Kathua

Kathua is a district in the State of Jammu and Kashmir in India. This District is situated at 320 17' to 320 55’ North Latitude and 750 70' to 760 16’ East longitude. The District is surrounded by Punjab in the S-E, Himachal Pradesh in N-E, Doda and Udhampur in North and N-W, Jammu in the West and Pakistan in the S-W. The District has an area of 2651 Sq Km and population of 5.44 Lacs as per census of 2001. Dogri and Pahari are the main languages spoken. Hindi, English and Urdu are the main medium of education. Offcial language is Urdu.

The district can be conveniently divided into three distinct Agro-climatic regions. The area falling South of Pathankot-Jammu-Srinagar National Highway consists of deep alluvial soils. The area is mostly irrigated and quite productive. This area touches Pakistan and Punjab border and it is also popularly called Border Area. The second zone falling north of the National Highway extends upto foothills of Himalayas and falling mostly in Shivalik ranges is called Kandi area. It is characterized by shallow soils full of boulders with negligible natural water resources. The area faces acute shortage of water and the productivity of the land is very marginal. Part of Kathua, Barnoti, Hiranagar, Ghagwal, Basohli and Billawar block falls in this category. The third area falls beyond Shivalik ranges and extends upto to Peer Panchal ranges. This area is mountainous in nature with little potential for agriculture.

There are 5 Assembly Constituencies, 4 Tehsils (1. Kathua 2. Hiranagar 3. Billawar 4. Basohli) and 9 Blocks ( 1. Bani 2. Barnoti 3. Basohli 4. Billawar 5. Duggan 6. Ghagwal 7. Hiranagar 8. Kathua 9. Lohai Malhar ).

The areas falling in Kathua district experiences wide range of climate from sub-tropical to temperate area and even alpine in higher regions of Bani and Lohai-Malhar blocks. Because of altitudinal varities, there is vast difference between the temperature of two plain thesils of Kathua and Hiranagar with those of Hilly Tehsils of Basohli and Billawar. The Summer temperature rises as high as 48 degree Celcius in the plains and Winter temperature in the upper hilly areas touches sub-zero. Most of the Higher areas in the BASOHLI AND BILLAWAR Tehsils experiences SNOWFALLS for most part of the year. The District experiences rainfall during Winter and early Summer primarily from western disturbances and monsoon rains from second week of July onwards. The hilly areas receives more rains than the plains. The annual rainfall is approximately 1672 mm. The district has a reporting area of 2.65 lacs Hectt as per revenue records out of which 0.45 lacs Hectt is agricultural use, 0.36 lacs Hectt constitutes barren and uncultivable land excluding follow land, 0.12 lacs Hectt accounts for culturable waste, 0.13 lacs Hectt is under misc. trees, 0.10 lacs Hectt forms permanent pastures, 0.01 lacs Hectt is fallow land other than current fallows, 0.14 lacs is the area under current fallows and 0.61 Hectt is net area sown. The total cropped area of the district during 1999-2000 was 1.24 lacs Hectt of which 0.63 lacs hectt represents the area sown more than once.

Major crops of the district are Paddy, Maize and Wheat. Wheat and Paddy constitutes the staple food in plain tehsils Viz. Kathua and Hiranagar where as Maize for Hilly Tehsils Basohli and Billawar.

History

Though there is no detailed and fully documented history of Kathua district. It is believed that One Jodh Singh a famous Rajput of Andotra clan migrated from Hastinapur to Kathua nearly 2000 years ago and settled here. The three Hamlets of Taraf Tajwal, Taraf Manjali and Taraf Bhajwal were established by his three sons Viz. Teju, Kindal and Bhaju. Their descendent are now called as Tajwalia, Bhajwalia and Khanwalia Rajputs of Andotra sub-caste. The conglomeration of these three hamlets was loosely called “Kathai” in earlier times which with the passage of time came to be called as Kathua.

Greek historians, who provide an insight into the ancient history of Jammu hills prominently record the existence of two powerful empires of Abhisara (Present day Poonch) and Kathaioi at the time of invasion of India by Alexander, Strabo describes Kathaioi as a mighty republic of that era located in the foot hills along river Ravi. The topography of Kathaioi corresponds with the present day Kathua. Starbo describes the people of the republic as epitone of bravery and courage and records that they gave a tough fight to invading Army of Alexander.

Politics

Assembly constituencies and their areas after delimitation order of 2008
The above Order for the State of Jammu and Kashmir is as per the details given in Order No. 1 of the Delimitation Commission, Jammu and Kashmir notified in the Central and the State Gazettes on 27th April, 1995.

