Doda district | |
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![]() View of Doda city | |
![]() Interactive map of Doda district | |
![]() Doda district is in the eastern part of the Jammu division (shown with neon blue boundary) of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (shaded in tan in the disputed Kashmir region [1] | |
Coordinates(Doda): 33°08′N75°34′E / 33.13°N 75.57°E | |
Administering country | India |
Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
Division | Jammu |
Region | Chenab Valley |
Headquarters | Doda |
Government | |
• District Magistrate | Harvinder Singh (IAS) [2] |
• Additional Deputy Commissioner | Dr. Ravi Kumar Bharti (JKAS) [3] |
• Assistant Commissioner Revenue | Sanjeev Kumar (JKAS) [3] |
Area | |
• Total | 2,625 km2 (1,014 sq mi) |
• Urban | 19.75 km2 (7.63 sq mi) |
• Rural | 2,605.25 km2 (1,005.89 sq mi) |
Population (2011) [5] | |
• Total | 409,936 |
• Density | 160/km2 (400/sq mi) |
• Urban | 32,689 |
• Rural | 377,247 |
Demographics | |
• Literacy | 64.68% |
• Sex ratio | 919 |
Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
Vehicle registration | JK-06 |
Major highways | NH 244 |
Website | doda |
Doda district is an administrative district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. [1]
The district consists of 18 tehsils: Thathri, Bhaderwah, Doda, Mohalla, Bhagwa, Assar, Bhalla, Gundna, Marmat, Kahara, Gandoh (Bhalessa), Bhella, Bharat Bagla, Chiralla, Chilly Pingal, Phagsoo and Kastigarh. [6]
The climate of the area is not uniform due to its wide variations in altitude. The area, in general, enjoys a temperate to sub-tropical climate. The climate of the district is almost dry and rainfall is scanty. The temperature varies from place to place. Ramban and Doda tehsils are warmer, while regions like Dessa Valley, tehsil Bhagwah, Gundna, Padder, Marwah and Warwan remain snow-bound for five-six months of the year. Summer is generally without precipitation. Almost all regions experiences snowfall in the winter, either in the form of snowfall in higher regions or as rainfall in the lower regions. Monsoons prevail from July to September. Rainfall in the Doda district is heavy during July and September. The average annual rainfall is 926 mm and snowfall of about 135 mm. [7]
The demography of Doda district is complex compared to neighbouring districts, because of its very diverse population. In the past, Doda was largely inhabited by a Sarazi population before people started settling here from Kashmir and other adjoining areas. [8] [9] It got the name Doda due to the opium plant, known as doddi in the local language. Kashmiri populations settled here in the 17th and 18th centuries. [10] Sumantra Bose says repression by feudal classes elsewhere drew people to the districts of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar. [11] [12]
The Doda district consists of areas drawn from the ancient principalities of Kishtwar and Bhadarwah, both of which became part of a district by the name of 'Udhampur' in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. [13]
The district of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir has a long history intertwined with legends and stories of various rulers and dynasties. According to records from the State Revenue Department, the district got its name from its headquarters in Doda, which was named after a migrant from Multan, a utensil maker. He was persuaded by one of the ancient rulers of Kishtwar to settle in the area and establish a utensil factory. Over time, the name Deeda was distorted into Doda. [14]
The early history of Doda is not well documented, with few chronicles available about the rulers of Kishtwar. The settlement reports indicate that the area was ruled by various groups including Ranas, Rajas, and independent chiefs from time to time, including the Jaral, Ranas, Katoch Rajas, Bhaus Manhases, Chibs, Thakkars, Wanis, and Gakkars. In 1822 AD, Doda was conquered by Maharaja Gulab Singh and became the winter capital of the Kishtwar state. [15]
The Fort of Doda was significant in the district's history and was one of the seventy forts in Jammu province, according to author Thakur Kahan Singh Balowria. The fort served as the office of the Thanedar and provided storage space for armaments and food grains. The fort was also built to protect against potential attacks from the Bhaderwah Rajas. The fort was made of unbaked bricks and had walls that were four feet wide and forty to fifty feet high, with dome-like towers at the corners. The fort was demolished in 1952 and as of 2023, the Government Boys Higher Secondary School occupies its site. [16]
