Jammu : The City of Cultures

        Culture & Major Tribes of Jammu

The city of Jammu is a known for its multiculturalism and has developed  rapidly with a remarkable progress. The people of Jammu are known for their simplicity and are of heart warming nature. The major languages spoken in Jammu are Dogri, Poonchi, Gojri, Kotli, Mirpuri, Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu, however, with the onset of the tourism in the city of Jammu, the language of English is making a strong foothold and due to the presence of various temples in and around the city, the region of Jammu has the flavour of religiousness and spirituality in abundance. Some major tribes of Jammu are :

                  Dogras :-

        The Dogra Tribes are known for their heroic personality and fabulous martial art superiority. This tribe hold a major slab of the population in the city of Jammu. The Dogra Rajputs ruled Jammu from the 19th Century and through the treaty of Amritsar, they have also acquired the area of Kashmir. The Dogra Regiment of the Indian Army primarily consists of Dogras from the Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Region. The Dogras of Jammu traditionally inhabited in the area between the slopes of the Shivalik range of mountains, but later spread over whole of Jammu region. The language of the Dogras is generally Dogri and other dialects similar to Dogri. Wheat, maize and Bajra are the staple food besides rice, cereals and a tangy preparation (made of mango) or tamarind which popularly known as Ambal or Mani. Whereas the culture of Dogras is secular, which hold the hands of various castes and tribes. People belonging to various tribes came here, got settled and established their own power centers in certain areas of this land. In the beginning, they had different lifestyle as well as traditions. But due to specific changes, people came together and exchanged their ritual and thoughts. 

                   Gujjars :-

The second most prominent and largest community of this region are the Gujjars. They are mainly the natives of Gujarat and Rajasthan and speak Gujari language. They practice Islam as their religion. They lead a nomadic lifestyle and their primary occupations are breeding cattle and are mostly herdsman. They also cultivate maize on the mountain slopes. The main valley of Poonch and the mountainous, hilly terrain of Doda and Rajouri  are mainly occupied by the Gujjars.

                  Sudhan :-

The people belongs to this tribe are mainly speaking Kashmiri and Dogri languages. This tribe consists of mainly Islamic followers. There are other nomadic tribes as well like the Gaddis and the Bakkarwals whose major occupation is cattle breeding.

 

Cultural Heritage Sites of Jammu 

        The cultural heritage is the legacy of every place and as such the heritage of Jammu like The Buddhist Stupa at Ambaran which was built in 2nd Century AD. near Akhnoor, Temples at Krimmchi, Babor and Ancient Forts, Palaces and temples. The important historical and heritage sites of Jammu are :

                 Amar Mahal Palace :- 

Amar Mahal Palace is the architectural gem located on the National Highway towards Srinagar. The Amar Mahal is built like on a hill overlooking the river Tawi, is a beautiful palace of red sand stone which is erected amidst most picturesque horizons of Jammu. Once the residential palace of Raja Amar Singh, is now been converted into a museum and is looked after by Hari-Tara Charitable Trust. The museum has the golden throne on which Maharaja used to sit, which is made up of 120 kg pure gold. The museum has a gallery of paintings and a library in which about 25,000 books on various subjects and disciplines have been presented.

           Bahu Fort :-

The Ancient Bahu Fort in Jammu is believed to be originally built by Raja Bahu Lochan about 3,000 years ago. It was rehabilitate by the Dogra rulers in the 19th century. The fort is a religious place and within its boundaries, there is a temple dedicated to Hindu goddess Kali, the presiding deity of Jammu. The temple is known locally as the “Bawey Wali Mata Temple”. Just beneath the fort is the terraced Bagh-e-Bahu Garden laid in the style of Mughal gardens which affords panoramic view of the Jammu city and underground fish aquarium.

       Akhnoor Fort :-

The Fort was built during the early 19th century and commands a towering view along the right bank of the Chenab. The present fort was probably started in 1762 AD at the behest of Raja Tegh Singh, as an autonomous principle state. A devastating famine is said to have broken in the country during this time. In order to provide work to his famishing people Raj Tegh Singh started the construction of Akhnoor Fort and Palace on banks of the Chenab River. He supplied food to the workers for 2 years and thus saved the principality. His son Alam Singh completed the Akhnoor fort in 1802. On the eastern side, there are steps leading down to the River Chenab. Though constructed in the 18th century, most of the steps are in a good state of preservation. The ghat served as the important spot for performance of religious sites by the people of the region. The turrets or Burj are still intact is called the Kishore Singh Burj after Maharaja Gulab Singh’s father who was a close associate of Guru Gobind Singh the 10th Sikh Guru. There are traces of paintings on the walls of the rooms of the fort.

