Kishtwar

Kishtwar
View of Chowgan Ground in Kishtwar town, Jammu and Kashmir, India
View of Chowgan Ground in Kishtwar town, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Kishtwar is located in Jammu and Kashmir
Kishtwar
Kishtwar
Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India
Kishtwar is located in India
Kishtwar
Kishtwar
Kishtwar (India)
Coordinates: 33°19′N 75°46′E / 33.32°N 75.77°E / 33.32; 75.77
Country India
Union TerritoryJammu & Kashmir
DivisionJammu
DistrictKishtwar
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Committee
 • BodyKishtwar Municipal Committee
Area
 • Total1,644 km2 (635 sq mi)
Elevation
1,638 m (5,374 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total230,696
 • Density140/km2 (360/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialKashmiri, Hindi, Urdu, Dogri, English[1][2]
 • SpokenKashmiri, Kishtwari, Bhoti
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
182204
Vehicle registrationJK17
Websitewww.kishtwar.nic.in

Kishtwar is a town, municipality and administrative headquarter of the Kishtwar district in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.[3] The district was carved out of the Doda district in 2007.[4] and is located in the Jammu division. The town of Kishtwar is situated at a distance of 211.5 km (131.4 mi) from the winter capital of Jammu. A large ground locally called as Chowgan ground is located in the heart of the town.[5]

In 2013, the municipality was the location of the Kishtwar Riots, which claimed three lives and injured 80 more,[6][7] and was a conflict between Muslim and Hindu communities that occurred in the aftermath of the Eid festival on 9 August 2013 at Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir.

Demographics

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Religion in Kishtwar City (2011)[8]

  Islam (69.21%)
  Hinduism (29.59%)
  Sikhism (0.65%)
  Christianity (0.23%)
  Buddhism (0.16%)
  Not Stated (0.16%)

As of the 2011 Indian census, Kishtwar had a population of 14,865. Males constitute 63% of the population and females 37%. Kishtwar has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the Indian national average: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 42%. In Kishtwar, 11% of the population is under six years of age. The main language spoken here by Muslims is Kashmiri, while the Hindus of Kishtwar speak a Western Pahari language called Kishtwari.[9] The dominant religion in Kishtwar is Islam, at 70.41% of the population, while there are 29.59% followers of Hinduism.[8]

Transport

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Air

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Kishtwar does not have its own airport as 2023, although there is a helipad located just 3 km north of the city. The government has a project for a 1200–1300 airstrip in Kishtwar in upcoming years.[10][11] The nearest airports to Kishtwar is Jammu Airport located 215km away.

Rail

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There is no rail-connectivity to Kishtwar yet. The nearest railway station is Udhampur railway station, located at a distance of 150 kilometres.

Road

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Kishtwar is well-connected by roads to other places in Jammu and Kashmir and rest of India, as several highways and roads pass through Kishtwar including NH 244.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Parliament passes JK Official Languages Bill, 2020". Rising Kashmir. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  3. ^ "District Kishtwar".
  4. ^ "History - Kishtwar". Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Chowgan | District Kishtwar, Government of Jammu & Kashmir | India".
  6. ^ Ahmed Ali Fayyaz (11 June 2013). "Curfew imposed in Rajouri; Jaitley may be sent back from airport". The Hindu. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  7. ^ Ahmed Ali Fayyaz (9 August 2013). "Kishtwar clashes: Top cops removed". The Hindu. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Kishtwar City Population". Census India. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  9. ^ Kashmiri, Ethnologue, retrieved 14 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Construction works of airstrip at Kishtwar to begin soon". The Dispatch. 30 May 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Kishtwar in J&K to get full-fledged Airport". Press Information Bureau (Govt. of India). Retrieved 16 January 2018.