More than 160 years old, the historic Raghunath Temple at Jammu is one of the main attractions for the pilgrims, especially religious tourists, visiting Jammu and Kashmir from across the country and abroad.
This temple is situated in the heart of the city while the market adjoining the temple is also named as Raghunath Bazar. Be it Amarnath pilgrims, Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims, Budha Amarnath pilgrims or tourists from various states, all visit Raghunath Temple to offer prayers.
The construction of the Raghunath Temple was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh, the founder of the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir in 1835 and was completed by his son Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1860.
The Raghunath Temple is dedicated to a Hindu God, Lord Rama, who, as per Hindu mythology, is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This temple possesses a rich history which is over 160 years old.
As per the legend, at this site a lightning fire appeared constantly, depicting some mysterious Hawan Kund.
The site was selected by Maharaja Gulab Singh, the first Dogra ruler of J&K, for building a grand temple dedicated to Baghwan Shree Ram Ji.
The foundation stone for the temple was laid by Maharaja Gulab Singh, but the same was constructed by his successor, Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Besides having idols of several gods and goddesses, the Shree Raghunath temple has the distinction of being abode of 33 Crores Hindu Devi Devtas.
This entire temple complex is very large in size and has the rare distinction of being one of the largest temples in Northern India. The horizon of Jammu is often ornamented by the heart warming sight of the beautiful ‘shikhars’ of this temple.
The very interesting fact about the temple is that one can clearly see the influences of Mughal architecture inside the temple. There is also a library inside the temple which houses rare Sanskrit books and manuscripts.
The Mughal architectural influence is seen in all the spiral shaped towers of the temple with gold plated spires, except the tower over the main shrine which is said to be in Sikh architectural style.
The areas and markets around the Raghunath Temple are always crowded with people due to constant influx of devotees to this temple throughout the day till late evening.
The ascent to the temple is also infested with many roadside shops and small eateries which serve the pilgrims with the necessities of food, water etc.
This temple has seven Shikhars (spires), where every shrine has its own Shikhar. A portrait of Maharana Ranbir Singh and an image of Lord Hanuman adorn the site at the very entrance of the Raghunath Temple.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Raghunath/ Rama, the lead deity of Hindus. Apart from the main shrine, the other shrines in the temple include various incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
There is also a shrine of Lord Surya (Sun God), which is also a remarkable shrine. There are many idols of different forms of the God in the Raghunath Temple.
The interiors of the temple are picturesque and all the interior walls of the temple are soaked in gold. The three sides of the temple are festooned with gold sheets which leave an indelible mark on the devotees.
There are other shrines in the Raghunath Temple complex which have huge statues of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. There is also a gallery in the temple, where various ‘Lingams’ (a worshipping form of Lord Shiva) and ‘Saligrams’ are placed.
Raghunath Temple also has almost all the images of the Hindu Gods and Devi Devtas which is quite exceptional. The paintings in the 15 panels of the main shrine are based on themes from Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavad Gita which are one of the main attractions for the devotees.
The environment is dipped in purity and the hearts are filled with reverence when one hears the morning and evening prayers which is called the “Aarti”.