                  Ambaran :- 

Ambaran ,also locally known as Pambaran, is a village of Akhnoor tehsil in Jammu district and is said to have been founded by Amba Jagdev Pawar. A descendant of Pawar dynasty of Dhar Ujjain which seems to have been the original capital of Akhnoor. It was named Ambari after the family diety Amba, one of the names of goddess Durga. The name got changed gradually into Ambaran. Ambaran is the eighth place in the world, where relics of Buddha have been found in a stupa. Historians are of the opinion that the place might have been an important center of Buddhism. A cultural sequence of four historical periods has already been unraveled at Ambaran. It is believed to be the only early Buddhist site in Jammu region. Excavations have unearthed terracotta figures, small sculptures, pottery and brunt brick structures dating back to pre Kushan and post Gupta period.

Fairs and Festivals of Jammu

                 Lohri (January 13; Every Year) :-

    Lohri, the festival, is also known as the festival of Makar Sankarnti. The festival of Lohri is the harbinger of the onset of spring. The whole of Jammu wears a festive look on this day. Thousands take a dip in the holy rivers and the ‘Havan Yagnas’ lighten up most of the houses and temples in Jammu. The people of Jammu performs a special dance called 'Chajja' on the occasion of Lohri festival. It depicts a wonderful image of boys, dancing in the streets with their 'Chajjas' which is perfectly decorated with the colored paper and flowers.

                 Baisakhi (April 13 or 14) :- 

    The festival of Baisakhi is known as the harvest festival and is mainly considered propitious for marriages. Every year on the first day of Vaisakh, the people of Jammu celebrate Baisakhi, like the rest of Northern India. Countless fairs are also organized on this occasion and thousands of people come to celebrate the beginning of the new year and watch the famous Bhangra Dance of Panjabis. Rivers, canals and ponds are packed by devotees who unfailingly take a ritual dip every year. Many people go to the Nagbani Temple to witness a grand new year celebration. The Sikh community of Jammu, commemorate the day when the tenth Guru Gobind Singhji formed the Khalsa Sect in 1699. The Gurudwaras are full of people who come to listen Kirtans, offer prayers and feast from the common Langer. 

 

                  Bahu Mela (March-April and September-October) :-

Bahu Mela is one of the biggest Hindu festivals organized  in Jammu. The Bahu Mela is held twice in a year at the Bahu Fort which is also the worship place and dedicated to Goddess Kali. The deity is said to have the power to cure the problems of the humans and that is why most of the people come here and seek her blessings. Despite being a popular Hindu Festival, people of all age groups, caste and community come together and celebrate it with great joy. The carnival is illuminated with lots of lights that enlighten the whole atmosphere and bring people together. This festival is a glimpse of culture and traditions that have been preserved by the local residents. The Bahu festival is usually organized during the Ramnaumi. The Bahu Mela is held at the Bahu Fort which is also the worship place and dedicated to Goddess Kali. The deity is said to have the power to cure the problems of the humans and that is why most of the people come here and seek her blessings.

                   Chaitre Chaudash (March-April) :- 

Chaiter Chaudash is celebrated at Uttar Behni, about 25 Kms. away fromJammu. Uttar Behni gets its name from the fact that the Devak River (also known as Gupta Ganga) flows here in the northern (uttar) direction.

                  Purmandal Mela (February-March) :- 

Purmandal is 39 Km from Jammu. On Shivratri, the town is transformed for three days as people celebrate the marriage of Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati here. The people of Jammu also come out in their colorful best to celebrate Shivaratri at peer khoh, the Rainbireshwar Temple and the Panjbhaktar Temple.

                  Jhiri Mela (October-November) :- 

    The people of Jammu celebrates Jhiri Mela in the memory and for the compassion, courage and honesty of Baba Jittu, who was a simple,  God loving and honest farmer who preferred to kill himself rather than submit to the unjust demands of the local landlord to part with his corp. He killed himself in the village of Jhiri,14 kms from Jammu. The Jhiri Mela lasts for a week with the main day of fair being held on Karthik Purnima. People pay homage at Baba Jittoo temple and seek his blessings and the blessings of his daughter Bua Kouri, who as per the legend also took her life by jumping on her father's funeral pyre. People also take a customary dip in the Baba-da-Talab (Pond).