Bahu Fort - Historical landmark in Jammu - Jammu, India

The Bahu fort was built by Raja Bahu Lochan who was the brother of Raja Jambu Lochan. This fort underwent several structural changes in order to retain its strength and beauty. The fort was originally built some three thousand years ago and was refurbished by the Dogra dynasty rulers in the 19th century. In 1585,the current fort was rebuilt, possibly at the same location as the ancient fort, by Autar Dev, the grandson of King Kapoor Dev. This fort has undergone several demolitions and reconstructions over the years till the time, Maharaja Gulab Singh reconstructed the present fort in the 19th century, which was further refurbished during the rule of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. They first established temples for their tutelary deities; and the image of Mahakali sanctified in the temple in the fort was sourced from Ayodhya. There is a temple of Goddess Kali inside the fort, which was built in the 8th century. It is a tiny temple which can host a few worshipers at any given point in time. This temple attracts a lot of pilgrims and worshippers during the celebration of the festival named "Bahu Mela" which is held twice a year during the Navratras. The weekdays of Tuesday and Sunday are special days of offering puja at this temple and are thronged by huge number of devotees during these days of the week.

Fish aquarium is good, but the viewpoint there is awesome,, you can see whole jammu from there, best to visit at sunset, also water show is also there nearby but not worth watching

It is a nice fort that sits on the top of the city giving a beautiful view of the city and the Tawi river. It is a must go place during evening when everything looks even more beautiful with the red colour of sunset.

Situated 5 kms away from the city centre, Bahu Fort stands on a rock face on the left bank of the river Tawi. Perhaps the oldest fort and edifice in the city, it was constructed originally by Raja Bahulochan over 3,000 years ago. The existing fort was more recently improved upon and extended by the Dogra rulers. Inside, there is a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. An extensive terraced garden, known as Bagh-e-Bahu, has been developed around the fort. Bahu Temple is situated inside the Bahu Fort, popularly called Bave Wali Mata Mandir. The Bahu Fort is a fortress representing the lavishness of the Dogra kings and the royal family that resided to rule the region. Pilgrims flock the temple on Tuesdays and Sundays, regarded auspicious. The fort, along with the Bahu temple, commands a panoramic view of the Jammu city. On the bypass road, behind the Bahu fort, the city forest surrounds the ancient Maha Maya Temple overlooking the River Tawi. A small garden surrounded by acres of woods furnishes a populated destination for tourists. Mahamaya is the local goddess of the Dogras, who lost her life 14 centuries ago combating foreign invaders. The present Bave Wali Mata mandir was built shortly after the coronation of Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1822. It is also known as the Mahakali Temple, the goddess considered second only to Mata Vaishno Devi in terms of mystical power. The Bahu Temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali, the reigning deity of the region of Jammu & Kashmir.

It's a good piece of history, well maintained, but the entry is a bit restricted to a few places. Rest everything is fine. Thankfully it is still standing tall and mighty. The temple in the premises is a must visit.

I have had such beautiful memories of coming to this beautiful fort. Kali Mata temple was the part of the fort and at the entrance. One use to pay their respect and enter the fort. It used to be teeming with monkeys then and it was wise not to hold anything in hand lest it be snatched. Now the complex has been converted into an extension of Kali temple besides plethora of other temples which have cropped up. The fort is in the background and don't think one can even enter it anymore. I couldn't find any other entrance. The monkeys are much less now, I guess scared by the sea of people who had come to the temple.

One of the oldest temple in Jammu, dedicated to Maa Kali devoted as Shree Bawe wali Mata. Clean and well maintained temple.

Nothing worth sharing. Simple old building with a shallow pond. No grandeur, other than location.