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Kulgam district Kolgom | |
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 Aharbal Falls | |
 Interactive map of Kulgam district | |
![Kulgam district is in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region[1] It is in the Kashmir division (bordered in neon blue).](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aKashmir_region._LOC_2003626427_-_showing_Kashmir_division_administered_by_India_in_neon_blue.jpg) Kulgam district is in Indian-administeredJammu and Kashmir in the disputedKashmir region[1] It is in theKashmir division (bordered in neon blue). | |
| Coordinates (Kulgam):33°38′24″N75°01′12″E / 33.64000°N 75.02000°E /33.64000; 75.02000 | |
| Administering country | India |
| Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Headquarters | Kulgam |
| Government | |
| • Body | Municipal Committee |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,067 km2 (412 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 424,483 |
| • Density | 397.8/km2 (1,030/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kashmiri,Urdu,Hindi,Dogri,English[2][3] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 192231 |
| Vehicle registration | JK18 |
| Website | kulgam |
Kulgam district is an administrativedistrict ofIndian-administeredJammu and Kashmir in the disputedKashmir region.[1][4] It is in theKashmir division and is located at a distance of 18 kilometres (11 mi) towards south-west ofAnantnag. The district comprisesblock,tehsil andtown ofKulgam.
Kulgam is situated near thePir Panjal Ranges, overlooking the left bank ofVeshaw River, along a rough, hilly road fromLarow. River Veshaw, which drains most of the northern face ofPir Panjal, is the main left-bank tributary of theJhelum River and traverses through District Kulgam. The Veshev is broken into a number of channels to provide drinking water and irrigation for huge tracts of the district's land.
Town Kulgam is situated about 68 km (42 mi) fromSrinagar and about 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Anantnag. Roads connect to the neighbouring districts ofShopian,Pulwama,Anantnag, andBanihal.
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Tazkira Sadat-i-Simanania, compiled by 13th-century scholar and poet Swaleh Reshi, gives the name of place as "Shampora".Mir Syed Hussain Simnani later renamed it "Kulgam" (kul for 'clan' andgram for 'village' in Sanskrit). Simnani is said to have invitedMir Sayyid Ali Hamadani to Kashmir,[citation needed] with poets includingNund Rishi (Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani (RA)) andLalleshwari.[citation needed] These poets and their disciples manifested the composite culture orKashmiriyat, promoting and encouraging religious and cultural harmony even when viewed as heretics by other Asiatic countries.
The form of administration fromSher Shah Suri's reign led to creation of aTehsil during Mughal Rule, through the aegis of SheikhHamza Makhdoom. This had jurisdiction encompassing Doru,Banihal, Gulabgarh, andShopian. After time, constituent units including Pulwama, Shopian, and Reasi attained the status of district.
The area had been a hunting place for Mughal emperors and Dogra rulers, especially forShahanshah Shah Jehan, who laid the "Chinar Bagh"[5] and MaharajaHari Singh, who discovered the virgin potential of sanctuary[clarification needed] at Kutbal.[where?] The District is the birthplace ofSheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani, the founder of theRishi order, and of the forefathers ofAllama Iqbal andJawaharlal Nehru.
