Indiabulez: Added First Entry Nd Citations

2026-03-03T07:55:51Z

Added First Entry Nd Citations

New page

{{Use Indian English|date=January 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{AI-generated|date=February 2026|reason=[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pir_Panjal_Region_%28Jammu_Division%29&diff=1177356495&oldid=1159464277 these 2023 additions]; note [[WP:AISIGNS]] in undue emphasis on significance, vocab distribution typical of 2023-24 LLMs etc}}
{{about|the term used for some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, India|3=Pir Panjal Region}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Pir Panjal
| official_name =
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = 
| other_name =
| settlement_type = Region
| image_skyline = Rajouri city skyline shot.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Rajouri city's aerial view.
| image_flag =
| etymology =
| nickname =
| motto =
| anthem = 
| image_map =
| mapsize =
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| image_map1 =
| mapsize1 =
| map_alt1 =
| map_caption1 =
| pushpin_map = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_label = 
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_mapsize =
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| coordinates =
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| grid_name = 
| grid_position = 
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_total = 1,119,250
| population_footnotes = <ref name="newsclick-july-2021">{{Cite news|last=Ayoob|first=Anzer|title=J&K: Chenab Valley Seeks Separate Divisional Status as well as Council|url=https://www.newsclick.in/Jammu-kashmir-chenab-valley-separate-divisional-status-council|date=17 July 2021|publisher=NewsClick.in|access-date=20 July 2021}}</ref>
| population_urban =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = Union Territory
| subdivision_name1 = [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Administrative divisions of India|Revenue Division]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Jammu division]]
| parts_type = 
| parts_style = 
| parts = 
| p1 =
| p2 = 

| area_footnotes = 
| area_magnitude = 
| dunam_link = 
| area_total_km2 = 
| area_total_sq_mi = 
| area_land_km2 = 4304
| area_land_sq_mi =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_sq_mi =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m =
| elevation_ft =
| elevation_point = 
| elevation_max_footnotes = 
| elevation_max_m =
| elevation_max_ft =
| elevation_max_point = 
| elevation_max_rank =
| elevation_min_footnotes = 
| elevation_min_m =
| elevation_min_ft =
| elevation_min_point = 
| elevation_min_rank = 
| timezone1 =
| utc_offset1 =
| timezone1_DST =
| utc_offset1_DST =
| timezone2 =
| utc_offset2 =
| timezone2_DST =
| utc_offset2_DST = 
| blank_name_sec1 = Districts
| blank_info_sec1 = * [[Poonch district, India|Poonch]]
* [[Rajouri district|Rajouri]]
| blank1_name_sec1 = Vehicle Registration Numbers
| blank1_info_sec1 = JK11(Rajouri), JK12(Poonch)
| blank2_name_sec1 =
| blank2_info_sec1 = 
 |blank_name_sec2 = Police Zone
| blank_info_sec2 = Rajouri Poonch Range
| blank1_name_sec2 = Lok Sabha Constituency
| blank1_info_sec2 = [[Anantnag–Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency]]
| blank2_name_sec2 =
| blank2_info_sec2 = 
| footnotes =
}}
The '''Pir Panjal Region''' is a proposed administrative division located in the southwestern part of the [[Pir Panjal Range]] in the [[Jammu Division]] of the Indian-administered union territory of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. This name particularly refers to the districts of [[Poonch district, India|Poonch]] and [[Rajouri district|Rajouri]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Geelani vows to resist settlement of retired soldiers in Kashmir|url=http://www.greaterkashmir.com/mobi/news/kashmir/geelani-vows-to-resist-settlement-of-retired-soldiers-in-kashmir/192366.html|access-date=30 September 2015|archive-date=3 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003142351/http://www.greaterkashmir.com/mobi/news/kashmir/geelani-vows-to-resist-settlement-of-retired-soldiers-in-kashmir/192366.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1814/18140650.htm|title=THROUGH THE PIR PANJAL}}</ref>

