Bahu Fort

En un regard

Le château en bref

Bahu Fort stands on a rocky escarpment overlooking the Tawi, opposite the old city of Jammu, about five kilometres from the centre. Considered the oldest building in the city, it occupies a site that tradition associates with Raja Bahu Lochan, brother of Jammu's legendary founder. The present enclosure, with stone walls punctuated by towers, dates from a reconstruction at the end of the sixteenth century, followed by major works carried out by the Dogra rulers in the nineteenth century. At the heart of the fort, the Mahakali temple, known as Bawe Wali Mata, is dedicated to the protective goddess of Jammu; raised on a high platform of small rubblestones, it attracts many pilgrims, especially on Tuesdays, Sundays and during Navratri. Around the fort, the terraced gardens of Bagh-e-Bahu cascade down the slope, with waterfalls and flowerbeds, complemented by a large underground aquarium. From the ramparts, the view takes in the city of Jammu and the Tawi valley.