Romantic
blend of beauty
Patnitop, situated near Vaishno Devi Temple, is a busy
hill station and a good place to enjoy the nature, which
is always in its full bloom. Ladakh is home to the minority
Buddhist community in the states. About three hours
drive away from Jammu, Patnitop is a place not heavily
discovered by the tourists.
Access
By Air : The state has three major
civil airports at Srinagar, Jammu, and Ladakh connected
to Delhi and other places in the country.
By Rail : Jammu Tawi is the main railhead
of Jammu & Kashmir. It is connected to most of the
important towns and cities of the country.
By Road : One can easily reach Jammu
by the National Highway 1A that goes from Punjab and
runs through this city, connecting it to the rest of
the state, including the capital Srinagar.
To reach Patnitop from Jammu - Buses and Taxis are available
from Jammu/Katra/Udhampur. By a taxi it takes about
3 and a half hours and a bus takes about 5 hours.
Escape in the maze of beauty
Enveloped by thickly wooded forests, Patnitop offers
beautiful picnic spots, peaceful walks and breathtaking
views of the mountainscape of the Chenab river. In winter,
the resort provides opportunities for various snow games,
including skiing. The lush wooded forests around offer
ample opportunity for trekking and a rich selection
of scenic spots for picnics. A walk on the kutcha (unpaved)
paths between rows and rows of tall trees leads to quiet
retreats and excellent views of the pine-covered mountains.
The only sound one hears is the tinkling of bells around
the necks of goats and cows and the rustling of leaves
and twigs as one walks in a dream world of his own.
Sightseeing
The Naag (cobra) temple : The pride
of Patnitop is its 600-year-old Naag (cobra) temple.
Though small in size, it reflects the faith and reverence
shared by millions of Indians all over. The evenings
in Patnitop are quite cold. The mountains are covered
by fog and visibility can drop to a mere 10 feet. The
peak season is during the summer, though end July to
August is beautiful and not crowded.
Most of the tourists who come to the Jammu region have
the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine as their destination, which
is quite close by. However, the spirit of holiness permeates
through the entire city, so much so that Jammu is also
known as the 'City of Temples'. If Bahu Mata is the
presiding deity of Jammu, the dargah of Peer Budhan
Ali Shah is the other shrine that s believed to protect
Jammuites.
Sudh Mahadev : Every year on the full
moon day in the month of Savan ( according to Hindi
calendar) pilgrims come here in huge numbers to worship
the tri shul (trident) symbolizing Lord Shiva. Sudh
Mahadev is an important pilgrimage in the area. Other
temples in the city include the Gauri Kund temple, Shiva
temple, Peer Khoh Cave temple, Ranbireshwar temple and
the Parmandal temple complex.
Accommodation
There are only a few hotels to stay and it is better
to come back to Jammu in the evening. For security reasons,
camping is discouraged in Patnitop.
Shopping
Patnitop does not offer opportunities to shop. For really
compulsive shoppers, a few kiosks are located beside
the meadow selling Kashmiri specialties- handicrafts,
namdas (embroidered wool carpets), pherans (embroidered
long shirts) and woolens.
