Bhalessa is a geographical area within

Doda district Doda is a district in the eastern part of Jammu Division in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The district consists of 18 tehsils viz. Thathri, Bhaderwah, Doda, Mohalla, Bhagwa, Assar, Bhalla, Gundna, Marmat, Kahara, G ...

in the

Jammu region The Jammu division (; ) is a revenue and administrative division within Jammu and Kashmir, a union territory of India. It consists of the districts of Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Samba. Most of ...

of India-administered Kashmir. It consists of the

Bunjwah Bunjwah (also known as Bonjwah) is a region and tehsil located in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It comprises nine panchayat and two nayabats; it became a tehsil in 2014. Demographics Bunjwah is an economically underdevelop ...

and Bhalessa Valleys, and comprises the three

Tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

s of Kahara, Chilly Pingal and

Gandoh Gandoh is a tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place th ...

Name

The name is written in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

, and in the

Takri script The Tākri script (Takri (Chamba): ; Takri (Jammu/Dogra): ; sometimes called Tankri ) is an abugida writing system of the Brahmic family of scripts. It is derived from the Sharada script formerly employed for Kashmiri. It is the sister script ...

. The area is known as ''Bhales'' () to outsiders, but inhabitants of the region use a variety of names, including ''Bhalessa'' (), ''Bhalesh'' (, with variant ), and ''Bhal'' (). The etymology of the name remains unknown. It has been suggested that it derives from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

word for 'good' () or from the name of the 16th-century queen, Queen Bhalla of

Bhadarwah Bhaderwah or Bhadarwah (also ''Bhaderwah Valley'') is a town, tehsil, sub-division and also additional district in the Doda district of the Jammu Division of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is also known as Cho ...

Geography

The Bhalessa region consists of two valleys: Bonjwah and Bhalessa. Bonjwah contains multiple streams, while Bhalessa contains the Kalgoni stream. The two valleys unite near

Donadi Donadi is a village in Kahara tehsil of Doda district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is famous for a hydroelectric power project called Lower Kalnie Power Project Donadi. Etymology ''Donadi'' name is derived from Gojri ...

and the streams merge into the

Chenab river The Chenab River () is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul regi ...

. The area is easily accessible from Churaha Wazarat of Chamba through passes such as Padri Gali and Mehlwar. To the north, it is flanked by the mountains of

Kishtwar Kishtwar is a town, municipality and administrative headquarter of the Kishtwar District in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The district was carved out of the Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division. T ...

. Bhalessa contains various geographical hamlets, such as Neeli, Jitota, Pingal, Chilli, Nanota, and Basnota. Some other areas include Bal Padri, Kanthi Dhar, Soin Bhagar, Naglotan, Goha Dhar, Jawali meadows, Ghasheer Top, Makan and Chashool, Ghati Dhar, Mehal Dhar, Damote Dhar, Lakhan, Kehan Dhar, Mashood Dhar, Mihaad Dhar, Bach Dhar, Nagni Dhar, Talaie, Dhosa Meadows, Rohari Meadows, Lamhote Meadows, Kota Top, Pangas Top Gwalo, Dhanaso Dhar, and Dulchi Dhar.

Culture

Тhe official language in the Bhalessa region is

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Bhalessi. Other spoken languages include

Kashmiri Kashmiri may refer to: * People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir * Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley * Kashmiri language, their language People with the name * Kashmiri Saikia Baruah ...

and

Gujari Gojri (, ), also known as Gujari, Gujri, Gojari, or Gojri, is a variety of Rajasthani spoken by the Gurjars and other tribes of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In India, the language is mainly spoken in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, ...

. During the winter, the nomadic people of the

Gujjar Gurjar or Gujjar (also transliterated as ''Gujar, Gurjara and Gujjer'') is an ethnic nomadic, agricultural and pastoral community, spread mainly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were tradit ...

and

Bakarwal The Bakarwal (also Bakkarwal, Bakharwal, Bakrawala and Bakerwal) are a nomadic ethnic group, who along with Gujjars are listed as Scheduled Tribes in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir since 1991.https://tribal.nic.in/downloads/CLM/CLM_1/17.p ...

s come down to the plain and barren areas of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

. During the summer, they go deep into the mountainous valley of Bhalessa with their cattle where they produce milk, cheese, and ghee. During marriage celebrations, the Gujjars perform their folk dances. Traditional industries such as

beekeeping Beekeeping (or apiculture) is the maintenance of bee colonies, commonly in man-made beehives. Honey bees in the genus '' Apis'' are the most-commonly-kept species but other honey-producing bees such as ''Melipona'' stingless bees are also kept. ...

