01Bahu Lochan’s fort
Jammu’s own tradition says the city was founded by Raja Jambu Lochan, who saw a lion and a goat drink side by side at the Tawi, and that his brother Bahu Lochan built the fort on the opposite bank. The walls that stand now are of the Dogra period, when the fort was rebuilt and enlarged. Inside sits the temple of Mahakali. The murti is of black stone, and the goddess is worshipped as the protector of the Dogra land; soldiers of the old Jammu army took her blessing before campaigns.
02Tuesdays and Sundays
On Tuesdays and Sundays the lane up to the fort fills from early morning. Devotees bring red chunnis, coconuts and sweets; in Navratri the queue runs down the hill. Below the fort walls lies the Bagh-e-Bahu garden, laid out in recent decades, and many families make a day of it, darshan first, then the garden.
The life of this place
- 18th centuryThe fort is rebuilt under the Dogra rulers of Jammu.
About 5 km from the city centre on the left bank of the Tawi; the temple is busiest on Tuesdays, Sundays and in both Navratris.
