Akhnoor is a town that lies in the Jammu district of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is at a distance of 32 kms from the main city of Jammu and is located in the foot hills of the Himalayan Range. Akhnoor is known for its beauty, army cantonments, and the eye catching beauty of the Chenab river. Its geographical coordinates are 32°52′N 74°44′E / 32.87, 74.73. It has an average elevation of 301 metres i.e 988 feet. According to the census of 2001 Akhnoor had a population of 10,770 out of which males constituted 53% of the population and females constituted 47%. Akhnoor had an average literacy rate of 76%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 11% of the population was under the age of 6. The languages spoken in Akhnoor are Dogri, Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi and English.
Akhnoor has its historical importance too. It has many stories related to it. One being from the Mahabharata which says that Pandavas hid in the caves in Akhnoor during their period of Agyaatwaas. Another story says that Akhnoor was earlier called Virat Nagar, but it came to be known as Akhnoor during the Mughal reign. The reason behind this is that the Mughal emperor's wife had vision problem in her eyes and she was prescribed to wash her eyes with the holy water of Chenab using some ayurvedic medicines by a local Hindu priest. The queen strictly followed the prescription and her vision was restored. Hence the city was named Akhnooer as in Urdu the word 'noor' means vision/glow/shine and the word 'aankh' means the eye.
Akhnoor is very near to the border which is around 18 km by road, and the aerial distance is just around 8 km. On 10th September 1992, the main bridge over the Chenab river was washed out, and was rebuilt on 13th April 1994. There are many places of tourist interest in and around Akhnoor. The places of visit in Akhnoor include Kameshwar Temple which is believed to be 5000 yrs old, remains of Harappa civilization, Jiapota bank of river Chenab, Pandav cave, Durga Mandir at Jiapota, Sikh Gurudwara in Chandian, remains of Akhnoor Fort, Peer Baba in Bal-da-Bagh and the newly constructed attraction the 2 KM walk-way constructed along the bank of the river Chenab from Gurudwara to Hari-Mandir, on the one side of which is river Chenab flowing and on the other side are the rocks.
There is also a place known as The Amar Mahal Palace Museum. The Amar Mahal Palace Museum is a beautiful palace of red sandstone. It offers a beautiful view of the Shivaliks in the north and the river Tawi in the south. This was once the residential palace of Raja Amar Singh, but now it has been converted into a museum. There is a golden throne made of 120 kg of pure gold also kept in the museum. The banks of the river Chenab are a happening site to watch in the evenings of the summer season, because a very large number of people gather there to get relief from the heat and enjoy in the cold breeze that flows along the banks. The water temperature is around 25 degree Celsius in summer and many people take a dip or swim. A good number of hawkers with eatables also come to earn their living.
A new concrete, 2 way bridge has also been built now by 'D2 Construction Company' which is 0.5 KM upstream the present steel bridge. It is the first longest caterpillar bridge in India which is 180 mtrs in length. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India on 13 April, 2008. The Chenab river meets the plains in Akhnoor, just north-west of Jammu. This was originally the route to Srinagar in the Moghul era. Jehangir, who died on the way to Kashmir, was temporarily buried at Chingas. Akhnoor is also related with the legend of Soni-Mahiwal. The whole area commands a panoromic view. A nice place to be in.
Akhnoor is accessible:
By Flight : Akhnoor is well linked to Jammu, which is linked by the domestic air links very properly.
By Trackways : Being just 32 km from Jammu, Akhnoor can be reached from the Jammu Railhead.
By Roadways : Akhnoor is well linked to all the major parts of the state.
Akhnoor has its historical importance too. It has many stories related to it. One being from the Mahabharata which says that Pandavas hid in the caves in Akhnoor during their period of Agyaatwaas. Another story says that Akhnoor was earlier called Virat Nagar, but it came to be known as Akhnoor during the Mughal reign. The reason behind this is that the Mughal emperor's wife had vision problem in her eyes and she was prescribed to wash her eyes with the holy water of Chenab using some ayurvedic medicines by a local Hindu priest. The queen strictly followed the prescription and her vision was restored. Hence the city was named Akhnooer as in Urdu the word 'noor' means vision/glow/shine and the word 'aankh' means the eye. Akhnoor is very near to the border which is around 18 km by road, and the aerial distance is just around 8 km. On 10th September 1992, the main bridge over the Chenab river was washed out, and was rebuilt on 13th April 1994. There are many places of tourist interest in and around Akhnoor. The places of visit in Akhnoor include Kameshwar Temple which is believed to be 5000 yrs old, remains of Harappa civilization, Jiapota bank of river Chenab, Pandav cave, Durga Mandir at Jiapota, Sikh Gurudwara in Chandian, remains of Akhnoor Fort, Peer Baba in Bal-da-Bagh and the newly constructed attraction the 2 KM walk-way constructed along the bank of the river Chenab from Gurudwara to Hari-Mandir, on the one side of which is river Chenab flowing and on the other side are the rocks.There is also a place known as The Amar Mahal Palace Museum. The Amar Mahal Palace Museum is a beautiful palace of red sandstone. It offers a beautiful view of the Shivaliks in the north and the river Tawi in the south. This was once the residential palace of Raja Amar Singh, but now it has been converted into a museum. There is a golden throne made of 120 kg of pure gold also kept in the museum. The banks of the river Chenab are a happening site to watch in the evenings of the summer season, because a very large number of people gather there to get relief from the heat and enjoy in the cold breeze that flows along the banks. The water temperature is around 25 degree Celsius in summer and many people take a dip or swim. A good number of hawkers with eatables also come to earn their living. A new concrete, 2 way bridge has also been built now by 'D2 Construction Company' which is 0.5 KM upstream the present steel bridge. It is the first longest caterpillar bridge in India which is 180 mtrs in length. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India on 13 April, 2008. The Chenab river meets the plains in Akhnoor, just north-west of Jammu. This was originally the route to Srinagar in the Moghul era. Jehangir, who died on the way to Kashmir, was temporarily buried at Chingas. Akhnoor is also related with the legend of Soni-Mahiwal. The whole area commands a panoromic view. A nice place to be in.Akhnoor is accessible:
By Flight : Akhnoor is well linked to Jammu, which is linked by the domestic air links very properly.
By Trackways : Being just 32 km from Jammu, Akhnoor can be reached from the Jammu Railhead.
By Roadways : Akhnoor is well linked to all the major parts of the state.
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