Udhampur Tourism

Udhampur is a beautiful district located on the banks of four major rivers namely, Chenab, Ans, Tawi and Ujh, in the south-eastern part of Jammu & Kashmir. Udhampur is situated at an altitude ranging between 600 metres to 3,000 metres.

Udhampur is surrounded by Rajouri District in the west, Anantnag District in the north, Doda and Kathua districts in the north-east and south-west respectively. Apart from being a municipal council, the district is also a Northern Command headquarters of the Indian Army.

The destination has been named after the eldest son of Maharaja Gulab Singh, Raja Udham Singh. Maharaja Gulab Singh was the founder of Dogra rule in Jammu and Kashmir. It is believed that the destination has been carved out from the dense forest where Raja Udham Singh frequently visited for hunting trips.

The major part of the population includes Hindus and Dogras. Udhampur is also home to various nomadic Gujjars and Bakarwals. People here speak many languages including Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri and Dogri. Pehari and Goujri are other prominent languages spoken in the district at a large scale. The folk art of the destination can be seen in the local dance and music like heren and fumenieand kud and karak, bhar, bhakh and gwatri.

The prime attraction of the destination is Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, which is situated at a height of 5,300 feet on Trikuta Hills of Shivalik Range. Katra is situated at a distance of about 35 km from Udhampur and serves as the base camp to reach the Sacred Sanctum of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi.

The nearest airport to reach the destination is Jammu Airport, which is located at a distance of 75 km from Udhampur headquarters. Udhampur has a railway station of its own, which connects it to all the major cities and towns of the country. Regular and frequent bus services are available from Jammu to reach Udhampur. However, private taxis and tourist vans are available for transfer from the airport or railway station to the district centre of Udhampur.

The best time to explore Udhampur is during the months of March to October, when the climatic conditions are favourable for sightseeing.