How
to reach
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.
more
on Jammu...
accommodation
in Jammu...
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.
