Udhampur
| Udhampur | |
| — city — | |
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| Coordinates | 32°56′N 75°08′E / 32.93°N 75.13°ECoordinates: 32°56′N 75°08′E / 32.93°N 75.13°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Jammu and Kashmir |
| District(s) | Udhampur |
| Population | 67,236 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
• 755 metres (2,477 ft) |
Udhampur (Kashmiri, Hindi: उधमपुर) is a city and a municipal council in Udhampur District in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the second-largest city of the Duggardesh region and the fourth-largest city in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It serves as the district capital and the Northern Command headquarter of the Indian Army. A Forward Base Support Unit (FBSU) of the Indian Air Force is also stationed there. Udhampur is used by the Armed Forces as a transit point between Jammu and Srinagar when travelling by road (National Highway Number 1A).
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[edit] Geography
The district of Udhampur is located in the Himalayas and the terrain is mostly mountainous. The upper reaches of the district experience snowfall in the winter season. The city of Udhampur is located at 32°56′N 75°08′E / 32.93°N 75.13°E[1] in a relatively flatter part of the district at an elevation of 756 metres (2480 feet) and does not experience any snowfall.The city itself spreads on uneven hills of Shiwaliks.Udhampur is just 68 Kms ahead of Jammu city towards Srinagar.Katra too is only 23 kms off Udhampur.
[edit] Culture
The culture of this area is PAHARI which resembles the culture of other areas of Duggardesh. The other part of the district has Dogra culture. Dogri is the main language spoken by the people of the district. The Dogri spoken here is known for its sweetness in tone. Their main language is DOGRI/PAHARI. The language is the rural and hilly areas has maintained its native purity, accent and sweetness. Gojri is also spoken by the Gujjar Community settled here and there. However, Dogri is main language spoken in the district. The district is culturally an integrated part of Jammu region and all important religious fairs like Lohri, Maha Shivratri, Id-ul-Fitr, Holi, Ramnavmi, Baisakhi, Basantpanchami, Martyr's day of Guru Arjun Dev, Raksha Bandhan, Janam Ashtami, Mahanavami, Dussehra, Diwali, id-ul-zuha, Guru Ravi Dass's b’day, Mahatama gandhi's b’day Guru Govind Singh's b’day, Chacha Nehru's birthday. Above all, the Independence Day and Republic Day are celebrated with great enthusiasm. Holy Navratras also provide special occasion for worship and pilgrimage to holy places culminating into small to big fairs.
[edit] Demographics
According to the 2001 Indian census,[2] Udhampur has a population of 67,236. Males constitute 65% of the population and females 35%. The large male percentage is due to the army constituting a large part of the city's population. Udhampur has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 89%, and female literacy is 75%. In Udhampur, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Administration
Udhampur consists of four tehsils (administrative districts), namely Udhampur, Ramnagar, Chenani and Majalta.
[edit] Transport
- Road
Udhampur is well connected by road as it is located on National Highway 1A to Srinagar, which is the only national highway that connects Srinagar to the rest of India.. Bus services (both private and state owned) are the most common mode of public transportation to and from Udampur. Frequent connections to the Kashmir Valley and Jammu are easily available.
- Rail
The town was recently connected by the new Kashmir Railway line from Jammu which is part of a wider project to connect the Kashmir valley with the rest of India via a rail link. The "Uttar Sampark Kranti" train from New Delhi now runs on this link. Commuter trains linking Jammu and Udhampur also run on a daily basis and are quite popular. The rail link to Katra is also nearing completion. Once finished, many more trains from different parts of the country are expected to pass by the city. More recently, three more trains were extended till Udhampur.
- "Delhi-Udhampur Special"
- "Jammu Mail"
- "Malwa Express"
[edit] Places to visit
- Krimchi Group of Temples, ancient temples with history related to Mahabharata
- Vaishnodevi, one of the most reverred Hindu temples dedicated to Goddess Shakti
- Shivkhori, cave shrine dedicate to Lord Shiva
- Patnitop, a hill top tourist destination
- Baba Dhansar
- Siar Baba
- Reasi
- Bhimgarh Fort
- Kalika Temple
- Mansar lake
- Kali Mata Mandir REHAMBAL ( 1fod), 9 km from udhmapur town on Nh1A.
- Sanasar, 19 km from Patnitop, it is a hub of wilderness adventure camps and paragliding in Jammu.
- Nathatop, 11 km from Patnitop, en route to Sanasar, it offers scenic views of the surrounding Shivalik range and the Brahma massif of the Kishtwar Himalayas. It is also popular site for paragliding.
- Pancheri, one of the best hill station about 40 kms from udhampur city; it is health resort with very pleasant weather; annual shankri devta mela is a big tourist attraction in summers
[edit] References
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Udhampur
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
