A journey to Akhnoor
Akhnoor town is situated at 28 km southwest of Jammu in the foothills of the pir panjal range on the right bank of the River Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir state of India. By the time the the Chenab has reached Akhnoor it has traveled in a serpentine manner for hundereds of kilometers through Himachal Pradesh and the Pir Panjal range. The Chenab, a glacier fed perennial river, originates from the Bara Lacha Pass in Himachal Pradesh some 4891 meters above sea level, it has long been a source of trade with the river even at times being used to carry timber to the valleys below. The ancient name of the river was the Asikni.
As a resident of Jammu city I have made the trip to Akhnoor town many times, yet I find it's never a boring trip. High in the hills above Akhnoor, just below Jammu City, there is a vantage point at the river's side where a beautiful view of the valley, in which Akhnoor is situated, can be had. On my trips I often stop here to gaze and reflect on the beautiful panoramic vista of the valley stretched out below. In the distance you can make out Akhnoor town, the Jia Pota Temple, a Gurdwara and an old Rajput Fort, it's always a breath taking sight, though modern intrusions such as a huge water tank sometimes blot out the view.
From this vantage point on our trip down the river valley we come next to an old fort high on a hill overlooking the river. The Fort was started in 1762 at the behest of the area's former Rajput Raja Tegh Singh who was never to see the fort completed. His son the next Raja Alam Singh completed the fort in 1802 in the days before the area came under the sway of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. On the eastern side of this ancient citadel there are steps leading down the hillside to the river. The steps, though more than 200 years old, are still usable with most of them being in good condition. At the bottom of the steps their is an old ghat which once served as an important spot for religious ceremonies. The Burj (tower), still intact, is called the Kishore Singh burj after an ancestor of Gulab Singh Dogra who was an associate of Guru Gobind Singh. It is hoped that this fort may one day be restored and become an important attraction in the area.
Situated near the fort is the Jia Pota Temple near where, under a tree after which the Temple is named, the raj Tilak ceremony of the 21 year old Dogra Rajput Raja Gulab Singh was performed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Ghat near the temple, called the Jia Pota Ghat is revered by Hindus.
Near here a Sikh Sant Sunder Singh ji Alibegh bale of Mirpur (POK) meditated near the bank of the Chenab. In this spot a beautiful Gurdwara, has been constructed in his memory by the Sikh Sangat of Jammu. The Gurdwara is known as Gurdwara Tapo Asthan Sant Baba Sunder Singh Jii Alibegh. Below this we come to Akhnoor town the destination of our trip from Jammu.