==Name==
The Pir Panjal region is named after the Pir Panjal Pass, whose original name as recorded by Srivara, is Panchaladeva (IAST: Pāñcāladeva, meaning the deity of Panchala). Panchala is a kingdom mentioned in the [[Mahabharata]] in the northwest Uttar Pradesh. However, there are also traditions that place the Mahabharata regions in western Punjab and southern Kashmir. Scholar Dineshchandra Sircar has analysed the geography described in the Shakti‐sangama Tantra, where this is indeed the case.Scholar M. A. Stein believes that the concept of deity must have been translated into that of a Pir after the region was Islamised.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

==Geography==
The Pir Panjal Region includes the districts of [[Poonch district, India|Poonch]] and [[Rajouri district|Rajouri]]. The districts border [[Kashmir Division]] to the north, [[Azad Kashmir]] to the west and the [[Jammu Division]] to the south and east.<ref>{{cite news | last=Kissu | first=Sagrika | title=Why Pir Panjal region is becoming a militant hotspot— porous LoC, routes to Kashmir, ‘local support’ | website=[[ThePrint]] | date=15 September 2023 | url=https://theprint.in/india/why-pir-panjal-region-is-becoming-a-militant-hotspot-porous-loc-routes-to-kashmir-local-support/1764003/ | access-date=27 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Pir Panjal challenge: Terrorists are again changing tactics in J&K. New Delhi must be alive to serious emerging threats | website=[[The Times of India]] | date=15 September 2023 | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-editorials/pir-panjal-challenge-terrorists-are-again-changing-tactics-in-jk-new-delhi-must-be-alive-to-serious-emerging-threats/ | access-date=27 September 2023}}</ref> {{As of |2023}}, this region is considered a backward area in terms of development.<ref>{{cite news | title=Declare Pir Panjal region as backward: Javed Rana | website=[[Daily Excelsior]] | date=8 June 2023 | url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/declare-pir-panjal-region-as-backward-javed-rana/ | access-date=27 September 2023}}</ref>

The Nowshera Tunnel stands as the first tunnel ever constructed in the Pir Panjal region, establishing a historical milestone.<ref>{{cite news | last=Bhargav | first=Sumit | title=IST TUNNEL IN PIR PANJAL REGION {{!}} Construction work in full swing | website=[[Greater Kashmir]] | date=6 August 2023 | url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/pir-panjal/ist-tunnel-in-pir-panjal-region-construction-work-in-full-swing | access-date=27 September 2023}}</ref>

== Economy ==
The economy of the Pir Panjal Region is characterized by its rich natural resources and diverse economic activities. This region is endowed with abundant resources, including forests, herbal plants, minerals, and favorable agro-climatic conditions. [[Tourism]] and agro-based industries play a pivotal role in the region's economic landscape, offering significant investment potential.

Agriculture in the Pir Panjal region focuses on the cultivation of a variety of fruits, such as [[apples]], [[almonds]], [[cherries]], [[apricots]], and [[citrus fruits]]. Additionally, the region is known for its skilled workforce in producing delicate handicraft items, including [[embroidery]], [[wood carving]], [[fur]] and [[leather]] products, [[woodwork]], and various traditional crafts. The area's mineral resources, particularly [[limestone]], are essential for the [[cement industry]]. The government's strategic areas of focus encompass [[food processing]], agro-based industries, auto-ancillaries, [[precision engineering]], [[mineral exploration]], and [[eco-tourism]], making the Pir Panjal region an attractive destination for investment.<ref name="u046">{{cite news | last=Sharma | first=Y.P. | title=Economic potential of Pir Panjal region | website=[[Daily Excelsior]] | date=30 August 2017 | url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/economic-potential-pir-panjal-region/ | access-date=27 September 2023}}</ref>

==Demographics==
Muslims form a majority in the two districts constituting the [[Pir Panjal]] region. About 75% of the population was Muslim according to the [[2011 Census of India|2011 census]], and the rest were 22.73% Hindus and 2.38% [[Sikhs]]. {{See also|List of Scheduled Castes in Jammu and Kashmir}}

