Purmandal Temple Complex

Getting there

• By air

  Jammu Airport serves Jammu. Purmandal is about 30 km from Jammu by road.

• By train

  Jammu Tawi station in Jammu is the largest railhead in Jammu and Kashmir.

• By road

  The village is about 30 km southeast of Jammu and about 25 km northwest of Samba, by road via Vijaypur. Buses connect the village to Jammu.

Why devotees come here

Purmandal, also called Chhota Kashi, is a village on the Devika river in Samba district, Jammu and Kashmir. Its temples are a Hindu pilgrimage site, where devotees bathe in the river and seek blessings. The main temple is dedicated to Parvati and stands on the west bank.

Hindus regard Purmandal as a pilgrimage site, and devotees believe that bathing in the river cleanses the soul. The village is also called Chhota Kashi. The Devika river runs down from Purmandal to Uttarvehni, passing through Mandal village. The main temple, dedicated to Parvati, is built on the west bank, and a number of other temples here are dedicated to Shiva.

The village has a large haveli, a mansion dating from about 1830, in good condition. Many of the haveli and the pilgrim rest-houses are decorated with murals that date from 1813 to 1898. The rest-houses are mostly severely deteriorated.

A mela is held here every month, and devotees take a holy dip in the Devika and seek blessings. The twelve melas of the year each carry a name tied to its month, such as Chaitra Chaudish and Shivraatri Mela. Mandal village, further down the river, has the ancient temples of Rameshwaram and Bhuteshawar.

Festivals

• In the month of Chaitra, one of 12 melas a yearChaitra Chaudish

  One of the melas named for its month, held at Purmandal with a river bath.

• One of the 12 melas a yearShivraatri Mela

  Devotees take a holy dip in the Devika and seek blessings at the mela.

Tips for your visit

• The village lies in the hills on the banks of the Devika river.
• Utterbehni, another religious place on the Devika, has centuries old temples.

Questions people ask