, sheep cattle rearing, handloom weaving, blanket making, and ghee production contribute to the cultural economy of Bhalessa.

Transport

The route to Bhalessa from its nearest airport in

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi Ri ...

goes through

Batote Batote is a town and a notified area committee, near Ramban town in Ramban district of Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on NH 44 (former name NH 1A) just beyond Ramban, Patnitop while going towards Srinagar. Tourism Batote is l ...

via National Highway 144, the

Chenani-Nashri Tunnel Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel, also known as Chenani-Nashri Tunnel is a road tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located in the Lower Himalayas, on National Highway 44. Construction started in 2011 and was completed by 2017. It is In ...

, and National Highway 244 (known as

–

National Highway), which later leads to

Thathri Thathri is a town and a notified area committee in Doda district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Thathri valley is located in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, about 85 km from Batote. Apart from having ample ...

, which is just away from

. To reach Bhalessa, it is necessary to leave the National Highway by a link road known as Thathri-

-Khilotran road. Concerns are often raised about the state of the roads in the region, particularly the Thathri–Kilhotran Road, which as of July 2020 was still incomplete even after decades of construction.

Tourism

Bhalessa has been a source of attraction for trackers and tourists. The area consists of green uplands, like

Bhal Padri Bhal Padri (Kashmiri language, Kashmiri; ''Bal Padri'') is a hill station situated above a group of small valleys covered with dense forest located in the Changa, Bhalessa. area of Doda district. It borders Padri Top, Padri Pass, Bhaderwah at a d ...

, which can be a source of attraction for tourism. As of 2020, the inhabitants of the Bhalessa region are demanding a Hill District status and a Tourism Development Authority in order to exhibit tourism potential and for administrative convenience. As of July 2020, two potential spots have been identified for the creation of tourism assets in Block Changa. The people of Bhalessa are represented at various levels, in sports, education, politics, civil services, and other diverse fields. Bhalessa is known for interfaith harmony, and religious communities continue to live in peace during turmoil.

Politics and administration

Bhalessa has a Sub-Divisional Headquarter located at Gandoh that is controlled by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Bhalessa consists of three

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

s: Gandoh, Chilly Pingal and Kahara. There have been demands for a Hill District Status for these tehsils, as well as for the creation of a separate Tourism Development Authority and the post of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC). According to political listings, Bhalessa is listed in the Bhaderwah constituency and Inderwal constituency. Notable politicians include: *

Ghulam Nabi Azad Ghulam Nabi Azad (born 7 March 1949) is an Indian politician who served as Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha between 2014 to 2021. He also served as the Chief Minister of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from 2005 to 2008. On 26 September ...

, a

congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

leader from the Soti village of Bhalessa. He was the winning candidate in 2006 from the Bhaderwah constituency. He was also the Minister of Health and Family Welfare. As of 2020, he serves as the leader of the opposition in the

Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...

. *Mohd Sharief Niaz, a

leader from Changa village in Bhalessa. He contested the 2009 assembly elections from the Bhaderwah constituency. * Daleep Singh Parihar, a

BJP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...

leader from Batara village in Bhalessa. He is the former MLA candidate from the Bhaderwah constituency.

Education

There is a college in Kilhotran under the name of Government Degree College Kilhotran. Schools in Bhalessa work to impart education in rural villages. Bhalessa also has a Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) to give technical training to young people. There is an unprecedented growth of

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...

education in the area. The madrasas in Bhalessa include Jamia Gani tul uloom and Asrar ul Uloom. Jamia Gani tul uloom is the largest seminary madrasa in the Jammu province. The Jamia was founded by Alhaj Ghulam Qadir Ganipuri.

NGOs

Several notable NGOs in Bhalessa are as follows: *Kohistan Association *Educational Environmental Social Sports and Cultural Society *National Students Welfare Association (NSWA) Bhalessa *Bhalessa Heritage Centre (Bhalessa Saqafati Markuz) *The Helping Hand Trust *Shaheen Trust Bhalessa *Umar Educational and Welfare Trust Bhalessa *Bhalessa United Front (BUF) *JAKESPASES (Jammu and Kashmir Educational Environmental Social Plantation, Athletic and Recreation Sports Ecological Balance Society) *Sahayak Humanity Charitable Trust Bhalessa

Notable people

, politician *

Mithun Manhas Mithun Manhas (born 12 October 1979) is an Indian first-class cricketer. A right-handed batsman, he also bowls right-arm offbreak and can keep wicket. Indian Premier League Manhas played in the Indian Premier League representing the Delhi Dare ...

, cricketer * Chain Singh, shooter and Asian games medalist.

References

{{reflist Chenab Valley Tourist attractions in Doda district Neighbourhoods in Jammu and Kashmir