Introduction

In terms of the size, the largest temple complex in Jammu is the Raghunath Mandir. This has twenty-one lofty vimanas that create a spectacular undulation of marble and gold-leaf against the skyline. Set in the heart of the city, work on this temple began at the instance of Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1835 and was completed by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1860. At the entrance of the temple complex, there is an image of Bhagwan Hanuman and a portrait of Ranbir Singh.

The Dogra rulers of Jammu regarded themselves as Suryavanshi Rajputs and claimed descent from the sun. They dedicated this temple to Bhagwan Rama and his life-sized statue in the main temple, is flanked by those his wife, Sita and brother, Laxman. Three walls of this shrine are covered in gold plate. The Raghunath temple complex has several other temples surrounding the main one and these are dedicated to the myriad deities of the Hindu pantheon and encompass all those who were associated with the epic, Ramayana. Other shrines are dedicated to the various avatars, incarnations of Bhagwan Vishnu, Bhagwan Shiva and to Surya Dev, the Sun God.

In the hall of the main temple, surrounding the sanctum is the stunning sight of 12,00,000 shaligrams – the symbol of Bhagwan Vishnu – arranged on steps in steadily diminishing sizes. (Bhagwan Rama is considered to be the eighth incarnation of Vishnu).

The temple complex also has a library, the Raghunath Maha Pustakalaya with many rare manuscripts in Sanskrit. Vedic samhitas, rituals and other texts of the Shruti (what is heard or oral) canon of Vedic literature forms an important corpus of this library which is considered as one of the world’s important repositories of ancient Sanskrit texts. The work of collating and cataloguing the manuscripts and texts was aided by the renowned scholar, Sir Aurel Stein (1862 – 1943).

Aartis, chanted prayers accompanied by music and the ringing of bells are conducted every morning and evening and the shrine is thronged by devotees at these times.

Special Attributes

Jammu's most famous and revered temple.

Nuisance

None as such

Dressing restrictions

Conservative.

Connectivity

Taxis, buses, auto-rickshaws and walking

Enjoyed by

Religious, art and general interest

Exposure

None indoors

Avoidable Season

None

Facilities

Parking, restaurants and shops are close by.

Things Not Allowed

No leather items or weapons within the temple compound

Tip

There is security all over the temple and visitors may be subjected to a search

Type of site

Temple