The Following Events are planned:
Located twenty kilometers from Jammu, the small town of Akhnoor lies on the banks of the river Chenab in the foothills of the Pir Panjal ranges – which are a sub-system of the Himalaya. It was at Akhnoor that the ‘raj tilak’ ceremony of Gulab Singh, who went on to rule the state of Jammu and Kashmir was performed by the powerful Sikh Maharaja of the Punjab, Ranjit Singh. This was at Jio Pota on the banks of the river.
The place name ‘Akhnoor’ is believed to come from a combination of two words ‘Akh’, eye and ‘Noor’, light – and thus, the ‘light of the eye’; that is how beautiful the place was considered to be. And to a substantial measure, all that beauty is still there.
The Akhnoor Fort is one of the famous historic testimonies belonging to the early 19th century. The testament in the ancient town of Akhnoor is situated along with the River Chenab at a distance of 32 km from Jammu.
The ancient fort was built on the site belonging to the Harappan Civilisation. Along the fort, there is a two-storeyed palace which has decorated arches and murals.
- Welcome Reception in the evening of Sunday, 8th September, 2013
- Cultural Evening in the evening of Tuesday, 10th September, 2013
- Guided Tour to the Akhnoor Fort on the afternoon of Thursday, 12th September, 2013
- Conference Banquet on Wednesday, 11th September, 2013
Located twenty kilometers from Jammu, the small town of Akhnoor lies on the banks of the river Chenab in the foothills of the Pir Panjal ranges – which are a sub-system of the Himalaya. It was at Akhnoor that the ‘raj tilak’ ceremony of Gulab Singh, who went on to rule the state of Jammu and Kashmir was performed by the powerful Sikh Maharaja of the Punjab, Ranjit Singh. This was at Jio Pota on the banks of the river.
The place name ‘Akhnoor’ is believed to come from a combination of two words ‘Akh’, eye and ‘Noor’, light – and thus, the ‘light of the eye’; that is how beautiful the place was considered to be. And to a substantial measure, all that beauty is still there.
The Akhnoor Fort is one of the famous historic testimonies belonging to the early 19th century. The testament in the ancient town of Akhnoor is situated along with the River Chenab at a distance of 32 km from Jammu.
The ancient fort was built on the site belonging to the Harappan Civilisation. Along the fort, there is a two-storeyed palace which has decorated arches and murals.
Excavations at Akhnoor date back to the times of the Harappan (Indus Valley) Civilization; nearby Ambran has the remains of a Buddhist monastery that existed between 1 to 7 CE – some artifacts from this may be seen at the Dogra Art Gallery in Jammu.
The old fort dominates the town. Excavations within its walls have revealed the remains of Harappan and pre-Harappan civilization which date back some 4,000 years and this is believed to be the northern-most site that has been found so far of this civilization.
At the moment, this houses various government offices, including a police post. The fort is under the charge of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and a major restoration of the fort is being mooted.
