Kishtwar: Difference between revisions

| demographics1_info2            = [[Kishtwari]], an ancient language with its roots in Sanskrit, is spoken by Hindus<br>[[Bhoti]] is another local dialect

District Kishtwar was carved out in the year 2007 and it started functioning as an independent administrative unit on 01-04-2007.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} Kishtwar town, the headquarter of District Kishtwar is situated at a distance of {{cvt|235|km}} from the winter capital of [[Jammu]]. The altitude of the district varies from {{cvt|3000|-|15000|ft}} above mean sea level. Commonly known as the "Land of Sapphire and Saffron", it is also very rich in forests and wildlife. Kishtwar is surrounded by the districts [[Anantnag district|Anantnag]] and [[Doda district|Doda]] and also touches the boundaries of state [[Himachal Pradesh]].

 

Kishtwar is first referred to in the [[Rajatarangini]] by the ancient name Kashthavata<ref name="History">{{Cite web |url=http://www.jktourism.org/component/k2/item/132-kishtewar.html |title=Kishtewar}}</ref><ref name="PDF">{{Cite web |url=http://dcmsme.gov.in/dips/DPS%20Kishatwar.pdf |title=Brief Industrial Profile of  Kishatwar  District |last=Development Institute |first=MSME}}</ref> during the reign of Raja Kalsa of Kashmir (1063–1089), when "Uttamaraja", the ruler of Kashthavata visited the court of the Kashmir King in company with several other hill chiefs to pay their respects to the Raja.

This place, as said by people, is also mentioned in the epic Mahabharata.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

 

Kishtwar merged with the State of Jammu and Kashmir when [[Maharaja Ranjit Singh]] annexed it in 1821, A.D.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}  With the passage of time Kishtwar became a Tehsil of the [[Udhampur district]] and remained so until 1948, when it became part of the newly created District [[Doda district|Doda]] in the wake of first re-organization of the state during the post-independence period.

{{As of|2011}} India [[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 the Muslims is <nowiki> Kashmiri </nowiki> and local Hindus of Kishtwar speak a local dialect of Kashmiri language called [[Kashtwari]].<ref>[https://www.ethnologue.com/language/kas Kashmiri], Ethnologue, retrieved 14 July 2018.</ref> The dominant religion in Kishtwar is [[Islam]] with 69.21% population, with [[Hinduism]] with second-largest religion with 29.59%.<ref name="Kishtwar City Population"/>

Kishtwar is well-connected by roads to other places in Jammu and Kashmir and India as several highways and roads pass through Kishtwar including [[National Highway 244 (India)|NH 244]].