May 5, 2022: With summer continuing to scorch the plains of the country, tourists are opting to travel to hill stations to beat the heat. Picturesque Patnitop hill station situated in the Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir offers a refreshing escape.

Situated 70 miles from Jammu, Patnitop is perched at an altitude of 2024 metres on a beautiful plateau across which passes the Jammu-Srinagar Highway. Enveloped by thickly wooded forests, Patnitop offers beautiful picnic spots, peaceful walks and breathtaking views of the mountainscape of the Chenab basin.

Tourism Places

Skyview Patnitop: It is India's highest ropeway and the largest Indo-French collaboration in mountain infrastructure development that was built in a record time of 2.4 years under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The ropeway that began commercial operations on July 20, 2020, reduces travel time between Sanget area and Patnitop to 15 minutes from the earlier 1.5 hours.

Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel: Snowfall and avalanche in winter at Patnitop used to obstruct the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway a few times every winter resulting in long queues of vehicles, sometimes for days. These problems were mitigated by the opening of the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel. This 9 kilometre-long tunnel is the longest such state of art tunnel in the country, connecting Udhampur to Ramban in Jammu. Constructed at a cost of Rs 2500 crore, it cuts down 31 kilometres of travel distance and reduces the travel time between the two points by about two hours, in addition to substantial saving in fuel cost.

Sanasar Lake: Named after small local lakes, Sana and Sar are located 20 kilometres west of Patnitop, Ramban district on the national highway 1A. The area is notable for its scenic views of the mountain range.

Nathatop: Nathatop is a famous paragliding spot at Patnitop. People from different parts of the country travel here to experience nature's beauty.

Nag Mandir: The 600-year-old Naag Mandir sits on top of a hill in Mantalai and is said to be the place where Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvati. A temple on the lap of the famous hill stationof Patnitop.

Sudh Mahadev Temple and Mantalai Temple: Sudh Mahadev temple is a highly revered Shiva temple located at a distance of 42 kilometres from Patnitop and 112 kilometres from Jammu. The temple also houses a black marble statue of local Shiva and Parvati. A trishul of Lord Shiva is also preserved here. A few kilometres further ahead of Sudh Mahadev is Mantalai (1450 meters) surrounded by lush deodar forests. It is believed that at this place, Lord Shiva got married to Goddess Parvati.

In a major boost for the economy of the Union territory, Jammu and Kashmir Government has ramped up its efforts to promote tourism in the UT. (ANI)