Kishtwar | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 33°19′N 75°46′E / 33.32°N 75.77°E | |
Country | India |
Union Territory | Jammu & Kashmir |
Division | Jammu |
District | Kishtwar |
Government | |
• Type | Municipal Committee |
• Body | Kishtwar Municipal Committee |
Elevation | 1,638 m (5,374 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 14,865 |
Languages | |
• Official | Kashmiri, Hindi, Urdu, Dogri, English [1] [2] |
• Spoken | Kashmiri, Kishtwari, Bhoti |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 ( IST) |
PIN | 182204 |
Vehicle registration | JK17 |
Website |
www |
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 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]
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.
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 Western Pahari language called Kishtwari. [9] The dominant religion in Kishtwar is Islam, at 70.41% of the population, while there are 29.59% followers of Hinduism. [8]
Kishtwar does not have its own airport as 2023, although there is a helipad located just 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 Jammu Airport located 215km away.
There is no rail-connectivity to Kishtwar yet. The nearest railway station is Udhampur railway station, located at a distance of 150 kilometres.
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.