
Location of Udhampur District within
Jammu & Kashmir state
Udhampur is a district in
Jammu and
Kashmir
. The town of Udhampur
is the
headquarters of this district.
The 2001 census indicates the population of the district to be just
over 743,509. There are 871 females for every 1000 males in the
district. The overall literacy rate is 54.16%, with 66.43% for
males and 39.89% for females. The majority of the population of the
district practise Hinduism. Majority are of
Dogras in this district. There are a large number of
nomadic
Gujjar's and
Bakarwal's present in the district as well. Hindus
are 542,593, Muslims 190,112 (25.56%).
The major languages spoken in the district are
Dogri,
Hindi,
Urdu, and
Kashmiri.
The
Vaishno Devi shrine is a very
important shrine for the Hindus and the most famous tourist
attraction of this district. Patnitop and Sudh Mahadev are also
very famous tourist places.
Major attractions in Udhampur city include Gole Market, Devika
Ghats, Jakahni Park, Ramnagar chowk (Pandav mandir nd Kachalu),
Salain Talab, Main Bazar and now Railway Station as well.
Weather conditions
Temperature varies considerably in the various parts of Udhampur
District, as the altitude ranges from 600 m to 3,000 m above the
sea level. The Chenab, Ans, Tawi and Ujh are the main rivers. The
district is rich in minerals such as
coal,
bauxite,
gypsum and
lime-stone.
Administration
Udhampur
district comprises 7 tehsils: Chenani
, Gool, Gulabgarh, Ramnagar
,Majalta, Katra and Udhampur
.
This district consists of 7 blocks: Dudu Basantgarh, Gordi,
Chenani, Majalta, Panchari, Ramnagar and Udhampur. Each block
consists of a number of
panchayats.
Population
Population:- AS PER CENSUS OF INDIA
Persons 743,509
Males 399,686
Females 343,823
Growth (1991 - 2001) 26.95
Sex ratio (females per 1000 males) 860
Sex ratio (0-6 years) 930
Rural 626,882
Urban 116,627
Scheduled Caste population 142,061(Percentage to total population
19.11)
Scheduled Tribe population 1 09,867(Percentage to total population
1 4.78)
Literacy and education level
Literates Educational Level attainedPersons 343,429
Males 225,888
Females 117,541
Literacy rate :-
Primary 90,460
Persons 55.21
Males 67.07
Females 41.20
Tourist attractions
The most famous among the historical places and monuments are the
Babore Temples, Krimchi Temples, Sheesh Mahal of Ramnagar, Ramnagar
Fort, shrines of Chountra Devi and Pingla Devi, and Reasi Fort.
Tourist spots include Patnitop, Sanasar, and Latti.
Temples
Devika , Babore Temples Kansar Devta's Shrine, Shiv Khori Cave
Temple,Bhairav Ghati, Krimchi Temples, Shiv Parvathi Cave
ShrineCairhai, Mutal Pingla Devi Shrine, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi
ShrineDeva Mayi Maa Temple, Sheshnag Shrine
Land Of DeVikaUdhampur is also known
as DEVIKA NAGARI.
Frdedrik Drew, a British scholar who visited Purmandal in the year
1828, states that the entire place was agog with life and activity
and pilgrims were bathing on the sands and Devika river. Shops were
installed in its middle and looked as if a festival was going
on.
He further writes that behind the beautiful houses, sand stone
background and gatherings of happy people created a delighting
atmosphere. Nothing had changed since then and the beautiful
imposing buildings were existing though decaying due to
carelessness of man, but still were full of charm but presently
these heritage treasures are being wiped out bringing a quick death
to the pristine grandeurs of this great pilgrim centre and giving a
death below to its tourism potential.
The constructions that are being demolished by land grabbers
presently were built over two hundred years ago. Maharaja Ranjit
Singh who came to Purmandal for a pilgrimage in the month of April
in 1836 A.D, donated enough of gold for construction of comfortable
resting places, Dharam Shalas for pilgrims in a typical Hindu
architectural style. He was accompanied by Gulab Singh who later
become Maharaja and created Jammu and Kashmir State. He lavishly
spent on building the main temple complex around the ancient temple
of Omapati Shiv.
The most important feature in Purmandal is Umapati Shiv temple
constructed by a King of Kashmir, Vani Dutt as per a popular
legend. It is corroborated by existence of such a kind who ruled
from 853 to as per Kalhans Rajatarangni, the earliest history of
country written in twelfth century A.D. He constructed it over a
spring worshiped as manifestation of Shiva. King Vani Dutta was
advised by sages to go to Purmandal to get his daughter cured from
her fatal head disease by sprinkling water of the spring over her
head. He did so and in order to offer his gratitude, he constructed
the temple.Most unfortunately even this temple is being damaged
from its eastern side by dismantling over 7 feet thick wall and as
yet the bore had not gone through as on 25 December 2006 to reach
the Umapati sacred spring. This act has given a death blow to its
original appearance and impact that it created on the minds of
devotees by damaging originality of the temple. Perhaps a second
modern door is being constructed.