English traveller G.T. Vigne visited Doda in 1829 and described his journey through the district. He mentions traveling through a deep and rocky nullah which joins the Chenab River, [lower-alpha 1] and then crossing the river over a dangerous bridge in the Himalayas. Vigne writes about the bridge in Doda, a strong rope stretched from one bank to the other, tied to rocks. A wooden structure was placed over the rope and additional ropes were tied to it, allowing the structure to move back and forth. He also encountered another type of bridge, which was crossed on foot, made of small ropes bound with pieces of bark and woven into a thick rope. Hanging ropes were provided for support. [14] [16]
The area that includes the tehsil of Bhaderwah has a long history dating back to the 10th century. In 1846, Doda and Kishtwar became part of the newly created Jammu and Kashmir state after the Amritsar pact between the British government, Lahore Darbar, and Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu. Bhaderwah was once a principality with 15 administrative units and has a recorded history going back to the Rajatarangini of Kalhana. The state of Bhadhrwah was established in the 15th century by a Sicon of the Baloria family of Bilawar. It was later ruled by the Raja of Chamb until Raja Nagpal became the ruler in the 16th century. Bhaderwah was then ruled by Nagpal's descendants until it was captured by the Kishtwar Raja. It became part of Chamba in 1821 and was transferred to Jammu Darbar in 1846. During this time, Bhaderwah was military-administered Label was appointed as the Kardar. The Bhaderwah Jagir was later bestowed upon Raja Amar Singh of Jammu and then to his son, Raja Hari Singh. When Raja Hari Singh became the Maharaja of J&K in 1925, he dissolved his Jagirs and converted Bhaderwah into a tehsil of Udhampur in 1931. [17]
In 1948, the erstwhile Udhampur district was partitioned into the present Udhampur district, containing the Udhampur and Ramanagar tehsils, and 'Doda' district containing the Ramban, Bhadarwah, Thathri and Kishtwar tehsils. [18] [11] [19]
In 2006, Ramban was made into an independent district and the hilly area to the east of the present Doda district was separated as the Kishtwar district. The remaining areas include the Doda tehsil carved out of Kishtwar and the original Bhadarwah, now divided into three tehsils. [18] [20]
In 1990s, various incidents were reported about the suppression of Hindus by the Militant organizations. In response to the rising terrorism, the government authorities made Village Defense Committee (VDC) in various villages. However some reports of VDC members indulging in criminal activities have also reported in the past. In a village called Karada, four Muslims were allegedly killed by VDC members. This incident also triggered the Terrorist organisations to target those who supported the VDCs, believing them to be anti-Muslim. Since 1990s, many such incidents of killings by Terrorist and VDCs have been reported. [21]
On 13 June 2023, an earthquake occurred at 01:33PM in Doda district. [22] It was centred near the town of Thathri and registered a magnitude of 5.0 on the richter scale. [23] Several secondary low-intensity earthquakes and aftershocks followed over the next few weeks. [24] [25] [26] At least 56 buildings had collapsed and 369 others were damaged in Kishtwar. [27] Dozens of buildings including a hospital were also damaged in Bhaderwah. [28] At least five people were injured and hundreds were displaced. [29] [30]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1901 | 102,011 | — |
1911 | 112,009 | +9.8% |
1921 | 117,759 | +5.1% |
1931 | 127,477 | +8.3% |
1941 | 140,446 | +10.2% |
1951 | 147,489 | +5.0% |
1961 | 154,532 | +4.8% |
1971 | 170,787 | +10.5% |
1981 | 224,197 | +31.3% |
1991 | 290,727 | +29.7% |
2001 | 372,613 | +28.2% |
2011 | 476,835 | +28.0% |
† 1951 and 1991 populations are estimated Source: Census of India [31] |
According to the 2011 census, Doda district has a population of 409,936, [33] roughly equal to the nation of Malta. [34] This gives it a ranking of 556th in India (out of a total of 640). [33] The district has a population density of 79 inhabitants per square kilometre (200/sq mi). [33] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 27.89%. [33]
Doda has a sex ratio of 922 females for every 1000 males [33] (this varies with religion), and a literacy rate of 65.97%. [33]
The district has a Muslim majority 53.82%, with Hindus constituting 45.77% of the population and the remainder consisting of Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains. [35]
