Avantishwar Temple is one of the most important monuments and religious sites situated in Jawbrari Village of Pulwama District. The temple is located at Jawbrari in the centre of a courtyard surrounded by a colonnaded peristyle on the banks of the River Jhelum. This pilgrimage site is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God of preservation and Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of destruction. The temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is known as "Avantiswami Temple" which is located in close proximity to the Avantishwar temple. The temple was constructed during the 9th Century A.D. by Raja Avantivarman, the first Utpala King, who also made this place as his capital. At present, this temple lies in ruins. The ruins of temples constructed by Lalitaditya, the Brahmin emperor of Kashmir, are also located in Avantipur. The temples are protected and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Structure of Avantishwar Temple
The architectural styles adopted while constructing these temples resemble that of the Greeks. Sandstone was used during the process of construction. The walls of the entrance are ornamented with sculptures both internally and externally. A pillared mandapa too stood in front of the shrine. A central shrine was built on a spacious courtyard and also four smaller shrines were built in the corners.

This site was actually buried underground and was later excavated by the British in the 18th century. The British took some of the artifacts of the Avantishwar Temple during the excavation process. Tourists can find some other artifacts of this temple at Shri Pratap Singh Museum in Srinagar. Although the temple lies in ruins, travellers can still sight figures of Gods and Goddesses in different forms.

Avantipur
Avantipur is a town and a notified area committee in Pulwama district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated mid-way between Anantnag and Srinagar cities. Avantipur is a prominent tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir. Avantipur is hub of Tractor industry in Kashmir and the person behind its success is Haji Mohammed Sultan Makroo, who is a renowned businessman in South Kashmir.

How to Reach Avantishwar Temple
Srinagar Airport, also known as Sheikh-ul-Alam Airport, is the closest air base to Pulwama. It is well connected to important cities and one can hire taxis from the airport to reach the town of Pulwama. Nearest railway station is Jammu Tawi railway station, station is well connected to all other major stations in India. It is situated at a distance of about 340 km from the town. Bus will be the convenient mode as one can get buses from Srinagar; the average distance is around 340 km from Jammu to Pulwama.