Kishtwar
Town and district headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 209.5 km (130.2 mi) from the summer capital of Srinagar, and 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] The old name of Kishtwar was "Kashtvatha" as mentioned in Rajtarangni of Kalhana Pandita written in 1148 CE.
Kishtwar | |
|---|---|
View of Chowgan Ground in Kishtwar town, Jammu and Kashmir, India | |
  Kishtwar Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India  Kishtwar Kishtwar (India) | |
| Coordinates: 33.32°N 75.77°E | |
| Country |  India |
| Union Territory | Jammu & Kashmir |
| Division | Jammu |
| District | Kishtwar |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Council |
| • Body | Kishtwar Municipal Council |
| Area | |
• Total | 22.5 km2 (8.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,638 m (5,374 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 14,865 |
| • Density | 661/km2 (1,710/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kashmiri,Urdu, English[1][2] |
| • Spoken | Kashmiri, Urdu, Kishtwari |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 182204 |
| Vehicle registration | JK17 |
| Website | www |
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
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 dialect of Kashmiri language called Kishtwari.[9] The dominant religion in Kishtwar is Islam, at 70.3% of the population, while there are 28.6% followers of Hinduism.[8]
Transport
Air
Kishtwar does not have its own airport as 2023, although there is a helipad located 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 Srinagar International Airport located 208.8km away.
Rail
There is no rail connectivity to Kishtwar. The nearest railway station is Udhampur railway station, located at a distance of 150 kilometres.
Road
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
Devigol
Devigol is a hill station and popular tourist destination in Patnazi Village, Bunjwah, Kishtwar district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Devigol Festival is held there annually.[12][13][14][15]