How About a “Sweet” Trip to Jammu?
Posted on July 15, 2008 in Travel by Prarthna
Yes, travel gurus on NDTV Good Times claim that Sher Bibi offers the “sweetest water” in the world. So if you’re traveling to Jammu on the National Highway 1, you can’t help encountering the “Sher Bibi Dhaba” which serves delicious pancakes and special tea. What makes the preparation of tea so special is the fact that NO sugar is added to it. Locals are of the opinion that sweet water is fetched from the fresh springs of a mountain nearby.
The journey to Jammu will take you on an engaging trip along the “Banihal Pass”that connects Jammu with the Kashmir Valley. It is an important pass rising up to a level of about 2739 meters and lies on the peak in the shape of a tunnel called the “Jawahar Tunnel,” named after the Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Currently operational for the transport of goods and commodities to the Kashmir Valley, the Banihal Pass is snow-clad during peak winter months.
En route tourists can also take the pleasure of tasting the famous “rajma chawal,”a Punjabi dish. A dhaba following close to Sher Bibi makes the best rajma chawal ever say travel gurus from the NDTV fraternity who host the show “Highway On My Plate”. It is believed that rajma chawal is courteously served to hungry travelers with a liberal display of ghee at the end.
Some other sweet encounters en route to Jammu are:
- Palangtod: Highly recommended for the adults; a kind of “paan” prepared from cocaine similar to the traditional method of adding “bhaang” to paan.
- Pateesa: Pateesa is a sweet, not as sugary as the traditionally prepared sweets in India. Appearing yellow and flaky, the pateesa is made of bhuna hua or non-oil fried besan or gram flour which is dry and the flakes melt as soon as they hit the tongue.
- Panjiri: The Panjiri is yet another Punjabi dish which is prepared from whole wheat flour that is fried in ghee and sugar. Herbal gums and dry fruits make the panjiri even richer and are usually eaten in the cold winter months to make the body warm.
The trip to Jammu along the National highway 1 could be the sweetest trip you could have ever had. Hurry!! Book a car or bus for a long drive up the cool chilly ranges of Jammu accompanied with mouth-watering dishes waiting your way.
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