India Tourist Places > Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Places > Udhampur Tourist Places > Moungri Cave Shrines

In the ancient times the village Moungri was known as Sonara. The word Sonara means a land of hundred water springs. In Dogri language, water spring is called Naaras. According to the legend, it was an abode of Nag Devta (King of the snakes), and once hundreds of natural stone made water springs used to flow. Still at present number of such water springs found in the area.

According to another ancient legend, associated with the Kansar Shrine, a small stone shrine of Lord Shiva was discovered by an irate local villager. To remove the impediment in the process of cultivation, agriculture being the mainstay of the local population, the stone structure was uprooted and flung into the Kansar stream. But as soon as this was done calamity befell on the helpless villagers. Then the shrine was hurried retrieved from the rivulet bed and a temple was erected on a nearby hilltop by the rural folks. The temple still stands as a testimony to their labors Moungri Cave Shrines-village Moungri-Sonara-land of hundred water springs-abode of Nag Devta -Panchari Block of District Udhampur-Shri Swatantra Dev Kotwal-Shiv Parvati Cave Shrine-nine and half feet high naturally formed rock Shiv Lingam-Joint Parvati Lingam -Damroo-Nandi- Shankhas- Amrit Kund -Kansar Shrine.