Raghunath Temple is a prominent temple and tourist spot that is located in Jammu, in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The temple is also one of the biggest complexes in entire northern India and is brimming with devotees all year round. The construction of the Raghunath Temple was started by Maharaja Gulab Singh around 130 years ago, during the period from 1822 to 1860; and was later on completed by his son Maharaja Ranbir Singh.
The regal temple has many gods and goddesses, but the presiding deity is Lord Rama, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. The temple which is located in the old part of the Jammu city and to the north of Tawi river provides the onlooker with an idea of the influence of the Mughal style of architecture on the temple. However, the tower that can be found over the main shrine is said to be built in the Sikh architectural style.
The Raghunath Temple comprises a complex of seven Hindu shrines. The magnificent temple also has seven Shikharas or spires, where each shrine has its separate shikhara. The inner walls of the main temple are plated with gold sheets on its three sides. The temple also has a gallery where different ‘Lingams’, which is considered to be the phallic form of Lord Shiva, and ‘Saligrams’ are placed.
History of Raghunath Temple
The Raghunath Temple has a rich history attached to it, which goes back to 130 years. The construction of the temple was started in 1835 A.D. by Maharaja Gulab Singh, who was the founder of the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir. Later on, the construction was completed by his son Maharaja Ranbir Singh in the year 1860 A.D. The majestic temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Lord Rama, who is believed to be the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
It is believed that Maharaja Gulab Singh got the idea to build this temple from Shri Ram Dass Bairagi. The latter had predicted that Maharaja Gulab Singh would become the king. Shri Ram Dass Bairagi was a firm devotee of Lord Rama and had come to Jammu from Ayodhya to propagate the teachings of the Lord. He resided in a small hut in Sui Simbli, where he got the first Rama Temple constructed.
During the reign of Ranbir Singh, the temple also began to be used as the centre of Sanskrit teachings to educate a large number of Brahmin students. The Raghunath temple was attacked by terrorists in 2002. Following this deadly attack, it was shut down for some time. Finally, in the year 2013, the gates of the temple were once again opened for the devotees, after eleven long years of waiting.
Architecture of Raghunath Temple
The Raghunath Temple complex consists of seven temples, each of which captivates the tourists with their outstanding architecture. Each of these seven enormous temples is topped with lofty spires, called shikaras in the local language. A portrait of Maharaja Ranbir Singh sits at the entrance of the temple, along with a portrait of Lord Hanuman. The other shrines display various reincarnations of Lord Vishnu. Another shrine, which is dedicated to Lord Surya, contains various forms of God.
The interior walls of this famous religious attraction in Jammu Tour Packages is wrapped by gold sheets on three sides. Inside the temple there is also a gallery which houses various lingams, or phallic shaped forms of Lord Shiva, and on top of them, saligrams are placed. An unusual feature of the Raghunath Temple is that almost all the image of Hindu gods and goddesses are found inside. Another interesting fact about the temple is that you can see influences of Mughal architecture inside the temple. There is also a library inside the temple which houses rare Sanskrit books and manuscripts.
How To Reach Raghunath Temple
The Raghunath Temple is located on Fatthu Chaugan in Pakki Dhaki in Majhin. It is just 3 kilometres away from Jammu Tawi, which is the railway station of Jammu and can easily be reached by taking local buses, auto rickshaws, or hiring cabs from Jammu to the final destination.