There has been insurgency in Kashmir since 1989. Beginning in the 1990s there is an upsurge of Rebel groups in the district, particularly theLashkar-e-Taiba andHizbul Mujahideen.[6][7] the rebels encourage the populace to boycott elections.[8][9]
According to the2011 census, Kulgam district has apopulation of 424,483.[10] This gives it a ranking of 554th in India (out of640).[10] The district has a population density of 925 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,400/sq mi).[10] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 7.3%.[10]Kulgamhas asex ratio of 951females for every 1000 males[10] (this varies with religion), and aliteracy rate of 60.3%. The density of population of the district is 1051 persons per km2 as compared to 124 persons for the state according to the Census figures of 2011. Scheduled Tribes constitutes 2.7% of the district population.[11]
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 98.49% | |||
| Hinduism | 1.01% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.5% | |||
| Religion (and population) | Sex Ratio | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslim (pop 418,076) | 962 | |||
| Hindu (pop 4,267) | 284 | |||
| Other (pop 2,140) | 744 | |||
| Total (pop 424,483) | 951 | |||
| Kulgam district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census.[11] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Sikh | Buddhist | Jain | Other | Not stated | Total | |
| Total | 4,267 | 418,076 | 460 | 1,035 | 27 | 25 | 9 | 584 | 424,483 |
| 1.01% | 98.49% | 0.11% | 0.24% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.14% | 100.00% | |
| Male | 3,324 | 213,069 | 264 | 581 | 19 | 12 | 5 | 346 | 217,620 |
| Female | 943 | 205,007 | 196 | 454 | 8 | 13 | 4 | 238 | 206,863 |
| Gender ratio (% female) | 22.1% | 49.0% | 42.6% | 43.9% | 29.6% | 52.0% | 44.4% | 40.8% | 48.7% |
| Sex ratio (no. of females per 1,000 males) | 284 | 962 | – | 781 | – | – | – | 688 | 951 |
| Urban | 2,141 | 78,219 | 116 | 85 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 80,613 |
| Rural | 2,126 | 339,857 | 344 | 950 | 21 | 22 | 9 | 541 | 343,870 |
| % Urban | 50.2% | 18.7% | 25.2% | 8.2% | 22.2% | 12.0% | 0.0% | 7.4% | 19.0% |
At the time of the 2011 census, 91.91% of the population spokeKashmiri and 6.32%Gojri as their first language.[13]
District Kulgam was separated fromdistrict Anantnag, along with several other new districts, and made administratively separate from 2 April 2007.
Kulgam district currently consists of eleven blocks: Kulgam, D.H Pora, Devsar, Pahloo, Qaimoh, Kund, Manzgam, Frisal, Pombay, Behibagh, and D.K. Marg.[14] This has not always been the case, in the 2008 reorganisation the district consisted of five blocks.[15] Each block consists of a number ofpanchayats (English: 'assembly rule', a traditional system of local government).
The district has seven administrative units (Tehsils):Kulgam,Damhal Hanji Pora,Devsar,Frisal,Pahloo,Yaripora, andQaimoh. Kulgam district has Five important towns: Frisal,Yaripora, Kulgam, Devsar, andDamhal Hanji Pora. Four of these have received municipality status; Damhal Hanji Pora has yet to be recognized as a municipality.
There are five police stations in the district at: Kulgam,Damhal Hanji Pora, Qazigund,Yaripora and Devsar, and six police posts at: Qaimoh, Frisal, Mir Bazar,Behibagh, Kund and Jawahir Tunnel.[16]
Kulgam has two sub-divisions: Kulgam and Damhal Hanji Pora.
DDC Kulgam[17]
| S.No | Party | Alliance | No. of Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Communist Party of India (Marxist) | PAGD | 5 |
| 2. | JKNC | 5 | |
| 3. | JKPDP | 2 | |
| 4. | Indian National Congress | United Progressive Alliance | 2 |
| Total | 14 | ||
Kulgam district has 3 assembly constituencies: Kulgam, Damhal Hanji Pora, and Devsar.[18] The parties of the current members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) are:Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) for Damhal Hanji Pora and Devsar and theCommunist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) for Kulgam.
Ithas three municipal towns –Yaripora, Frisal and Qaimoh – which are alsotehsil headquarters.Yaripora is an education and health block, while Qaimoh is agriculture as well as education and health blocks. Frisal is acommunity development block.[19]
Kulgam has following roads connecting it to various assembly segments and with NH1A (major district roads):
The main source of livelihood in the district is agriculture and horticulture. The low-lying areas of Kulgam are very fertile for rice cultivation, and are considered as the 'Rice Bowl of Kashmir'. The higher elevations are known for production of apples. Livestock and sheep-rearing is a subsidiary occupation among the rural population, particularly in the higher elevations.[20]
Kulgam District is covered by thePir Panjal mountain range on the southwest side, acting as a massive topographical protection. The area is significantly covered in forestation.
Town Kulgam is situated about 68 km (42 mi) fromSrinagar and about 17 km (11 mi) fromAnantnag. Aside from places of spiritual interest, the district has tourist spots likeAharbal water fall on Veshew river which is a place of sight-seeing in the extreme south-west. High pastures and meadows are also places of tourist attraction in the area from Kund to Ladigasan (ahead of Aherbal clefts). The District also has an abundance of natural water from springs such asKausar Nag, Waseknag, Khee Nag, etc.
Places adjacent to Kulgam district | |
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