Facts About Jammu and Kashmir – Explained In Detail.

In General Knowledge
March 14, 2016

Facts about Jammu and Kashmir – Jammu and Kashmir is a state in northern India. It is located mostly in the Himalayan mountains. It shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south. Jammu and Kashmir have an international border with China in the north and east.

The Line of Control separates it from the Pakistan-controlled territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and northwest respectively. The state has special autonomy under Article 370 of the Constitution of India.

Historical Facts about Jammu and Kashmir

Kalhana, the first Indian history writer, gave a vivid account of the history of Kashmir before the 10th century AD.
The greatest Muslim king of early medieval age in Kashmir was Zain-ul-Abidin, who ascended the throne in AD 1420 and ruled up to 1470.
His long rule contributed extensively to the spread of art, culture, music, and every other sphere in the life of Kashmir people.
He also created a strong army and annexed many regions nearby Kashmir. These were the time of golden rule in Kashmir when peace and harmony prevailed.
After the death of King Zain-ul-Abidin, a period of destruction came calling to Kashmir and many raiders from outside looted the state and made the people and local rulers their captive.
In 1587, Akbar annexed Kashmir into his vast empire.
Jahangir, son of Akbar and next Mughal ruler, visited Kashmir 13 times and created two beautiful gardens on the bank of Dal Lake, namely, the Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh.
After two centuries of peace and development, Kashmir came into the hands of the Pathans in 1752, when the Afghan ruler Abdul Shah Abdali attacked this region on the request of local noblemen.
In 1819, the Sikhs under Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed this region, but their empire remained in place only for 27 years.
A part of the erstwhile Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu, the region is the subject of a territorial conflict among China, India and Pakistan.
The western districts of the former princely state known as Azad Kashmir and the northern territories known as Gilgit-Baltistan have been under Pakistani control since 1947.
The Aksai Chin region in the east, bordering Tibet, has been under Chinese control since 1962.

Present Day Facts about Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir consisting of three regions: Jammu(25.93%), the Kashmir Valley(15.73%) and Ladakh(58.33%). The Kashmir valley is famous for its beautiful mountainous landscape, and Jammu’s numerous shrines attract tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims every year.
Ladakh, also known as “Little Tibet”, is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture.
Jammu and Kashmir is home to several valleys such as the Kashmir Valley, Tawi Valley, Chenab Valley, Poonch Valley, Sind Valley and Lidder Valley. Because of Jammu and Kashmir’s wide range of elevations, its biogeography is diverse.
The Jhelum River is the only major Himalayan river which flows through the Kashmir valley. The Indus, Tawi, Ravi and Chenab are the major rivers flowing through the state. Jammu and Kashmir is home to several Himalayan glaciers.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the principal spoken languages are Kashmiri, Urdu, Dogri, Pahari, Balti, Ladakhi, Gojri, Shina and Pashto.
However, Urdu written in the Persian script is the official language of the state.
Kawa, traditional green tea with spices and almond, is consumed all through the day in the chilly winter climate of Kashmir.

Major Cities

Municipal corporations: 2 – Srinagar, Jammu
Municipal councils: 6 – Udhampur, Kathua, Poonch, Anantnag, Baramulla, Sopore
Municipal boards: 21 – Samba, Ranbirsinghpora, Akhnoor, Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Kargil, Dooru-Verinag, Bijbehara, Pulwama, Tral, Badgam, Kulgam, Shopian, Ganderbal, Pattan, Sumbal, Kupwara, Handwara

The government of Jammu and Kashmir

Governor	Manoj Sinha
Chief Minister	Manoj Sinha
Chief Justice	Justice Sanjeev Kumar
High Court	Jammu and Kashmir High Court
Capital	Srinagar is the summer capital, and Jammu is the winter capital

State Symbols

State animal	Kashmir stag
State bird	Black-necked crane(Hangul)
State flower	Lotus
State tree	Chinar

Seats

Assembly Seats	89 (87 elected; 2 nominated)
Lok Sabha Seats	6
Rajya Sabha Seats	4

Wildlife Sanctuaries

Baltal-Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary
Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary
Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
Hirapora Wildlife Sanctuary
Hokersar Wildlife Sanctuary
Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary
Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary
Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary
Limber Wildlife Sanctuary
Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary
Overa Aru Wildlife Sanctuary
Rajparian Wildlife Sanctuary
Ramnagar Rakha Wildlife Sanctuary
Surinsar Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary
Trikuta Wildlife Sanctuary

National Parks

City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park
Dachigam National Park
Hemis National Park
Kishtwar National Park

Hydroelectric Power Plants

Mohra Hydro-Electric Power Stations
The Sind Valley Hydro-Electric Project
The Pahalgam Hydro-Electric Project
Lower Jhelum Hydel Project (Sheri)

Famous Temples in Jammu and Kashmir

Shankaracharya Temple
Hari Parbat Fort & Temple of Sharika Devi
Kheer Bhawani
Martand
Awantipur
Chhatti Padshahi Gurudwara

Famous Mosques in Jammu and Kashmir

Hazratbal Mosque
Khanqah of Shah Hamadan
Jama Masjid

Natural Resources

Bauxite
Gypsum
Limestone
Coal
Zinc
Copper

Main Festivals

Baisakhi(Sikh festival)
Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha, Urs (Muslim festivals)
Hemis Festival(Buddhist festival)
Dussehra
Diwali
Vaishno Devi

Dances

Dumhal
Rouff

Major Airports in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar International Airport
Jammu Airport
Poonch Airport
Kargil Airport
Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport

Some Famous Personalities

Suresh Raina, Indian International Cricket Team
Chain Singh, Indian national shooting team
Anupam Kher, actor
N. Kaul, Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Padma Bhushan
Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir
T.S. Thakur, incumbent Chief Justice of India
Sheikh Abdullah, Former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir
Jitendra Singh, BJP’s National Executive member and Chief Spokesperson for the state of Jammu and Kashmir
Bansi Kaul, Hindi theatre director and founder of Rang Vidushak who was awarded Padma Shri
Vikrant Mahajan, Former Mr India, motivational speaker, bestselling author and film producer

Random Facts about Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India with a Muslim-majority population.
Jammu and Kashmir is known for its beauty and is described variously as the Paradise on Earth, the Dream Land, the choicest creation of God etc.
The name Srinagar means the “City of Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth”. It was founded by Ashoka the Great. The present city of Srinagar was built by Pravarsena II adjoining the old city.
A real charmer, the floating post-office-cum-philately museum fits itself into a largish boat and is moored right on the Boulevard. It is known to be India’s first floating post office is in Kashmir.
While Aurangzeb visited Kashmir only once, Jahangir topped the chart by visiting this beautiful valley 13 times during his reign.