Udhampur is located in the Shivalik range of Himalayas and the terrain is mostly mountainous. The upper reaches of the district experience snowfall in the winter season. The city itself is in a relatively flatter part of the district at an elevation of 2480 feet and it rarely experiences any snowfall. It is connected via road NH-44 from Jammu and is ahead of Katra. The Jammu Udhampur Railway is a lovely experience in itself as it passes through the Himalayas.
Krimchi temples is a complex of seven ancient temples in Udhampur. It is located at village Krimchi 12 km from Udhampur. This group of temples is locally known as the Pandava Temples. I have loved cycling along this stretch passing by farms, schools, water streams, bridges, bakeries, local dental surgeons, plenty of cannabis sativa and more. It made me think why do they have these plants in abundance in here, but I guess back in the days people in remote areas depended solely on medicinal herbs to help treat diseases.
The temple is believed to be over a thousand years old. According to the Archaeological Survey of India these temples were constructed during 8th or 9th century AD. Local belief holds that they go back to the protagonists of the Mahabharata War, or a late Pandava dynasty that ruled in Jammu and Kashmir.
