Pulwama District in Jammu & Kashmir is known as Rice Bowl of Kashmir. It is surrounded by districts of Pahalgam, Srinagar and Badgam. This district has 554 villages that have been regrouped into tehsils called Pulwama, Tral, Pampore and Shopian. Pulwama is known for its rich heritage, numerous springs, waterfalls, streams, scented flowers, fruits and natural scenery.

Located 3 kilometres from the Pulwama District to the south is Payer Temple at Badgam. It is said that this temple got its name from Payer Village. This is where the temple is situated. Local people call it Payech Temple.

History

Payer Temple is believed to belong to 10th century.

Legends

It is said that the entire temple is carved out of a monolith stone.

How to Reach

By Air

Sheikh ul Alam Airport or Srinagar Airport is the closest to Pulwama. The city is well-connected with all major cities of India. Tourists can opt for a taxi ride from the airport to Pulwama town and then to Payer Temple. People from outside India can reach the nearest international airport – Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi, 876 kilometres from Srinagar.

By Rail

Closest rail link to Pulwama is Jammu Tawi Railway Station, 340 km away from Pulwama. All the major cities are connected with this station. You can avail taxis or buses to reach the town from the station.

By Road

Tourists can avail bus services from Srinagar to Pulwama. There are buses from Chandigarh, Jammu, Leh, Delhi and Pahalgam. For affordable and comfortable transportation tourists can opt for Jammu & Kasmir State Road Transport Corporation.

Best Time to Visit

Favourable weather conditions are the best thing about Pulwama. You are most likely to experience freezing winters and warm summers at this place. Hence the months of April through October are recommended for a visit to the temple. It has scenic beauty worth capturing in photographs.

Places Nearby

Other than Payer temple, you can visit Avantishwar Temple, which has a Shrine of Syed Hassan Mantaqi and Shrine of Shah Hamdan. Other famous religious places in this region are Jama Masjid Shopian and Asar Sharief Pinjoora.

Accommodation

Ranging from budget hotels to luxury hotels, pilgrims have a wide variety of accommodation facilities at Srinagar to choose from as Pulwama does not have too many options for tourists to stay.

Vivanta by Taj at Srinagar is for lavish living. It is renowned for its world class service and ambience. Lalit Grand Palace offers similar kind of world-class services.

Peacock Houseboats and Mandalay Houseboats are one of the finest options if guests want to stay in houseboats. They are luxurious and offer great service on Dal Lake.