Kathua district

Kathua district is one of 22 administrative districts that comprise the state of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian rule. It is surrounded by Jammu to the northwest, the Doda and Udhampur districts to the north, the state of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Punjab to the south, and Pakistan's working boundary to the west. Its terrain is diverse, consisting of rich agricultural areas along the Punjab/Kashmir border, plains sweeping eastward to the foothills of the Himalaya, and a mountainous Pahari region in the east.

Kathua district is divided into 8 blocks:Bani, Barnoti, Basholi, Billawar, Duggan, Ghagwal, Hiranagar, Kathua and Lohai Malhar. It has approximately 512 villages.

The traditional language of Kathua is Dogri. The Pahari languages are prevalent in the mountainous area of the east. The principal media of education are English, Hindi, and Urdu.

In a Muslim majority state, Kathua, like the Jammu district, is overwhelmingly Hindu, Total Population is 6.15 Lacs (Census of India 2001), Hinduism practiced by 91%, Muslims 7% and Sikhs 2%.

Kathua

Kathua (kəˈθʊə) (Dogri/Pahari/Hindi: कठुआ) is a city and a Municipal Council in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The word "Kathua" is derived from the word "Thuan" in Dogri which means "Scorpions". Some believe that its name is derived from the name of Rishi Kashyap who disguised himself as a tortoise (kashua) for strong meditation. Kathua is also called 'the city of Sufis' owing to the presence of large number of Sufi Shrines of Peers.

Geography

Kathua is located at 32°22′N 75°31′E / 32.37°N 75.52°E / 32.37; 75.52. It has an average elevation of 307 metres (1,007 ft).The city is surrounded by three rivers. Ravi is just 7 km down Kathua while ujjh is about 11 km ahead on Jammu Highway. Kathua itself is situated along the banks of a khad (river) dividing it into two boroughs: Parliwand, meaning the other side; and Orliwand, meaning this side. Both parts are connected by three bridges. Many parts of the district and the city itself lie on plains while the tehsils of Basoli and Billawar are very hilly. The Kandi region - the barren lowlands at shiwalik foothills constitute it. A gateway to the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir, Kathua lies just 88 kilometres south of the state's winter capital of Jammu.