Had a second door been found feasible, its creator would had
provided the same. It appears that the Dharmarth trust, which
controls the temple complex is doing so purposelessly as its
artistically constructed original door exists and has been catering
for millions of pilgrims who visit the temple year after year since
ages past. And there is hardly need for any modern door. This means
playing with the sentiments of devotees of Umapati Shiv. The temple
is as important as Badrinath, Kidar Nath or Som Nath temple, and no
body can venture to damage their originality as is being done with
Omapati Shiv temple Purmandal. This modern door in the ancient
heritage temple shall always act as an eye sore on the magnificent
ancient heritage temple.
If the Dharmarth trust wanted to effect some improvement, its first
priority should have been to conserve the tumbling down wall on the
left side approach of the temple and conserve it. The trust has
done similar unbecoming acts in damaging the originality of the
shine at other places as well within the shrine. Instead of
conserving a damaged second story of a structure at the frontal
face of the shrine constructed in Hindu architecture, they have
constructed a room in European architecture over typical Hindu
architecture bringing humiliation to conservation of the shrine.
The same has been repeated at other places right at the very face
of the shrine. This has considerably damaged the architectural
beauty of the shrine.
The trust is taking liberties without due regard to the faith of
the millions of devotees of the holy shrine and with its unique and
rare architecture.The importance of the pilgrim centre is
completely being undermined. The place has methodological
origin.
In
Nilmat Puran that has been written in Seventh
century A.D by Nela Muni, it is mentioned that Devika river is a
manifestation of mother Goddess Parwati herself to benefit the
people of Mader Desha that covers areas between river Ravi and
Chenab and the river Devika appeared on Shiv Ratri. Lord Shiva
himself remains side by side with his consort Uma manifesting
himself in form of Shiv Lingas at 8 places alongside the Devika
river. The river presently runs under its sandy surface.In Devi
Mahatmays it is mentioned that there is no need to perform Japa or
any ritual for obtaining spiritual benefits at this pilgrim centre,
only to touch with the Devika waters or having a bath in its waters
is enough to get spiritual benefits. Water comes out by digging
about a foot into the sand bed. Cremation on the sands of Devika is
considered as meritorious as cremation on the banks of Ganga at
Kashi.
Local culture
As per Veenu Dogra from Udhampur, renowned Dogri Food expert having
released several dogri food recipe, Udhampur is famous for bh(bha):
bhaa (hawa in Hindi- Winds), Bhauli (spring-ponds), borh(a plant
similar to pepal),Bhaake(Gossips). Udhampur famous for High speed
Winds, hundreds of Spring ponds and lot of Gossiping.
Cities and Towns
Batle,Mansar,Thabu,Chenani,Narsu ,Thalora ,Domail ,Ramkot,Udhampur
,Jaghanu,Reasi ,Katra ,Tangar
Military
The Northern Command Headquarters of the
Indian Army is based in Udhampur and consists of
three
Corps, the XIV, XV, and XVI.
All units
are deployed along the Line of Control
in Kashmir, with the exceptions of the 39th
Infantry Division, and the 2nd, 3rd, and 16th Independent Armored
Brigades.
Prior to
Independence, Northern Command Headquarters was located at Rawalpindi
, and it was responsible for the defence of North West India. After
Partition, the Command Headquarters was allocated
to Pakistan.
In India, a new Headquarters designated as
Western Command was located at Shimla
to look
after the Northern borders with Pakistan and some portions of
Tibet.
The need for a separate Headquarters in the North was felt during
First Kashmir War in
1948. The experience of wars in
1962,
1965 and
1971 reinforced the conviction
that geo-strategically Northern Theatre was too important to be
effectively commanded by a Headquarters based at Shimla. The 1965
and 1971 Wars demonstrated that the area under General Officer
Commanding-in-Chief Western Command was too vast for effective
command.
Accordingly, in 1971, duplicate headquarters with duplicated staff
were set up at Shimla and Bhatinda.
After 1971, Headquarter Northern Command
was established at Udhampur, taking over responsibility for
Jammu, Kashmir
and Ladakh
.
It was decided in June 1972 to raise Northern Command at Udhampur,
with two corps under it, to look after the defence of this region.
This strength has now increased to three corps.
Northern Command now
controls this sensitive region of the country which covers the
entire state of Jammu and Kashmir and contiguous portions of
Punjab
and Himachal
Pradesh
.
