Udhampur is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. Covering an area of in the Himalayan mountains, the district has its headquarters in the town of Udhampur. The Northern Command headquarters of the Indian Army is located in the district.
Weather conditions
Temperature varies considerably in the Udhampur District, as the altitude ranges from . Chenab, Ans, Tawi and Ujh are the main rivers. The district is rich in minerals such as coal, bauxite, gypsum and limestone.
Administration
Udhampur district comprises eight tehsils (Chenani, Ramnagar Tehsil, basantgarh, latti,Majalta and seventeen blocks, namely, dudu Basantgarh, Gordi, Chenani, Bajalta, Panchari, Ramnagar and Udhampur. Each block consists of a number of panchayats.
Demographics
The 2011 census indicates the population of the district to be 554,985. There are 871 females for every 1000 males in the district. The overall literacy rate is 54.16%, with 66.43% for males and 39.89% for females. The majority of the population of the district practice Hinduism. The majority are Dogras in this district. There are a large number of nomadic Gujjars and Bakarwals present in the district as well. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes account for 25% and 10.1% of the population of the district.
According to the 2011 census Udhampur district has a population of 555,357, greater than that of Brunei and roughly equal to the EU nation of Luxembourg. This gives it a ranking of 538th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 20.86%. Udhampur has a sex ratio of 870 females for every 1000 males (which varies with religion), and a literacy rate of 69.9%.
Religion
The religious composition of the district is: Hindu 88.12%, Muslim 10.77%.
Language
At the time of the 2011 census, 81.36% of the population spoke Dogri, 5.18% Gojri, 3.67% Hindi, 2.81% Gaddi, 1.35% Pahari and 1.30% Kashmiri as their first language.
Tourist attractions
Mansar lake: Mansar is a lake fringed by forest-covered hills, over a mile in length by half-a-mile in width. Surinsar-Mansar Lakes is designated as Ramsar Convention in November 2005. Besides being an excursion destination in the state, it is also a holy site, sharing the legend and sanctity of Lake Manasarovar. On the Eastern Bank of the Lake there is a shrine to Sheshnag, a snake with six heads.
Surinsar Lake: Surinsar Lake is surrounded by thickly wooded mountain ranges and it is a picnic spot. Surinsar Lake and Mansar Lake are considered to be twin lakes; Mansar is located 30 km away from it. The Surinsar Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the midst of both the lakes and supports 3 mammalian species and 15 avifauna species including crane. According to Hindu mythological legends, the origin of the lake is closely associated with the legendary warrior of Mahabharat, Arjun. It is said to believe that Arjun shot an arrow in to the Mansar and a spring gushed of the earth and now it is known as Surinsar Lake.
Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel: It is India's longest road tunnel with a length of 9.28 km (5.8 mi). It is the first tunnel in the India with a fully integrated tunnel control system. The tunnel reduces the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 30 km and travel time by two hours. The all-weather tunnel bypasses snowfall and avalanche prone areas in winter at places like Patnitop, Kud, and Batote that obstruct NH 44 every winter and cause long queues of vehicles - sometimes for days at length.