TOURISM POTENTIAL : DISTRICT UDHAMPUR Tourism Map of District Udhampur UDHAMPUR The district Udhampur has derived its name from the name of king Udham Singh, the eldest son of Maharaja Gulab Singh, creator of Dogra dynasty. It is situated at a height of 704 m. above the sea level. The boundary lines of the district stand drawn with the famous hill resort of Patnitop-Sanasar on its North-east, District Kathua on its south, District Jammu and Reasi on its west and District Ramban on its north. Fact File: Headquarter Udhampur Area 4550 Sq. kms Population (2011) 743509 Altitude 704 meters Languages Dogri, Urdu, Gojri, Pogali, Pahari. Best season for trekking May to November. Clothing Summer : Cotton. Winter : Woolen. Temperatures Varies according to the altitude. In Udhampur town it rises as high as 44 degree Celsius during summers, but in the adjoining areas such as Panchari, Kud-Patnitop, Dudu the climate is temperate with pleasant summers and harsh winters. These areas also experience heavy to moderate snowfall in winters, especially areas around Pancheri, Patnitop, Dudu areas. Food/Cuisine Every sort of Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian food is available in Restaurants and Dhabas. KALADI KULTCHA is a local cuisine of this district which is a famous delicacy among the locals and the visiting tourists. Distance • Jammu- 65 kms. • Katra- 50 kms. Tourist information centers • Tourist Office, Batote (Office of the Assistant Director Tourism) Ph. No. and Fax. 01998-244243. • Tourist office, Domail Udhampur. How to Reach: By Flight: The nearest airport is in Jammu. By Rail: The nearest station is Udhampur Station, just a few kms. from the district headquarters. By Road: The Udhampur district is situated along the National Highway, 65 kms from Jammu city. The daily services such as Tempo traveller, buses and taxis are available from Jammu and Katra towns. Accommodation: A number of Hotels, Guest Houses are available suiting everyone’s budget. Cuisine: Dogra cuisine offers complete refreshment and meals. Historical Places and Monuments: 1. Krimchi Temples- It is situated on Udhampur-Panchari road, towards the northwest of Udhampur town. It is a complex of ancient stone built temples about 9th century AD old. There is a complex of 4 ancient temples and 3 small shrines. The beautiful valley overlooked by green mountains is located at a walking distance of around 400m from the main road. It is an archaeological site maintained by the archaeological Survey of India. The locals believe it was a halting and resting place on the jammu Kashmir route. This complex of temples is popularly known as the Pandava Mandirs. 2. Ramnagar Fort- It is situated in Tehsil Ramnagar, just 37 kms from District headquarter Udhampur. The Fort was built by Raja Suchet Singh about in the year 1827 AD. The Raja Suchet Singh was the youngest brother of the Raja Gulab Singh. The Samba and the Ramnagar areas were in his control, before that the areas were under control of the Bandral‟s Daynesty and the whole region was known as “ Bandralta”. 3. Bahore Temples- It is just 25 kms from Udhampur town on Dhar road. It is located in the Manwal village. There is ancient temples with stone structured, express the art and design exoertise of artists of that time. 4. Sheesh Mahal- The “Sheesh Mahal” popularly known as „Palace of mirrors‟. It is situated in tehsil Ramnagar. It was built by Raja Ram Singh in the year 1885, its interiors wall paintings illustrating the incidents of battles fought during the reign of Suchet Singh and Ram Singh. TOURIST MAP OF DISTRICT UDHAMPUR TREKKING ROUTES MAP OF DISTRICT UDHAMPUR: # Proposed Trekking route Difficulty Suitable month Duration level 1. DUDU-SEOJ DHAR-KAILASH KUND HIGH August to October 02 days 2. DUDU-SHIV GALLI MODERATE MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 3. PATNITOP-NATHATOP LOW MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 4. PATNITOP-SHIVGARH MODERATE MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 5. PATNITOP-KARLA-GOURIKUND- MODERATE MAY-OCTOBER 01 day SUDHMAHADEV-MANTALAI 6. UDHAMPUR-KRIMCHI TEMPLES LOW MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 7. PANCHERI- LANDER-NATHATOP MODERATE MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 8. PANCHERI- LANDER-SANASAR MODERATE MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 9. RAMNAGAR-DALSAR LAKE MODERATE ALL SEASONS 01 day 10. PANCHERI-SHANKHPAL HIGH MAY-OCTOBER 02 days 11. BASANTGARH-RAMNAGAR- HIGH MAY-NOVEMBER 02 days DALSAR 12. MADA-NATHATOP-SANASAR MODERATE MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 13. MADA-NATHATOP-SHANKHPAL HIGH MAY-OCTOBER 02 days 14. SURINSAR-MANSAR LOW MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 15. CHENANI-YUGDHAR HIGH MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 16. KULTAYAR-CHORGALA- MODERATE MAY-OCTOBER 01 day NATHATOP 17. MANSAR-MAHOREGARH LOW ALL SEASONS 01 day 18. MANSAR-DHERGARH LOW ALL SEASONS 01 day 