Lohri

The harbinger of spring, the festival that signals the end of the bitter harsh winter is Lohri. Also known as Makar Sankranti this festival is celebrated with a lot of pomp and show in houses where there is a newlywed couple of a newborn. Huge bonfires are lit and offerings of a sweet made of til (sesame) and jaggery called revri; popped corn and peanuts are made to the fire. The religious minded take a dip in holy rivers and there are yagnas in many households. A special dance called Chajja is performed by the young boys on this occasion. The streets are decorated and boys along with their 'Chajjas' elaborately decorated with coloured paper and flowers dance on the street reverberating with the pulsating drumbeats. This festival is celebrated on January 13 every year.

Baisakhi

A day that is celebrated throughout India in various forms, Baisakhi is taken from the first month of the Vikram calendar. A festival that is celebrated also to pray to the Gods for a bountiful harvest, the first day of 'Vaishakh', is considered auspicious among not just the people of Jammu, but amongst the people of the rest of northern India too. It is a day when many marriages are solemnized; devotee take the ritual dips and in Jammu many people go to the Nagbani temple to witness the grand New Year celebration. Numerous fairs spring up and there is a general spirit of revelry and bonhomie. Baisakhi is also celebrated by the Sikhs as it is the day their tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singhji, formed the Khalsa sect. People go to Gurudwaras to listen to kirtans, offer prayers and have the langar. At the fairs they can be seen performing the colourful and boisterous Bhangra that is enjoyed by one and all. Baisakhi falls on April 13-14 every year.

Standing on a rock face on the west banks of the river Tawi, the Bahu Fort has within its precincts a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. Said to be probably the oldest fort in the city the Bahu Fort was originally constructed by Raja Bahulochan over 3,000 years ago. A mela is held here twice every year in the months of March-April and then again in September October.

Chaitre Chaudash

A mela that is held every year in March-April, Chaitre Chaudash is celebrated at Uttar Behni, about 25 kms from Jammu . The name Uttar Behni is derived from the fact that the Devak river (also known as Gupt Ganga locally) flows here in the northerly direction.

Purmandal Mela

If one visits Jammu during Maha Shivratri, the festival that marks the wedding celebration of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati, one finds the whole city immersed in celebrations. This festival is celebrated with special rites and rituals in Purmandal, a town 39 kms from Jammu city. The entire town wears a festive look and for three days people celebrate the marriage of Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati. Some of the other places where the people of Jammu celebrate Shivratri are at Peer Khoh, the Ranbireshwar Temple and the Panjbhaktar Temple .

Jhiri Mela

Dedicated to Baba Jitu, a simple and honest farmer who preferred to kill himself rather than submit to the unjust demands of the local landlord to part with his crop, this festival is celebrated at the village of Jhiri , 14 kms from Jammu , where he killed himself. Celebrated every year around October-November, on this day his followers from all over North India congregate at Jhiri where they revere him for his compassion, courage and honesty.

Navratra Festival

This nine day festival dedicated to the nine forms fo Goddess Durga or Devi Ma. It comprises nine days of fasting and rituals and the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi acquires special status during the Navratras as it is considered to be the most auspicious time to undertake the yatra to the shrine. This nine day period normally falls in the months of October-November. The entire way from Katra to the shrine is beautifully decorated and there is a mela on.