Poonch Prunts Punch | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 A view of Poonch City | |
  Poonch Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India Show map of Jammu and Kashmir Poonch Poonch (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:33°46′13″N74°05′33″E / 33.7703°N 74.0925°E /33.7703; 74.0925[1] | |
| Country | India |
| Union Territory | Jammu & Kashmir |
| Division | Jammu |
| District | Poonch |
| Tehsil | Haveli |
| Government | |
| • Vidhan Sabha Constituency | Poonch–Haveli |
| • MLA | Vacant[2] |
| • DDC | Tazeem Akhter, Independent |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.36 km2 (4.00 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,021 m (3,349 ft) |
| Population (2011)[3] | |
• Total | 26,854 |
| • Density | 2,592/km2 (6,713/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Poonchi |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Dogri, English,Hindi,Kashmiri,Urdu[4][5] |
| • Spoken | Pahari,Gojri,Kashmiri |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 185101 |
| Vehicle registration | JK-12 |
| Website | poonch |
Poonch (orPunch), (calledPrunts in theKashmiri,Gojri &Pahari languages) is a town and the administrative headquarters of thePoonch district, of the Indian-administered union territory ofJammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger disputed territory ofKashmir. It is located near theLine of Control – thede facto border in the disputed region. Poonch shares ade facto border with thePoonch district of the Pakistan-administered, self-governing territory ofAzad Kashmir.
Based on theMahābhārata mythology,[6] and the evidence from the seventh-century Chinese travellerXuanzang,[7] the districts of Poonch along with Rajauri and Abhisara were under the sway of the RepublicanKambojas duringepic times.[8][9][10][11][12]
Poonch has witnessed many historical eras. Around 326 BC whenAlexander the Great invaded the lower Jhelum belt to fight withPorus, this region was known as Dravabhisar. In the sixth-century AD, the famous Chinese travellerHuien Tsang passed through this area. According to his observation, this region was known as part ofKashmir also known as mini Kashmir. Around 850 AD Poonch became a sovereign state ruled by Raja Nar, who was basically a horse trader. According toRajatarangani, Raja Trilochanapala From Mangral Rajput Dynasty of the Poonch area gave a tough fight toMahmood Ghaznvi, who invaded this area in 1020 A.D.[citation needed]
In 1596, theMughal emperorJahangir made Raja Siraj-Ud-DinRathore, the descendant ofRao Jodha and Rao Suraj Singh, the new ruler of Poonch. Siraj-Ud-Din and his descendants Raja Shahbaz Khan Rathore, Raja Abdul Razak Rathore, Raja Rustam Rathore and Raja Bahadur Rathore ruled this area up to 1798 AD.
From 1819 to 1846, Poonch was a part of theSikh Empire of MaharajaRanjit Singh. Maharaja granted it as ajagir to Raja Dhian Singh, one of his nobles and a brother of Dogra Rajput RajaGulab Singh of Jammu. In 1846 Poonch was part of the territories transferred to Gulab Singh, who became the Maharaja ofJammu and Kashmir under the suzerainty of theBritish Raj. However, Poonch remained a jagir under the descendants of Dhian Singh. In the 1930s, on the recommendation of theGlancy Commission, a 75-member Legislative Assembly had come into existence under the name ofPraja Sabha. Two seats were allotted to the Poonch principality. In the 1940s, Maharaja Hari Singh started integrating it with Jammu and Kashmir, as ade facto district.
In 1947, after thePartition of India, arebellion started in the western part of the Poonch district (in theBagh andSudhanoti tehsils) against the Maharaja's rule and demanding accession to the newly independent Pakistan. The rebels were armed and supported by Pakistan and they evicted theState Forces, who became ensconced in their garrison at the Poonch town. The town remained besieged for almost a year, until it wasrelieved by the Indian Army on 20 November 1948. The western part of the district remained under the control of the rebels, who joined Pakistan as the state ofAzad Kashmir. TheLine of Control between the two parts of the district runs to the west of the Poonch town.
During the2019 India-Pakistan standoff, the Pakistan Air Force conducted an airstrike in Poonch as part of alarger operation in Indian-administered Kashmir. This standoff was the first time since 1971 that theLine of Control was violated by fighter aircraft.
After the2025 Pahalgam terror attack, India blamed Pakistan-based militant groups and adiplomatic crisis ensued between the two countries. Pakistan resorted to shelling across the Line of Control on the border regions including the Poonch town, starting 24 April 2025.[13][14][15] After the Indianmissile strikes on Pakistani terror infrastructure on 7 May, extensive shelling followed, killing 13 people, including four children and a Sikhragi. It also damaged a Sikh gurdwara, an Islamic school (madrasa) and dozens of houses.[16][17][18]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 7,564 | — |
| 1921 | 7,026 | −7.1% |
| 1931 | 8,152 | +16.0% |
| 1941 | 8,608 | +5.6% |
| 1951 | 9,402 | +9.2% |
| 1961 | 10,196 | +8.4% |
| 1971 | 11,981 | +17.5% |
| 1981 | 14,171 | +18.3% |
| 2001 | 23,978 | +69.2% |
| 2011 | 26,854 | +12.0% |
| Source:[3] | ||
The town is at an elevation of 1,021 m (3,349 ft),[1] on the bank of thePoonch River at its point of confluence with theBetar Nala. The Poonch river originates in thePir Panjal range and flows west until the town of Poonch, after which it turns southwest. The Betar Nala originates northeast of the Poonch town, in the Pakistan-administered portion of theformer district.
Poonch has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), which is much cooler than much of the rest of India due to its moderately high elevation and northerly position. Winters are cool, with January daytime temperatures averaging 2.5 °C (36.5 °F) and nighttime temperatures falling below freezing. Summers are short and generally pleasant, with temperatures rarely exceeding 31 °C. Winters are marked by rainfall due to western disturbances, and snowfall is quite common in January and February.
ThePir Panjal range of mountains separates the Poonch Valley from theKashmir Valley. With the completion of theMughal Road in 2010, via thePir Panjal Pass, there is now a direct road link between the two areas.
As of 2011[update] Indiacensus, Poonch had a population of 26,854,[3] of which 16,063 were male (60%), and 10,791 were female (40%).[3] Poonch has an average literacy rate of 79%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 77%. In Poonch, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.[citation needed]
Hinduism is the largest religion in the Poonch town, followed by 44.19% of people. Islam is the second-largest religion with 33.49% adherents. Christianity and Sikhism form 1.28% and 20.79% of the population respectively.[19]
A bus across theLoC, the Poonch-Rawalakot bus, has helped to re-establish ties across the border. TheNH 144A starts fromJammu and ends at Poonch, thus connecting Poonch to the rest ofJammu Division and India beyond. TheMughal Road via thePir Panjal Pass connects Poonch to theKashmir Valley.
There is no rail connectivity to Poonch yet.Jammu–Poonch Railway Line is a proposed railway line from Jammu Tawi station via the Historic City of Akhnoor to Poonch.[20] The nearest major railway station to Poonch isJammu Tawi railway station, located at a distance of 236 kilometres and is a 6 hr drive. The nearest railway stations areBijbehara railway station andAnantnag railway station, both located at a distance of 152 kilometres from Poonch Town.
Poonch Airport is a small airstrip which was constructed duringIndo-Pakistani War of 1947. The airport is currently non-operational. The nearest airport isSrinagar International Airport located at a distance of 177 kilometres and is a 5.5 hr drive.