19. MANSAR-BHUPNERGARH LOW ALL SEASONS 01 day 20. MANSAR-BHATTI-BHARIGARH LOW ALL SEASONS 01 day 21. MANWAL- MANSAR LOW ALL SEASONS 01 day 22. SURINSAR-PARMANDAL HIGH ALL SEASONS 01 day 23. MANSAR-MAHOREGARH- MODERATE ALL SEASONS 01 day KILLADANGA 24. BARNADA-BARIGARH-MANSAR HIGH ALL SEASONS 01 day 25. BARMEEN-YUGDHAR HIGH MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 26. (LADEN-KOTLI) HIGH MAY-OCTOBER 01 day DARGADIAN-YUGDHAR 27. KHANTHGALLI-MONGRI MODERATE MAY-NOVEMBER 01 day (RHODODENDRON) 28. KULWANTA-KIYA LOW MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 29. CHARAI MUTHAL-DEVA MAAI LOW ALL SEASONS 01 day 30. THIAL-CHOUTRA MATA TEMPLE MODERATE MAY-DECEMBER 01 day 31. RAMNAGAR-CHOUTRA MATA HIGH MAY-DECEMBER 01 day 32. DARGADIAN-JALANDHRA DEVI MODERATE MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 33. MANTALAI-NAINA DEVI TEMPLE MODERATE MAY-OCTOBER 01 day 34. PATNITOP-LOWER KARLA- LOW MAY-NOVEMBER 01 day PATNITOP WATERFALL-GOURIKUD 35. RAMNAGAR-GADHSERI (LAKE) HIGH MAY-DECEMBER 01 day PLACES OF INTEREST FOR TOURISTS: 1. Panchari:- it is a hill resort covered with rich conifer forest on the side, a small township on the other side. It is surrounded by Natha top on the east, Saroli dhar on the west, Shankhpaul dhar on the north and kainth gali on the south. Located at a distance of around 35 kms. from Uhampur town. Panchari Tourism potential: The Panchari is an ideal place for trekking camping and small getaways in the lap of nature away from the city life. The annual mela devoted to the deity of Shankari Devta is held in the month of August-September and attracts many devotees from the districts of Jammu and Udhampur. Lander village. 2. Mongri: it is a small village at a distance at a distance of around 50 kms from Udhampur, nestled in the picturesque environment in the lap of nature. An annual mela is held in the month of May-June at Mongri locally known as the Shiv-Parvati Mela. The mela site is ideally located in the midst of tall mountains and a green meadow near Sar Dabbad. 3. Kud: it is a town and notified area committee in Udhampur district. It is about 05 kms from the popular tourist place Patnitop and famous for local sweet known as Desi Ghee Ka Patisa another name of the sweet made up of milk products. 4. Jug dhar: It is situated in District Udhampur on southward about 20 km from Cheneni town. It is steep climbs through sightseeing. Jug dhar is beautiful landscape plateau present pleasing view. During summer, the habitant of adjoining areas settles here with their livestock. 5. Sudhmahadev: the legendry Sudhmahadev Temple is situated at distance of about 120 ms from Jammu. Sudhmahadev mandir belived to be 2800 year old. It is a shrine dedicated to lord shiva situated at a height of approx.1225m. it is one of the oldest Shiva Temples of Jammu and Kashmir. The Shrine gains significance especially on the full moon night of Sawan (July-August) when devotees come here to worship the Trishul (Trident) and a Mace. There is also a devak stream originating at Sudhmahadev and vanishes amid the rocks after a few kilometer. 6. Mantalai: it is an anciant lord Shiva temple in Udhampur near the Mantalai lake. Goddess Parvati is said to have born here, she later married Lord Shiva at this place. The temple is at an elevation of 1450 m. from the ground, amid the most secnic surrounding of tall Deodar Trees. There are many other sets of sculptures of Shiva and Parvati together, and Parvati with son Lord Ganesha. Apart from this the temple houses a Shivalingam ideal and two ideals of bull God Nandi that faces the shrine. The main attraction is an ancient divine rock that symbolises the marriage of Lord Shiva to Parviti. 7. Dudu-Basantgarh: It is about 75 kms from Cheneni National high way toward east. The entire area of Dudu-Basantgarh is hilly and covered with thick lush green forest and beautiful valleys, situated almost 500 m. upward from river Tawi. The Dudu is sub-division of district Udhampur and its Tehsil headquarter is at Latti-Dhona.It consist 4 Revenue villages and same 4 Halqa Panchayat like Dudu, Padar, Pachor and Jekheid. Jakhed enroute spot just 3 kms ahead from Dudu. Tourism Potential: There is a vital scope of Adventure Tourism, Eco Tourism and Winter sports at Basantgarh and its surrounding locations like Punara, Khaned, Loundhra, Barli, Kadwah, Lalaon, Chochru gali. the Dudu is a beautiful valley and also an attraction for the devotees of Vasuki Naag. There is an ancient temple of Vasuki Naag. Dudu is also the base camp of Kailash kund Yatra every year in the August-September. 9. Latti-Bhona: it is situated on Cheneni-Dudu road about 55 kms from Cheneni national high way. Latti is a tehsil headquarter and there is also CD Block. The place is surrounded thick deodar trees covered and high altitude mountains. Tourism Potential: Latti has a lot of tourism significance in unexplored beautiful places like Jakhed, Kanda Top, Kaond Top, Dehra Top and other places.