Pilgrimage Mata Kali Bahu Fort Jammu

. The terraced garden water channels, flood light and waterfalls are worth enjoying after the Sunset it becomes dark. Just on back at the same level is a small fish aquarium conceptualized in the shape of a large fish with open mouth as its entrance and tail as its exit. Inside, the belly there are many large and small aquarium glass showcases exhibiting verity of tiny and medium size fishes in colourful ambience. The showcases in the form of a small museum has glass jars with various sea creatures preserved in formalin .The exhibits have labels and information provided in English language only is really an added disadvantage. Besides there is no hand out available for the general public about the names of the Fishes and other displayed exhibits. The museums now -a- days are considered as a source of living knowledge rather than a dumb showcases in past . The Dept of Floriculture must put Hindi /Urdu labels and their translation in vernacular language. The information under three-language formula can do only justice with the huge public money spent on the construction of beautiful aquarium. Coloured lights and murmuring of the water falling from the cascades of Baghe – e – Bahu terraced garden reminds one the Mughal Gardens of Shalimar and Nisht in Kashmir valley and Pinjore Garden near Chandigarh.

According to the legend, King Bahu Lochan credited with the foundation of the first Bahu Fort and shrine. The original temple destroyed around 1398. It remain in the state of ruins until Raja Gulab Singh rebuilt the temple in 1822 after his coronation as the Dogra ruler of the region. The Bahu fort built of Mughal Laukhuri bricks in lime mortar and irregular on plan with a high broad pathway utilized inside along the wall for the safety of the fort. The main entrance gate has an L shaped Gateway leading to a large courtyard. on the both side of the entrance are, provided with brick ramps and staircases along the fortification wall, the facility on the pathway for horses and man respectively to climb and keep watch on the security and safety of the fort. Below the pathway further inside the wall are series of the arched room for the soldiers to stay etc. There is baoli enclosed by a high wall on the left side of the entrance now in a bad state of its maintance. There are many subsidiary structures subsequently added for the use of the temple and security guards quarters, which are now in use by the police. The high fortification wall and bastions at regular intervals from outside and a broad elevated path constructed in the interior all around the pathway served the purpose of security and safety of the fort. Two to three horses can run along the wall with ramps and stairs constructed on the left and right side of the entrance for the purpose. It jog your memory the influences of the Mughal forts of Agra , Lahore and Delhi built by the various Mughal emperors .

The shrine of Maha Kali considered as second only to that of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji in terms of spiritual power and protector of Jammu city, is the temple at Bahu or Bawey Wali Mata. The principal day is Tuesday, the weekly day for worship of the temple. The temple has two fairs every year during the spring and autumn navaratras. Large number of people pays their obscene to the kali temple every day, as it is one of the major tourist attractions in the city.

The black stone icon of black schist in the sanctum of the temple believed to bring from Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) in Central India. In past, as several temples in the Jammu hills the animal were generally sheep and goats scarified. The same practice is still in vogue in the Kamakahya Temple of Ghuwhati (Assam) in Northeastern India. The animal sacrifice, an ancient practice of the temple has stopped at instance of Maharaja Partap Singh (1885 -1925) in the early twentieth century. There a sacrificial enclosure still exists in which even today the goats kept to perform the ceremonial or Symbolic ceremony of animal sacrifice. In course of symbolic sacrifice ceremony, the animal remains alive and only by sprinkling of the water and chanting few mantras the ceremony considered as complete. The priest gets his fee as usual for performing the same. The practice of human and animal sacrifice in ancient India remind us to the switching over to the breaking of coconut is the temples of South India instead of human and animal sacrifices in one way or the other in 18th century onwards .
Bahu fair or mela held twice a year during Navaratras of Chaitya basakha (March-April) and nine days of spring Navaratras are the biggest and the most colourful crowd gather at the temple.

The temple is square on plan located on a high platform with black and white marble stone flooring on all sides. The approach to the temple is from three by a flight of steps. The Sanctum Santorum is small in size and half horse vault roof design in the back wall, which served as the shrine chamber. The grabhagriha of the temple has a black shining schist stone icon of Goddess installed in with prominent eyes as the presiding deity. The figure is six-armed Mata adorned with finely tailored dress. The beautiful idol of Mata has been the proctor and guardian of the Jammu city. There is belief that the Goddess has protected the City from any air raids during 1971 and 1975 Indo – Pak wars.

