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Jammu to Katra
Passengers using Air or
Rail as a mode of travel have necessarily to break their journey at Jammu and
from thereon select an alternative mode of transport. However for passengers
traveling by road, either through public or own transport, there is an option of
taking a by-pass from Kunjwani, nearly 10 kms. off Jammu and heading straight
for the base camp i.e Katra.
The option of a halt at Jammu is thus entirely with the yatri although many
yatries would like to spend more time in Jammu and visit the temples and other
landmarks there.
If one is coming by his own vehicle
and does not wish to halt at Jammu, he can head straight on National Highway
No.1A. At a point nearly 35 kms. from Jammu, called Domel, the road branches off
into two; while one road heads towards Srinagar the other leads to Katra
At the moment no train services are available between Jammu and Katra.
However, work on the Jammu-Katra rail link is underway and Katra is likely to
emerge on the rail map shortly.
The distance between Jammu and Katra is approximately 50 km. Ordinary and
luxury buses are available from Jammu to Katra at a frequency of 10-15 minutes.
While ordinary buses can be boarded from the State Road Transport Bus Stand
around 1 km from Jammu Railway Station, luxury buses are available from just
outside the Railway Station. It takes around 2 hours to cover the 50 km stretch
from Jammu to Katra. The terrain is hilly and winding and passengers often
experience nausea and vomiting.
Private Taxies for Katra are available from the Jammu Tawi Railway Station
and Jammu Airport. The official rates range between Rs. 500-800 for one way
travel depending upon the make of the vehicle. For Cars or Vehicles with a
sitting capacity of 4-5 persons, the rates are around Rs. 500-650 while larger
vehicles like Jeeps, Vans etc. having larger sitting capacity charge in the
range of Rs. 650-800. Many operators also offer taxies on a per seat basis. As
with many other tourist destinations, it is not uncommon for passengers to be
accosted at the Airport or the Railway station by taxi drivers. It is advisable
to check the officially approved rate (the same is subject to periodic
revisions) and insist on paying only the approved rate. A taxi would normally
take 70-80 minutes to reach Katra from Jammu.
Vehicles are usually stopped on the way by security personnel for security
checks. All visitors are therefore requested to cooperate with the authorities
and comply with the security formalities.
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