{{Pie chart|thumb = left
| caption=Pir Panjal region: mother-tongue of population, according to the 2011 Census.<ref name="census2011-C16"/>
|label1 = [[Pahari-Pothwari|Pahari]] |value1 = 52.81 |color1 = Indigo
|label2 = [[Gojri]] |value2 = 37.78 |color2 = Salmon
|label3 = [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]]|value3 = 3.79 |color3 = MediumVioletRed
|label4 = [[Hindi]] |value4 = 2.4 |color4 = LightGreen
|label5 = Others |value5 = 3.22 |color5 = Grey

<ref name="census2011-C16">
{{cite report |title=C-16 Population By Mother Tongue – Jammu & Kashmir |url = https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-0100.XLSX |publisher = Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India |access-date=18 July 2020}}
</ref>
}}

{{Pie chart|label1=[[Islam]]|value1=74.52|color1=green|label2=[[Hinduism]]|value2=22.73|color2=orange|label3=[[Sikhism]]|value3=2.38|color3=yellow|label4=others|value4=0.37|color4=Black|caption=Religions in Pir Panjal (2011)
<ref name="2011 Census">
{{cite web|title=Population by religion community – 2011|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW00C-01%20MDDS.XLS|website=Census of India, 2011|publisher=The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150825155850/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW00C-01%20MDDS.XLS|archive-date=25 August 2015}}
</ref>
}}

{{clear}}

==Tourism==
Pir Panjal is also the hub of hilly tourist attractions after Valley of Kashmir & Chenab Valley, some of them are as follows;

*Pir Ki Gali
*Shrine of Sayin Miran Bakshi
*Shrine of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah (Shahdara Sharif)
*Chingus Sarai
*Noori Chambh
*Loran Valley
*Jamia Masjid
*Poonch Fort
*Historic Mughal Road
*MANGLA MATA TEMPLE IN JHANGER NOWSHERA (RAJOURI)

==Demand For Divisional Status==
There has been a movement demanding divisional for the Pir Panjal by various social and political activists for a long time. The demand rose in 2018 and 2019 when [[Ladakh]] got divisional status and the former Chief Minister of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Omar Abdullah]] added "Two Separate Divisional Status for [[Chenab Region|Chenab Valley]] and Pir Panjal Region" to his party's political agenda.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Separate division for Ladakh: Omar promises two more for Chenab valley, Pir Panjal if voted to power|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/separate-division-for-ladakh-omar-promises-two-more-for-chenab-valley-pir-panjal-if-voted-to-power/articleshow/67902569.cms|date=8 February 2019|publisher=[[Times of India]]|access-date=31 July 2021}}</ref>

As of 2021, the movement for of divisional status or merger with Kashmir Division again increased after rumours of second bifurcation of J&K and demand for a separate state of [[Jammu]].The majority of people in Pir Panjal are ethnic Paharis & Gujjars and are more connected to their [[Valley|Kashmir Valley]] brethren by religion, culture, connectivity, geography & historical links with Kashmir.

There is a common reason for this demand. People allege negligence in terms of developmental issues by the government if the Pir Panjal remains linked to the [[Jammu division]].<ref name="newsclick-july-2021"/>

===Hill Development Council===
In 1996, [[Farooq Abdullah|Dr. Farooq Abdullah]] as Chief minister promised administrative autonomy to Chenab & Pir Panjal.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Why oppose Hill Council status for Chenab, Pir Panjal valleys? |url=http://brighterkashmir.com/why-oppose-hill-council-status-for-chenab-pir-panjal-valleys--|date=25 March 2020|publisher=Brighter Kashmir|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[Chenab Valley|Chenab Valley (region)]]
* [[Panun Kashmir]]
* [[Duggar (region)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Regions of India]]

{{coord missing|Jammu and Kashmir}}

[[Category:Geography of Jammu and Kashmir]]

Pir Panjal Region (Jammu Division) - Revision history

Indiabulez: Added First Entry Nd Citations