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Mata Kali Bahu Fort Jammu

	Jammu region is a land of shrines and pilgrimages, the most renowned is the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, located 48 km away on the Trikuta hills. There are numerous places belong to different faiths. The people of the region are deeply devoted to their land and especially their places of worship. There is hardly any ancient village or town, which does not have shrine of its own. All temples and shrines have woven in a variegated tapestry of myth and legend. The Bahu Fort lies on hillock opposite the old city across the Tawi River. The fort is located on the second terrace with most revered temple of Bahu or more popularly known as Bawey Wali Mata inside it. On the foothill, a terraced Mughal garden with musical fountains, waterfall, flowerbeds, benches etc have created as Baghe – e – Bahu. The beautiful landscape attract tourist and is the city’s most popular picnic spot, a refuge for the young couples. The whole terrace has an enchanting view; after sunset with the lighting of mercury lamps in the garden and flood lighted Bahu Fort in the background provide a beautiful night view from a distance
. The terraced garden water channels, flood light and waterfalls are worth enjoying after the Sunset it becomes dark. Just on back at the same level is a small fish aquarium conceptualized in the shape of a large fish with open mouth as its entrance and tail as its exit. Inside, the belly there are many large and small aquarium glass showcases exhibiting verity of tiny and medium size fishes in colourful ambience. The showcases in the form of a small museum has glass jars with various sea creatures preserved in formalin .The exhibits have labels and information provided in English language only is really an added disadvantage. Besides there is no hand out available for the general public about the names of the Fishes and other displayed exhibits. The museums now -a- days are considered as a source of living knowledge rather than a dumb showcases in past . The Dept of Floriculture must put Hindi /Urdu labels and their translation in vernacular language. The information under three-language formula can do only justice with the huge public money spent on the construction of beautiful aquarium. Coloured lights and murmuring of the water falling from the cascades of Baghe – e – Bahu terraced garden reminds one the Mughal Gardens of Shalimar and Nisht in Kashmir valley and Pinjore Garden near Chandigarh. According to the legend, King Bahu Lochan credited with the foundation of the first Bahu Fort and shrine. The original temple destroyed around 1398. It remain in the state of ruins until Raja Gulab Singh rebuilt the temple in 1822 after his coronation as the Dogra ruler of the region. The Bahu fort built of Mughal Laukhuri bricks in lime mortar and irregular on plan with a high broad pathway utilized inside along the wall for the safety of the fort. The main entrance gate has an L shaped Gateway leading to a large courtyard. on the both side of the entrance are, provided with brick ramps and staircases along the fortification wall, the facility on the pathway for horses and man respectively to climb and keep watch on the security and safety of the fort. Below the pathway further inside the wall are series of the arched room for the soldiers to stay etc. There is baoli enclosed by a high wall on the left side of the entrance now in a bad state of its maintance. There are many subsidiary structures subsequently added for the use of the temple and security guards quarters, which are now in use by the police. The high fortification wall and bastions at regular intervals from outside and a broad elevated path constructed in the interior all around the pathway served the purpose of security and safety of the fort. Two to three horses can run along the wall with ramps and stairs constructed on the left and right side of the entrance for the purpose. It jog your memory the influences of the Mughal forts of Agra , Lahore and Delhi built by the various Mughal emperors . The shrine of Maha Kali considered as second only to that of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji in terms of spiritual power and protector of Jammu city, is the temple at Bahu or Bawey Wali Mata. The principal day is Tuesday, the weekly day for worship of the temple. The temple has two fairs every year during the spring and autumn navaratras. Large number of people pays their obscene to the kali temple every day, as it is one of the major tourist attractions in the city. The black stone icon of black schist in the sanctum of the temple believed to bring from Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) in Central India. In past, as several temples in the Jammu hills the animal were generally sheep and goats scarified. The same practice is still in vogue in the Kamakahya Temple of Ghuwhati (Assam) in Northeastern India. The animal sacrifice, an ancient practice of the temple has stopped at instance of Maharaja Partap Singh (1885 -1925) in the early twentieth century. There a sacrificial enclosure still exists in which even today the goats kept to perform the ceremonial or Symbolic ceremony of animal sacrifice. In course of symbolic sacrifice ceremony, the animal remains alive and only by sprinkling of the water and chanting few mantras the ceremony considered as complete. The priest gets his fee as usual for performing the same. The practice of human and animal sacrifice in ancient India remind us to the switching over to the breaking of coconut is the temples of South India instead of human and animal sacrifices in one way or the other in 18th century onwards . Bahu fair or mela held twice a year during Navaratras of Chaitya basakha (March-April) and nine days of spring Navaratras are the biggest and the most colourful crowd gather at the temple. The temple is square on plan located on a high platform with black and white marble stone flooring on all sides. The approach to the temple is from three by a flight of steps. The Sanctum Santorum is small in size and half horse vault roof design in the back wall, which served as the shrine chamber. The grabhagriha of the temple has a black shining schist stone icon of Goddess installed in with prominent eyes as the presiding deity. The figure is six-armed Mata adorned with finely tailored dress. The beautiful idol of Mata has been the proctor and guardian of the Jammu city. There is belief that the Goddess has protected the City from any air raids during 1971 and 1975 Indo – Pak wars.