Jammu Gets Infrastructure Boost Ahead of Amarnath Yatra with New Park, Riverfront
Jammu city is set for a makeover ahead of this year's Amarnath Yatra, with new attractions including a monument park, an artificial lake over the Tawi river, and a ring road to bypass traffic jams on National Highway 44. The 57-day pilgrimage begins on Friday from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. The first batch of around 5,000 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu city early Thursday morning.
The initiative aims to attract more tourists to Jammu, addressing a major grievance of the local population since the inauguration of the Katra-Srinagar railway line, which some say adversely affected Jammu's economy. “The aim is to make Jammu a city where people, especially Yatra pilgrims, want to spend more time, and to turn it into a major transit hub,” said Devansh Yadav, Jammu Municipal Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of Jammu Smart City Limited.
Spread over 40 kanals (five acres) on the banks of the Tawi river near the Amarnath Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwati Nagar, the monument park features 14 detailed replicas of iconic landmarks made from scrap and recycled materials. These include seven international landmarks, such as Paris' Eiffel Tower, Japan's Todaiji Temple, sculptures from Mohenjo-daro, the Taj Mahal, and the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab. The replicas were handcrafted by artists from Odisha using scrap provided by the Jammu Smart City Mission and the Jammu Municipal Corporation. The project cost Rs 11 crore and employed 150 artists.
Jammu also gets a new riverfront, inspired by Gujarat's Sabarmati Riverfront. Located near the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas, the Tawi riverfront is under construction and stretches over 8 km, of which 2.7 km has been completed. According to officials, the project is designed to boost local tourism, with plans to introduce jet skiing and evening river cruises under the Jammu Smart City project.
Other features include an oceanarium with a 20-metre-long glass tunnel containing about 400,000 litres of salt water housing 40 varieties of marine fish, including sharks, and a heritage cafeteria with a capacity of 150 guests and an open courtyard library in the Mubarak Mandi complex, the former seat of power of the Dogra rulers of Jammu and Kashmir. A 56-km corridor between Raya Morh in Samba district and National Highway 44 near Jagti in Nagrota, 14 km from Jammu city, is nearly complete. The four-to-six-lane corridor aims to reduce nearly 60 percent of the traffic passing through Jammu city en route to or from Kashmir.
Earlier this week, Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the Tawi Aarti on the banks of the Tawi river and a new light and sound show showcasing Jammu's significance. Modelled after the Ganga Aarti in Varanasi and Haridwar, it features large ceremonial brass lamps, Vedic chants, conch shell blowing, and floating earthen diyas. The administration is also promoting tourism across the district, with plans to provide e-buses for destinations such as Suchetgarh international border and the Akhnoor fort, both about 30 km from Jammu city.
“It is for the first time that the administration is working to ensure that visiting pilgrims spend some time visiting Jammu city and its surrounding areas instead of straightway proceeding to their destination,” said Arun Gupta, president of the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
