Jammu Things to Do

If nothing else, you can visit the Ragunath Temple for a bit of quiet from the very busy market around it. There is just enough green and open space inside to give you a breather, unless of course it is one of the prayer times of the day when it will be packed again. Best time to visit would be early morning around 6.

One thing I noticed was that the temple complex has more than 7 wall-clocks but none are synchronized, nor are the priests meticulous on following schedules. It is also one of the few places in India I have seen that has separate little temples for the directions North, South, West, East; a conch; a lotus; even the four seasons.

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You cannot reach Bahu Fort by car or other vehicle, and have to walk through a sort of small “village”, a long turning street, with tens of shops on each side, these shops are mainly for the pilgrims who visit Bahu Fort, where is the Hindu holy place of Kali Mata.
The pilgrimage to Bahu is very important for Hindu, and that explains the lots of shops with religious artefacts you see on the way to the place, as well as the numerous hermits (beggars. . . ), ascetics and other more or less religious people sitting in the vicinity; Kali is the second holy protector to Jammu, and people from the area are very fervent with this divinity, specially as the territory of Jammu and Kashmir is subject to more or less open religion war.
When I was there, I felt a bit “foreign”, and after thinking a while, (and also because of the long queue, I have to admit. . . ), I decided not to visit the Kali Mata shrine. So I walked in the area, above the gardens, in the small winding street, and was “impregnated” by the local religious atmosphere; feeling a foreigner, diving in the local life is a traveller’s delight, in my opinion, and I had this here.

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When I was student in Bordeaux (long time ago. . . :), there was no police on the campus, the students and university administration took care of that (well, except some special events and demonstrations. . . . against police!!), and I found it quite strange and curious to see so many police and army on the campus; but Jammu is a special place, and the local authorities may be a bit paranoid with war and terrorism. In fact the heavy presence of uniforms gives more the feeling of unsafe place rather than a reassuring presence. . . . But for the conference I attended, the authorities made an effort and there were even “parade uniforms” following the tradition of the “old days” (maharajah’s , or colonial time. . . ) ,(picture 1); but this is a bit “carnival”, there were also “serious” militaries on the campus, watching for the safety of the students and visitors(picture 2). . . . . . Students or visitors do not really seem “affected” by military presence (picture 3), even there are some high concentrations of them in some places (picture 4).
Nothing happebned during my stay there, and apparently, since I left. . . . .

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On the last afternoon of the conference, the “honourable and esteemed guests” were invited to a dinner at the chief minister’s residence. His Excellence Ghulam Nabi Azad welcomed the conference participants personally. . . . . I must admit, I do not remember where exactly his residence is, as we were picked at the hotel, “stacked” in 4WD cars driven by some local Fangios, with police cars opening the way in the streets, and suddenly we were in a big garden where tables and chairs were laid out under big trees. . . . .
I found all this a bit funny, then, we were guarded by heavily armed guys, could make photographs. . . but only from the garden, surrounded by high walls, not the residence itself. . . . Well, only fun which I can sometimes enjoy in very formal occasions when travelling for my job, I share here.
A general view of the reception (red carpet. . please!!), on the first picture; you see the standing guys with their beige coats? Have a closer look on picture 2; they are not here for fun! Another of these guys on picture 3, and another general view of the reception in the garden on picture 4. At least, the food was good!

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I did not visit inside Temple of Ragunath Mandir and felt a bit frustrated, so I had to be content with the cupolas outside; the façade is in some way integrated to the street, as there are shops on the outer wall of the temple; above the entrance guarded by militaries is a strange representation of the sun.
If you walk in the street near the temple you may also see some very dexterous worshippers like this monkey crossing the road on telephone wires. . . . Many things to see in the streets. . . . The kitsch and the beauty co-exist in the Hindu temples, and that only is a reason to visit Jammu, that strange atmosphere of religiosity, the old temples, and the “modern” representation of deities; I have no religious feeling, but feel deep respect for people who really believe in something, whatever it is.

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Jammu is not “touristy”, but, what does this mean? I believe there is something to see and discover in every place, and this is also valid for Jammu; I love to walk in the streets, with the local crowds, look around, being amazed , discovering every second. .. . . The markets and shops look rather ordinary, but if you look above the shops, you discover in Jammu some old houses, a kind of colonial (a bit decadent!) architecture, houses of different colours, styles. . . I have the feeling Jammu must have been a rich and beautiful city in a not so far past. . . . Well, this is just one of the thoughts which ran through my mind when I walked in the streets of the old city.

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I love to look at people in the streets of “exotic” cities. . . . . The way they are busy is so different from the streets I walk in everyday’s life. . . . This time, I did not need a haircut, otherwise, one of these hairdressers would have had me as customer (I almost hate the European hairdressers who are just very expensive chatterboxes. . . ).
Looking also at the other working people, try to understand what they do; I mean the real ones, not the ones who “display” for tourists or tour operators, restaurant workers, blacksmiths, whatever. . . . I am always discovering, like a kid looking at a picture book. . . . Not only people, just street scenes; I have seen hundreds of cows in the streets of Indian cities, but each time I see some, I “rediscover”. . . . . never blasé or bored.

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Of course, when you attend a scientific conference, you come to make a presentation, to meet other people working in the same field as you, to make some contacts with scientists and people, listen to interesting (or not?) presentations, learn about last developments in some research . . . etc. . . In some places, like here in Jammu University, the conference organisers are very proud to welcome their “honourable and esteemed visitors” and they organise some “social events”; so, there was a “cultural ceremony” at the first evening, followed by an artistic and folkloric show; the attendees could learn about dances from Kashmir.
Music and dance performed by groups representing the various valleys of High Kashmir, with traditional dresses, dances (the sort of dances like dance of wedding, dance of harvests, dance of spring coming back. . . etc, etc. . . . ); for a foreigner, it is quite nice to watch the dancers and listen to their songs for two hours or so. . . . I noticed that the “folklore” of mountains is about the same in many mountains. . . . . So, a few pictures of that evening. . . . The dancer of the first picture is not “Pyrénéan”, but the colour of her eyes, her dress and the henna paints on her hand remind me sights from the Rif in Morocco, or the Kabyle mountains of Algeria. . . . Other clothes, other valley, on picture 2. Other dancers on the next pictures and on the last picture, a famous local singer, who apparently made lots of jokes, as the attendance laughed many times when she told to the attendance. . . but I was unable to follow. . . . . but there was good mood in the main lecture hall of the university . . .