building of the Rumtek monastery is three storeyed.It is also a world renowned center for Kargyu teachings which was the old one techniques. The legend says that after the first Karmapa ended his long years of meditation in a cave, he was greeted by 1000 fairies each one of who gave him a strand of hair. All those hairs were woven into a hat. It is said that the same hat is now in custody of Rumtek Monastery.this is  the story behind this monastery .Just opposite to the Nalanda Institute is a building where you will find the Golden Stupa of 16th Karmapa which is made of pure gold.The another monastery is Enchey that was also amazing with their structure and Dro-dul chorten.

             

Enchey monastery

This is Situated on a beautiful hilltop near Gangtok TV Tower is the magnificent Nyingmapa Monastery of Enchey Sangag Rabtenling.The monastery is perched on the upper slope of the town and is encircled by gigantic mountains.There are 100 prayer wheels that con complete in one round of the dro-dul chorten.Dro-dul chorten is basically a stupa in gangtok.

         

                  Kanchenjunga mountain view

Hanuman tok

Here Tok means a temple, so it's a temple of Lord Hanuman. But it's actually far more than that and known for its wonderful scenery ambience and a viewing area that offers spectacular view of Kanchenjunga range.Actually point is that the whole gangtok area offers the view of kanchenjunga.

It's located at an altitude of 7,200 ft and on a road that branches off from the Gangtok-Nathula Highway. It's located at a distance of 11kms from Gangtok town.The believed of locals that when the Lord Hanuman carrying the sanjeevni herbs to Lakshman they take rest in that place for sometime.That's why this temple is popularly known as wish fulfilling temple.

 

       Ganesh tok

Ganesh tok is close to the Tashi view point,its a temple of lord Ganesha. It's located at an altitude of 6,500 ft and at a hill adjacent. Like Hanuman Tok, tourists come here not only to offer prayers to Ganesh, but also to saw the views from the viewing lounge and the circular balcony around it.

The temple itself is quite small.The balcony around is even better for the views. You can see the Gangtok town, rolling hill and the snow capped mountains including Kanchenjunga. If you also want to see these kind of views you should visit their.

TREK TOWARDS NATHU LA BORDER

Tsomgo or changu lake

 Tsomgo Lake, also known as Changu Lake is a glacial lake in Sikkim and located at an altitude of 12,310 feet. The name Tsomgo means 'Source of water'. It's located 35kms from Gangtok town and on the steep route known as Jawaharlal Nehru Road which leads all the way to Nathula Pass.  

This is also one of the few and awesome high altitude lakes in India. The lake becomes doubly attractive with the reflections of the surrounding hills on the water. From Gangtok which is at 5410 ft, the altitude rises to about 10,000 ft in just 15kms. You can imagine how steep the gradient would be on this stretch of the road.  

Baba mandir

Its located between Nathula and Jelepla pass at an altitude of 13,123 ft and about 52kms from Gangtok, Baba Harbhajan Singh Temple is popularly known as Baba Mandir. One usually covers this temple along with a visit to Tsomgo lake or Nathula Pass.

There is a touching story associated with this temple. Harbhajan Singh was a Sentry of Punjab Regiment and was posted here as part of border patrol force. The border with China is nearby. In October 1968 he disappeared. It is said that while escorting mules carrying provisions, he fell into a stream and drowned. After a few days he reappeared in the dreams of one of his sentry colleagues and asked him to make a memorial here on his name. The sentries then made a samadhi and later this temple was built.Although Harbhajan Singh is no more, the sentries and guards here believe that his spirit is still alive and he is therefore treated as a living being. They all believe that Harbhajan will guard and protect them in this very difficult terrain.

In fact there has been reports that Chinese soldiers across the border having seen a turbaned sentry doing his rounds at night. Many sentries here believe that Harbhajan comes here every night as his camp bed sheet gets crumpled every morning and his polished shoes turn muddy by the evening. Every year during his annual leave, Harbhajan is known to visit his hometown in Punjab even today although he is well past his retirement age. Two soldiers actually accompany his uniform in a jeep up to Siliguri then in a train to his hometown. In fact his salary is still sent to his home.If you don't have much time to visit Baba mandir then their is one more mandir formed for the Harbhajan singh which is near to the Nathu La pass.You should be visit that place atleast once.

Towards the nathu la

NATHU LA BORDER

That was the Indo- China border which is located at an altitude of 14,140 feet and 52kms from Gangtok, Nathula Pass was the place through which the famous Silk Route used to operate until 1962. This used to be a trade route between India and Tibet. Lines of mules used to carry silk, gold and many other items from Tibet to India and take daily essentials back to Tibet.The fenced Indo-China border is also few meters away and you can see both Indian and Chinese soldiers guarding the border.We go inside and saw the army security of Indo-China border,but all public cannot allow to go in this due to the security reasons.The guards are friendly. A stairway leads to the border. There is no 'no mans land' here. Even today, mails are delivered across the border on certain days of the week.
Also note that Nathu La is protected area.That's why Foreign tourists are not allowed here. Indians require a valid Protected Area Permit to visit Nathula. Permit is issued by the Sikkim Tourism Department in Gangtok. You can get it through a registered tour agency or ask your hotel to get it. You will need photo ID proof (PAN card not accepted) and two passport size photos each. You should apply for the permit at least one day before your planned visit.

This sikkim tour was awesome and i suggested that if you are planning for summer vacation you must visit their