Doda's society is a mixture of all religions with Hindus and Muslims being two major communities. The population ratio between the Muslims and the Hindus as per the census report of 2011 is around 55:45. Muslims of the region are mostly ethnic Kashmiris and are culturally and linguistically connected to the people of Kashmir. [11] [10] [36]
Doda district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census. [5] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Sikh | Buddhist | Jain | Other | Not stated | Total | |
Total | 187,621 | 220,614 | 472 | 422 | 21 | 22 | 42 | 722 | 409,936 |
45.77% | 53.82% | 0.12% | 0.10% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.18% | 100.00% | |
Male | 98,252 | 114,372 | 324 | 286 | 9 | 11 | 24 | 363 | 213,641 |
Female | 89,369 | 106,242 | 148 | 136 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 359 | 196,295 |
Gender ratio (% female) | 47.6% | 48.2% | 31.4% | 32.2% | 57.1% | 50.0% | 42.9% | 49.7% | 47.9% |
Sex ratio (no. of females per 1,000 males) | 910 | 929 | – | – | – | – | – | 989 | 919 |
Urban | 9,786 | 22,668 | 40 | 153 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 28 | 32,689 |
Rural | 177,835 | 197,946 | 432 | 269 | 21 | 8 | 42 | 694 | 377,247 |
% Urban | 5.2% | 10.3% | 8.5% | 36.3% | 0.0% | 63.6% | 0.0% | 3.9% | 8.0% |
Prominent Scholar Sumantra Bose states that the plurality of population of Doda speaks Kashmiri as their mother language. [37] [38] A study conducted in 2014 identified 40% of the population as Kashmiri-speaking. [39] The Pahadi languages are spoken by the second largest group: Bhadarwahi and Sarazi are the main ones. [40] Others in the district speak Gojri and Dogri.
Doda's population comprises different communities who live together peacefully despite following different religions and speak different languages. Most of the people of the region are well-versed with all the languages spoken in the area. [41] [9]
Administratively, the district has 406 villages. Doda District has been divided into three subdivisions viz., Doda, Thathri, Bhaderwah and Bhalessa (Gandoh). It has eighteen tehsils. [42]
Doda district has three assembly constituencies: Bhaderwah, Doda and Doda West. [43] [44] While it is the part of Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency. [45]
Doda had a history of terrorism, with one of the highest concentration of militants in Jammu and Kashmir. According to local authorities, about 200 militants were active in the district in the early 2000s. [46]
Militants targeted the Hindu and Muslim villagers. Some anti-social outfits mostly misused the VDCs. A report said that the 489 civilians had been killed in the region as of 2005. [47]
There have been a number of killings of innocent civilians by militants and anti-social outfits including:
Bhaderwah or Bhadarwah is a town, tehsil, and sub-district in the Doda district of Jammu Division of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Doda is a town and a notified area committee in Doda district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Doda has an average elevation of 1,107 metres (3,632 ft).
Kishtwar is a town, municipality and administrative headquarter of the Kishtwar district in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The district was carved out of the Doda district in 2007. 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.
Ramban is a town in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, which is the district headquarters of Ramban district. It lies on the banks of the Chenab river in Chenab Valley on the National Highway-1A at about 120 km from Jammu and about 130 km from Srinagar, making it almost the central point on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Reasi district is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Jammu region. The Reasi district is bordered by Udhampur district and Ramban district in the east, Jammu district in the south, Rajouri district in the west and by Kulgam district on the north. The Reasi and Rajouri tehsils formed a joint district called the "Reasi district" at the time of the princely state's accession to India in 1947. As part of the reorganisation, the two tehsils were separated and Reasi was merged with the Udhampur district. It again became a separate district in 2006.
Jammu and Kashmir is home to several valleys such as the Kashmir Valley, Chenab Valley, Sindh Valley and Lidder Valley. Some major tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir are Srinagar, with its renowned Dal Lake and Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Bhaderwah, Patnitop and Jammu. Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and Amarnath which has had a significant impact on the state's economy.
