Raghunath Temple

Jammu is popularly referred to as the City of Temples and justifiably so. Innumerous temples are found in various parts of the city but what makes the Raghunath Temple so special is its unique location right in the heart of the city. Maharaja Gulab Singh, the founder of the kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir is credited with the beginning of construction activities of this temple way back in 1835 A.D. His son and successor Maharaja Ranbir Singh completed the task undertaken by his father. Finally in 1860, after 25 years, the doors of the temple were opened to the public for worship.

Characterized by seven shrines that have gorgeous gold plated interiors, the Raghunath Temple is dedicated to Lord Rama. Even though there are several galleries with lakhs of Saligrams, the main shrine of the Raghunath Temple in Jammu houses an image of Lord Rama. Sheets of gold on three sides of this main shrine give it a very stunning look. Lord Rama, Vishnu's eighth incarnation is the patron deity of the Dogras and hence a large number of devotees flock the temple to offer their prayers to this lord.

The Raghunath Temple is surrounded by many other temples and all of them have been dedicated to various Gods and Goddesses who are associated with the epic Ramayana. Any visitor will indeed be very surprised to know that statues of nearly all important Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu Pantheon find a place within the different sanctums of these temples. The entire ambience of the temple complex is very holy and will surely give the visitors complete peace of mind.

Any careful observer is sure to notice Mughal architectural influence in the structure of the temple. The arches of the Raghunath Temple will definitely attract your attention. A portrait of Ranbir Singh and a sculpture of Hanuman are sighted at the entrance of the temple.

The other shrines of the Raghunath Temple contain images of Siva, Surya and various other incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Particularly mention worthy is the Stone Lingam which is highly revered by the people of the place. Aarti, an important Hindu ritual is performed here everyday in the mornings as well as in the evenings and is religiously attended to by many devotees.

A visit to the Raghunath Temple will surely be very spiritually satisfying. Book lovers will also be interested in the ancient texts and rare Sanskrit manuscripts that are a part of the rich collection of the library in this temple complex.

IndianHoliday provides detailed online information on the Raghunath Temple in Jammu and Kashmir. It also offers online booking for a tour to Jammu and Kashmir.