Handwara

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Handwara
Town
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Handwara
Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India
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Handwara
Handwara (India)
Coordinates: 34°23′59″N74°16′54″E / 34.39972°N 74.28167°E / 34.39972; 74.28167 [1]
CountryIndia
Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir
District Kupwara
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Committee
 • BodyGovernment of Jammu and Kashmir
Area
 • Total
291.47 km2 (112.54 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total
13,600 [2]
 • Density46.7/km2 (121/sq mi)
Demographics
 •  Literacy [3] 64.39%
 •  Sex ratio [3] 843 ♀/ 1000 ♂
Languages
 • Official Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi, Dogri, English [4] [5]
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
193221
Vehicle registration JK-09
Website kupwara.nic.in

Handwara (Urdu pronunciation: [ɦənd̪ʋɑːɽɑː]  ; Kashmiri pronunciation: [hand̪ʋoːr] ) is a town in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located on Baramulla-Handwara National Highway NH-701 and is governed by a municipal committee.

Contents

History

Sikh rule

During Sikh rule, Raja Zabardast Khan, chieftain of the Bomba tribe, led guerrilla warfare against the forces of the Sikh Empire, targeting their garrisons and posts in Handwara. [6] [7]

Geography

Handwara is located at 34°24′N74°17′E / 34.40°N 74.28°E / 34.40; 74.28 at an average elevation of 1,582 metres (5,190 feet) above sea level. The region boasts breathtaking natural beauty, with the Pohru River (locally called 'Talri river')—a tributary of the Jhelum—flowing through the town.

Famous volcanic peak, 'Soyamji' (1860 metres), locally known as 'Paput' is situated in North Machhipura (Handwara). It is known for its unique conical shape. It continued eruption of lava for about 13 months during 1934 and has been dormant since then. [8]

Demographics

Religion in Handwara Town (2011) [9]
  1. Islam (90.3%)
  2. Hinduism (8.25%)
  3. Sikhism (0.54%)
  4. Christianity (0.51%)
  5. Buddhism (0.02%)
  6. Jainism (0.01%)
  7. Others (0.04%)
  8. Not stated (0.34%)

Educational Institutions

Politics

Handwara is a region of considerable strategic significance, primarily due to its proximity to the Line of Control (LoC). This geographical positioning renders it a critical and sensitive zone in military and security discussions. Handwara was the home constituency of the late separatist leader Abdul Ghani Lone. The current MLA of Handwara is Sajjad Gani Lone of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference, who defeated Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzaan of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference by over 600 votes in the 2024 assembly elections. [11]

Municipal Committee Handwara is an Urban Local Body with 13 elected members, which administers the town. [12]

#NameMunicipal WardReservation StatusParty
1Iram Amin BandayBanday MohallaWomen OpenIndependent
2Farooq Ahmad BhatHerporaOpenIndependent
3Masroor Ah. BandayJamia JadeedOpenIndependent
4Dilshada JanJamia QadeemWomen OpenIndependent
5Gh. Mohd. GanieKhunabal MaqboolabadOpenIndependent
6Bashir Ah. KhanKhunabal UmerabadOpenIndependent
7Zoona BehumDurishporaWomen OpenIndependent
8Mumtaza BegumBaghatporaOpenIndependent
9Ateeqa BegumKachiwariOpenIndependent
10Zamrooda BegumChotiporaWomen OpenIndependent
11Mushtaq Ahmad HanjiTootigundOpenIndependent
12Nazir Ahmed BhatZaliporaOpenIndependent
13Ab. Majid PandithWani MohallaOpenIndependent

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "Handwara (Google Maps)". Google Maps. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Handwara Town population". Census India. Retrieved 15 November 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 "Kupwara district Census 2011" (PDF). Govt of India Census. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  4. ↑ "The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "Parliament passes JK Official Languages Bill, 2020". Rising Kashmir. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Khan, Raja Sajjad Latif (2020). Historical Documents on Jammu and Kashmir. Policy and Research Forum Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir. p. 3.
  7. ↑ Griffin, Lepel Henry (1890). The Panjab Chiefs: Historical and Biographical Notices of the Volume 330. Government Printing, Punjab. p. 106.
  8. ↑ "Issues and Analysis on Mountain Ranges in Jammu and Kashmir for State General Knowledge (GK) Preparation". abhipedia.abhimanu.com. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 "Handwara Town Population". Census India. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  10. ↑ A-4 Towns And Urban Agglomerations Classified By Population Size Class In 2011 With Variation Since 1901. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (Report).
    Class - II Population of 50,000 and 99,999 (Report).
  11. ↑ "Sajad Lone of JKPC wins Jammu and Kashmir's Handwara constituency". hindustantimes.com. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  12. ↑ "Notification of the list of duly elected members to the Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Municipal Committees" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2018.
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