Jasrota, Jammu Kashmir

Jasrota fort exactly lies near Kathua. Jasrota town was founded by Jasdev— king of Jammu in the 12th century AD. The king of Jasrota constructed a big fort. It is said that originally the fort had seven gates but presently only four gates exist. Jasrota has been mentioned an important state of Jammu hills during the medieval period. Abul Fazl in his Akbarnama and Aim-i-Akbari has mentioned that Jasrota was a Rajput State during Akbar’s period. The area covered by the fort and its architectural features show that the Jasrota was a rich and militarily strong State.

According to Hutchison and Vogel, author of the Punjab Hill States, "owing to the fertility of the tract, being so close to the plains, Jasrota under its native rulers was a powerful state which viewed with Jammu in importance down to the time of its extinction in 1834".Their castle which they built to fight the Sikhs or any external threats which they perceived from the other rulers of that time. The palace of the Jasrotias still exists and is a reminder of the Jasrotia history. It is situated on the banks of river Ujjh, around 65 km, from the Jammu city, in Jammu and Kashmir.

Now the place has been covered under the Jasrota Wild life sanctuary but still the Jasrotia Rajputs meet there once in a year to remember their great history and also they organise a Yagya for the temple which has been built inside the palace............
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