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Teetwal Tithwal | |
|---|---|
Village | |
  Teetwal Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India Show map of Jammu and Kashmir Teetwal Teetwal (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:34°23′N73°46′E / 34.39°N 73.77°E /34.39; 73.77[1] | |
| Country |  India |
| Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| District | Kupwara |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 1,035[2] |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Pahari,Kashmiri,Urdu,Hindi,English[3][4] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 193225[5] |
| Vehicle registration | JK |
Teetwal (also spelledTithwal) is a small border village inJammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated on the banks of theKishanganga River inKupwara district, 82 km (51 mi) from the district headquarters and close to theLine of Control with Pakistani-administered Kashmir, bordering the village ofChilehana.[6] Teetwal is connected to the rest of India viaTangdhar. Not to be confused with Teetwals, a sub-section ofthe Swati tribe living near Kashmir inBalakot.
In June 1847Patrick Alexander Vans Agnew, who was en route toGilgit, stopped at Teetwal. There he was met by Rajah Shere Ahmad Khan ofKarnah, Khan was concerned about the rival claims of Moizoodeen Khan, Agnew described the meeting as follows: "Had a conversation with Rajah Shere Ahmed Khan. He is in reality tolerably hopeful, but pretends great fear and uncertainty lest Moizoodeen Khan’s offers should prevail at Court. Told him his failing to come in toLieutenant Lumsden or me prevented his having any claim to be heard by me. Recommended him to give up Moizoodeen’s property to the Maharajah, and send a Vakeel to Court."[7]Prior tothe 1947 Partition of India, Teetwal used to be a commercial hub.[8]
Teetwal village is located on theLine of Control (LOC), separating Indian-administeredJammu and Kashmir from Pakistani-administered regions. As per theKarachi Agreement signed by India and Pakistan in 1949, no construction is permitted within 500 yards of the zero line on LOC, and this "no construction zone" is considered a "no man's land" which is secured by both countries with landmines within their respective areas. India has constructed anAnti-Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS) along the 734 km of LOC. AIOS is a three-tiered fencing system with checkposts and wire fences where villagers are given passage based on the smart card-based identity cards issued by the Indian Army. Teetwal is among the villages that lie between the landmine zero point on the LOC and the 3 tiers of AIOS.[8]
On 22 March 2023, Union Home MinisterAmit Shah re-inaugurated the Sharda Devi temple in Teetwal, Karnah in Kupwara district, which is close tothe Line of Control.[9][10]The construction work on the Sharda Peeth base temple at Teetwal started after local Muslims handed over the land for the construction of a temple in 2021. They also remained part of the construction of the temple and its inauguration.[11] The architecture and reconstruction of the Maa Sharda Devi temple was carried in accordance with scriptures under the aegis ofSharada Peeth, and the temple was inaugurated on the first day ofChaitra Navratri.[12] A mosque is also being constructed near this temple. The Teetwal temple of Maa Sharda Devi was the base camp forSharada Peeth prior to partition. The temple was destroyed by tribal raiders in 1947.Sharada Peeth is situated barely 40 kilometers from Teetwal.[13]
Teetwal has an electedgram panchayat forlocal governance. There is a school with 400 students and an irrigation canal constructed with the INR 2,200,000 provided by theIndian Army under theOperation Sadbhavana, and several bunkers to protect villagers from the shelling and firing by thePakistan Army.[8]
According to the2011 census of India, Teetwal has 187 households.[2] The literacy rate of Teetwal village was 73.75% compared to 67.16% of Jammu and Kashmir. In Teetwal, male literacy stands at 89.89% while female literacy is 55.67%.[14]
| le | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1035 | 549 | 486 |
| Children aged below 6 years | 193 | 104 | 89 |
| Scheduled caste | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Scheduled tribe | 103 | 51 | 52 |
| Literacy | 73.75% | 89.89% | 55.67% |
| Workers (all) | 235 | 211 | 24 |
| Main workers (total) | 161 | – | – |
| Marginal workers (total) | 74 | 71 | 3 |
Teetwal in India, is right on the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, is connected to Tangdhar in India via the"Gundishat Bridge-Teetwal Road".NH 701 which begins at Tangdhar, provides further connectivity to other places in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond in India.
Tithwal Bridge is one of the five crossing points along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan.[15] It was first constructed in 1931, but was destroyed in theFirst Kashmir war. However, in 1988, the bridge was reconstructed jointly by India and Pakistan. This bridge connects the"Srinagar-Sopore-Tangdhar-Teetwal road" in India to the"Muzaffarabad-Nausadda-Kundal Shahi road" in Pakistan.
The nearest railway stations to Teetwal areBaramulla railway station 118 kilometres (73 mi) andSopore railway station , 116 km away, both are onBaramulla-Sopore-Srinagar-Jammu railway line and these are reachable by a 3.5 hour drive by road from Tangdhar.
The nearest airport isSrinagar International Airport, located at a distance of 168 kilometres (104 mi).
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