The first GOC-in-C of Northern Command was Lt Gen PS Bhagat. The
command has been in the operational mode since its inception. It
saw a number of high and low intensity operations. Today, the
command complements the nation's efforts in countering the most
serious challenge to her security, namely, the scourge of terrorism
and proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir.
Troops of
the Northern Command have been manning the highest battlefield in
the world at the Siachen
Glacier
where the average altitude of the posts varies from
15,000 to 23,000 ft. The battle is not just against the
enemy but also sub zero conditions, extreme wind chill, deep
crevasses frost bite and hypoxia.
Operation Vijay was possibly Northern
Command's finest hour. It was a unique operation marked with
unparalleled bravery, guts, determination and sacrifice beyond the
call of duty.
This command has played a crucial role in fighting against the
proxy war that began in 1990. Over 18,000
terrorists have been killed, more than 80 tons of explosives and
almost 40,000 weapons have been recovered. The command also took
the onus of fencing the Line of Control to curtail the levels of
infiltration and exfiltration.
The greatest battle that the Northern Army has been fighting is for
the hearts and minds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. A sum of
over Rs. 50 crore has been spent on operation Sadbhavna so far to
carryout development projects in this area. This year there has
been a quantum jump in the scope and scale of this operation.
Trials are underway to use water mills in the villages as
microhydel plants. If successful, these plants could usher in a
mini revolution at the grassroots level.
The XIV
Corps is the field formation that is responsible for Ladakh and
Kargil
, and is
responsible for intelligence about enemy positions near the Line of
Control. The Kargil operation in 1999 was primarily the
responsibility of the 8 Mountain Division, the formation that was
rushed there after the intrusions were detected in May 1999. 56
Mountain Brigade deployed two battalions to contain intrusions in
Mashkoh and Dras while the third battalion (18 Grenadiers)
established the crucial firm base 1000 feet below Tololing at
15,000 feet. 8 Mountain Div was tasked to clear nearly 50 pockets
of intrusions in Mashkoh. Of the 16 battalions involved in the war,
only 10 were employed at Kargil. 8 Mountain Division played a major
role in evicting intrusions and defeating the Pakistan army at
Kargil. It switched in 1990 from a counterinsurgency division in
the North-East to the Srinagar valley and now to a high altitude
mountain division at Kargil.
Lieutenant General V.G. Patankar on 31 December 2001 assumed
command of the most challenging and prestigious corps of the Indian
Army - the Srinagar-based 15 Corps. Lt. Gen. Patankar replaced Lt.
Gen. J.R. Mukherjee, who proceeds to Eastern Command HQ,
Kolkata.
XVI Corps is believed to be one of the largest corps in the world
as it consists of five divisions.
As of mid-1999 there were two divisions, comprising approximately
15,000 soldiers each, manning the LoC and the Line of Actual
Control with China from Kargil to Siachen. While the 8 Mountain
Division had been given sole charge of guarding 150 kilometers of
the border in the Kargil sector, the 3 Infantry Division was in
charge of Siachen and the Aksai Chin border. Significantly, as the
15 Corps mobilised its forces for the counter attack and elements
of the 18 Mountain Division poured into the various sectors of
Kargil, the people of Jammu & Kashmir were steadfast against
the enemy forces.
With the induction of 14 Corps in to Ladakh, the supply-load on the
Army Service Corps (ASC) has increased tremendously. Given the
politico-military situation on India's borders, a large portion of
the Army is deployed in some of the most inhospitable terrain with
complementary climatic conditions where supply of even the simplest
of essentials is achieved by a herculean effort. The recent
induction of the new XIV Corps in Ladakh has undeniably put a huge
strain on the logistics aspects.
As of early 2002 these units had been joined by Central Command's I
Corps Strike Force consisting of three divisions.
The Indian Army announced the creation of its new command known as
South Western Command with its Headquarters at Jaipur, which
formally came into being on 18 April 2005. the South-Western
Command, will operate in conjunction with the Udhampur-based
Northern Command and Chandimandir-based Western Command. The
reallocation of forces to the South-Western Command from Northern
Command and Western Command was not immediately apparent.
For an effective operational preparedness in the western sector, in
mid-2005 Indian Army raised a new corps at Yol Cantt in Kangra
Valley of Himachal Pradesh. The new corps, christened 9 Corps,
comprises 26 and 29 Infantry Divisions, which had previously been
allocated to XVI Corps / Nagrota Corps, and a number of
brigades.
Northern Command memorial DHRUVA, named after the Hindi word for
the Northern Star, to be the guiding light for the future
generations of Soldiers guarding the Northern frontiers of
India.
Politics
Udhampur District has 3 assembly constituencies: Udhampur, Chenani
and Ramnagar.
References
- Statement showing the number of blocks in respect of 22
Districts of Jammu and Kashmir State including newly Created
Districts dated 2008-03-13, accessed 2008-08-30
External links
See also