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dynamitenews.com Jammu/ 9 March 2016. Jammu is known as the city of temples. There are a number of temples in Jammu city and all of them have their own importance. Raghunath Temple, located in the heart of Jammu city is one of the largest and oldest temple complexes of North India. Although the temple is […]
dynamitenews.com
Jammu/ 9 March 2016. Jammu is known as the city of temples. There are a number of temples in Jammu city and all of them have their own importance. Raghunath Temple, located in the heart of Jammu city is one of the largest and oldest temple complexes of North India. Although the temple is said to be dedicated to Lord Rama, it features multiple deities. The temple consists of seven shrines, each with a tower of its own.
History
The ruler of Jammu, Maharaja Gulab Singh started the construction of the Raghunath temple in 1822 and later his son Maharaja Ranbir Singh completed the construction of it in 1860.
Architecture
Mughal architecture has influenced the design of the temple which can be seen in its spiral shaped towers which have gold plated spires while the main tower of the shrine was designed based on Sikh architecture styles.
The walls of the shrines are decorated with 300 well-crafted images of deities and there are 15 paintings which are based on themes of Ramayana,Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita. The front fascia of the temple has three entry doors. Its height is an octagonal shape.
Learning Centre
Maharaja Ranbir Singh developed the temple into a learning centre during his reign, as an initiative to bring amity between Hindu and Muslim communities. A large number of Brahmin students would learn Sanskrit in the temple complex and Muslim scholars would translate books on philosophy and history in Arabic and Persian languages. Many scriptures were also translated by Pundits into Hindi and Dogri languages.A library storing rare Sanskrit manuscripts still exists on the temple complex.
How to Reach
Road: Jammu is on National Highway 1-A and is connected by the highway network to all parts of the country. Taxis and buses are available from Jammu to to all the major cities of India at frequent intervals.
Rail: Jammu is the nearest railhead, which lies on the other side of the Tawi River. It connects all the major cities of India.
Air: Jammu is the nearest airport and is 8 kms away from the Temple. Hire taxis or by taking regular buses from the cities.
