The Heroic Struggle and Jhiri Mela
About the Temple
In the folklore traditions of Jammu hills, perhaps there is hardly any other heroic tale of a lone farmer as well known as that of Jitmal (also known as Baba Jitto) and his 7-year-old daughter Bua Kori. Every year, a week-long festival is organised at village Jhiri, around 15 kms west of Jammu city, during the months of October or November.
This festival attracts lakhs of people from within different areas of the Jammu province, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. The rush of devotees is such that the district administration of Jammu has to make special arrangements for catering to and controlling the teeming crowds.
According to folklore, Jitmal was a poor farmer who worked day and night on the land he tilled. His hard work led to a bumper crop of wheat and he was very happy that his hard work would lead him to live happily. He had a small 7-year-old daughter who was named Bua Kori. He loved his daughter immensely and dreamt of giving her a comfortable life. But due to cruelties of the village zamindar Jitmal ended his life on a heap of wheat, where his daughter also set herself ablaze. A beautiful temple has been built at the location where Baba Jitto and his daughter had embraced death rather than succumbing to unjust demands of the zamindar. A week-long fair is organised in Jhiri every year since time immemorial to pay tributes to Baba Jitto and his daughter Bua Kori. Their stories recounted orally have travelled for generations.
How to Reach
Jammu city is connected with road, rail and air, to other parts of the country. Jhiri
village is located 15 kms to the west of the city on Jammu-Akhnoor road. Local buses and taxis going to Akhnoor can be used for reaching the spot. During the annual fair days, special arrangements are in place for the devotees.