63 Bani Vidhan Sabha Constituency - PCs 14-Bani, 15-Banjal, 16-Fatehpur, 17-Sandroon,18-Rolka, 19-Buggah, 20-Lowang, 21-Kanthal, 22-Surja, 23-Dhanggar, 24-Koti, 25-Forest Block in tehsil Basohli and 9-Godaflal, 10-Badnota, 11-Machadi, 20-Malhar in tehsil Billawar.

64 Basohli Vidhan Sabha Constituency - PCs 1-Thein, 2-Basantpur, 3-Lakhanpur, 4-Hatli, 7-Tridwan, 36-Lakhanpur NAC, 29- Berthian and 30-Sorlain in tehsil Kathua and PCS 1-Basohli, 1-a-Basholi NAC, 2-Sandhar, 3-Hutt, 4-Bhoond, 5-Saman, 6-Dhar Jankar, 7-Dhar Mahanpur, 8-Plahi, 9-Prita, 10-Saber, 11-Patti, 12-Athalith, 13-Mahanpur in tehsil Basohli and PCs 21-Dharjungo, 22-Huttar, 23-Dambra in tehsil Billawar.

65 Kathua Vidhan Sabha Constituency - PCs 5-Dilwan, 6-Maha, 8-Kharote, 9-Taraf Manjili,10-Taraf Tajwal, 11-Karian, 12-Taraf Bajwal, 13-Changrain, 14-Govindsar, 15-Chak Soon Noopa, 16-Khakhyal, 17-Mirpur Ram, 18-Taraf Balla, 20-Katharian, 21-Jaglota, 22-Loagate, 23-Jakhbar, 24-Airwan, 26-Chak Sakta, 27-Budhi, 28-Nanan, 31-Barwal, 32-Jherhere, 33-Kathua Forest Block, 34-Kathua NAC,35-Perlain and 25-Folote in tehsil Kathua.

66 Billawar Vidhan Sabha Constituency - PCs 11-Katli, 17-Bhaya, 21-Denga Amb, 23-Dhamal, 25-Mangloor, 26-Chelakh, 27-Salain in tehsil Hiranagar and PCs 1-Ramkot, 2-Makwal, 3-Salora, 4-Rajwlata, 5-Danjishar, 6-Thara Kalwal, 7-Kalyal, 8-Thanthoo, 12-Kohg, 13-Malti, 14-Durang, 15-Dharan Kote, 16-Bhaddu, 17-Billawar, 18-Billawar NAC, 19-Buggan, 24-Parnala, 25-Pallan in tehsil Billawar and PC 19-Juthana in tehsil Kathua.

67 Hiranagar Vidhan Sabha Constituency - 1-Jatwal, 2-Nonath, 3-Ghagwal, 4-Sarath, 5-Bhatyari Kotlan, 6-Sanoora, 7-Mawa, 8-Nohran, 9-Chachwal, 10-Sarti Kalan, 12-Chak Dulma, 13-Jondi, 14-Londi, 15-Rajpura, 16-Kootch, 18-Gurah Mathian, 19-Bavia, 20-Katal Brahmana, 24-Hamirpur, 28-Chhan Rorian, 29-Marheen,22-Saiswan, 30-Khanpur, 31-Hiranagar, 32-Hiranagar NAC, 33-Pansar, 34-Kore Punu, 35-Chak Deva, 36-Chak Bhagwana, 37-Chak Kahna, 38-Chadwal, 39-Forest Block in tehsil Hiranagar.

Culture

BASOHLI PAINTINGS
About 80 km. away from the district headquarters of Kathua, nestling among the low lying hills, stands a quaint little settlement, its withered magnificence a mute testimony to the glory it must have been in its heydey. Yet, the fortress town of Basohli, perched magnificently atop a low hill at the edge of a verdant wood has left a mark on the cultural horizon of India.

It may be mentioned here that Basohli paintings is a style of painting characterized by vigorous use of primary colours and a peculiar facial formula prevailed in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries in the foothills of the Western Himalayas in the Jammu and Punjab States. The earliest paintings in this style originated in Basohli from where the style spread to the Hill States of Mankot, Nurpur, Kulu, Mandi, Suket, Bilaspur, Nalagarh, Chamba, Guler and Kangra. The first mention of Basohli painting is in the annual report of the Archaeological Survey of India for the year 1918-19 published in 1921. Referring to the acquisitions of the Archaelogical Section of the Central Museum, Lahore, the report states that "a series of old paintings of the Basohli School were purchased, and the Curator concludes that the Basohli Schools is possibly of pre-Moghul origin, and so called Tibeti pictures are nothing but late productions of this school".

Places of Interest
Bani, Banjal, Chandel in Kathua district, Panyalag, Dullangal, Chhatargalla, Sarthal, Duggan, Jodia Di Mata, Dhoula Wali Mata