Ramban district is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is located in a valley surrounded the Pir Panjal range. It was carved out as a separate district from erstwhile Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division. The district headquarters are at Ramban town, which is located midway between Jammu and Srinagar along the Chenab river in the Chenab valley on National Highway-44, approximately 151 km from Jammu and Srinagar.
Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency is one of the six Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. The constituency covers 20,230 square kilometres of mountainous Himalayan terrain, and is comparable to the size of Israel. It is composed of the districts of Kishtwar, Ramban, Kathua, Doda, Reasi, and Udhampur. Udhampur constituency's population is over 2,400,000, and exceeds the population of New Mexico. The seat from 1967-1980 was held by Karan Singh, the former crown prince of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kishtwar district is an administrative district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the Jammu Division. As of 2011, it is the largest and the least populous district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Chenab Valley is a loosely-defined controversial term sometimes used to refer to parts of the Jammu Division in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The term is used to refer to the present-day districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and, at times, Reasi and parts of Udhampur and Kathua. The first three districts used to be part of a single former district called Doda, which was created in 1948 out of the eastern parts of Udhampur district of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, and are sometimes collectively referred to as the Doda belt. The term is seen to be aimed at a communal break-up of the Jammu Division and iteration of Kashmiri Muslim irredentism.
The Jammu division is a revenue and administrative division of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is bordered by the Kashmir division to the north. It consists of the districts of Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Samba. Most of the land is hilly or mountainous, including the Pir Panjal Range which separates it from the Kashmir Valley and part of the Great Himalayas in the eastern districts of Doda and Kishtwar. Its principal river is the Chenab.
Thathri is a town and a notified area committee in Doda district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Thathri valley is located in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, about 85 km from Batote. Apart from having ample forests, the town contains many small streams flowing through its various parts. It is located on the banks of the Chenab River and the town area is spread over 1.50 sq. Km².
Ababeel (ابابیل), also known as Ababeel NGO, is a charitable trust that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, food kits, and blood donations for the needy, poor, orphans, widows, and also in emergencies in the Chenab Valley's Doda, Kishtwar, Thathri, Bhaderwah, Gandoh, and also in the Jammu area. The organization assists people irrespective of caste and religion. It is registered with the Sub Registrar Court Doda.
Village Defence Guards (VDGs) formerly known as Village Defence Committees is a civilian militia first established in the mid-1990s in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir for the self-defence of locals, especially Hindus, in remote hilly villages against militancy. It consist of villagers as well as police officers. The VDGs have been accused of numerous human rights violations including dozens of cases of murder and rape.
Saraz or Siraj is a hilly region in the eastern part of the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir in northern India. Historically a pargana within the erstwhile state of Kishtwar, the region currently takes up the northern half of Doda district and parts of neighbouring Ramban and Kishtwar districts. Its population in 2011 stood at 180,000 people. The region is defined mainly on the basis of linguistics where the majority of people speak Sarazi as their mother tongue.
Jai Valley is an enchanting valley located 32 kilometres (20 mi) northeast of Bhaderwah town in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The Bhaderwah-Jai road, which passes through the corniferous deodar forests of Nakshri, Balote, Bhalara and Chinta Valley connects the valley with the Bhaderwah town. The valley has green meadows which act as the attraction for tourists in summers and the snow-covered landscape during winters. Jai valley has about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) long meadows, bisected by a stream called Jai Nallah which merges with a tributary of river Chenab at Kahara in tehsil Thathri. It is also known by the names Jai Garh and Jai Top. The valley is also connected through a 37 kilometres (23 mi) long road with Gandoh. There is no Mobile Network in this valley.
Bhalessa is a geographical area within Doda district in the Jammu region of India-administered Kashmir. It consists of the Bunjwah and Bhalessa Valleys, and comprises the three Tehsils of Kahara, Chilly Pingal and Gandoh.
Badanoo is a village in Thathri tehsil of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir. It is located at least 36 kilometres from its district headquarters. This village is the part of Patwar Halqa Jangalwar.
Halaran is a village and panchayat located in the Kahara tehsil of Doda district in the Indian administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The village is situated approximately 13 kilometers away from the sub-divisional headquarters, Thathri, and 43 kilometers away from the district headquarters, Doda.
Malta 408,333 July 2011 est.