Udhampur (ˌʊd̪ʱəmpur) is a city and a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

Udhampur district Udhampur is a district in the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Covering an area of in the Himalayan mountains, the district has its headquarters in the town of Udhampur. The Northern Command headquarters of the Indian Army is lo ...

in the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

n union territory of

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

. It is the headquarters of

Udhampur District Udhampur is a district in the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Covering an area of in the Himalayan mountains, the district has its headquarters in the town of Udhampur. The Northern Command headquarters of the Indian Army is lo ...

. Named after Raja Udham Singh, it serves as the district capital and the Northern Command headquarters of the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

. A Forward Base Support Unit (FBSU) of the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct ...

is also stationed here. Udhampur is used by the Armed Forces as a transit point between

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of 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, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...

and

Srinagar Srinagar (English: , ) is the largest city and the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies in the Kashmir Valley on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is known for its ...

when travelling by road on National Highway 1A, which has since then been renamed as

National Highway 44 The following highways are numbered 44. Australia * Great Western Highway, Parramatta Road (Sydney) * Captain Cook Highway - Queensland State Route 44 (Regional) * Greensborough Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 44 * Manitoba Highway 44 * On ...

Geography

The district of Udhampur is located in the Shivalik range of

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

and the terrain is mostly mountainous. The upper reaches of the district experience snowfall in the winter season. The city itself is in a relatively flatter part of the district at an elevation of 756 metres (2480 feet) and it rarely experiences any snowfall.

Administration

The town of Udhampur is governed by Udhampur Municipal Committee with 22 municipal wards.

Notable Personalities

*Romalo Ram Dogri Artist *Sars Bharti

Climate

The city's climate is subtropical. Summer temperatures may exceed 40 degrees while temperatures below freezing have been recorded in winter. The annual rainfall is 130 cm, mainly in monsoons and winters. Central Udhampur rarely experiences

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughou ...

fall, though its outer regions do occasionally. Due to changing climate patterns, heavier snowfall has been experienced in recent years. In 2011, there was about 15 cm snow. Heavy hailstorms with piles of hail can be experienced in February and March.

Demographics

According to the 2011 Indian

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

, Udhampur urban area has a population of 91,366, of which 35,507 live in the Udhampur Municipal Council area, 48,508 live in Udhampur's out-growths, and 5,743 live in Rehambal. Males constitute 60.2% of the population and females 39.8%. The large male percentage is due to the army constituting a large part of the city's population. Udhampur has an average literacy rate of 91.5%. The dominant religion in the city is

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

Transport

Road

Udhampur is located on National Highway NH-44, which is the only national highway that connects

to the rest of India. Bus services (both private and state owned) are the most common mode of public transportation to and from Udhampur. Frequent connections to the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the ''Vale of Kashmir'', is an intermontane valley concentrated in the Kashmir Division of the Indian- union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The valley is bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and ...

and

are available. Taxi services are also available for going to Jammu and Srinagar and other nearby towns, and minibuses operate within the city.

Rail

Udhampur is connected to Jammu which is the winter capital of UT Jammu and Kashmir in India. The Uttar Sampark Kranti Express train from

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...

was the first train to run on this link in 2005. More than a dozen long-distance trains either originate from

Udhampur railway station Udhampur railway station is situated in municipal committee of Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The average elevation of the station is above mean sea level. The rail distance between UHP and JAT is . History The Uttar Sampark Kranti Expr ...

or connect Udhampur to the rest of India. Commuter unreserved passenger trains link Jammu and Udhampur. The project to connect Udhampur to the Kashmir valley by railway track is progressing. The railway line has been laid to Katra. Now Katra to Banihal track remains to be laid to complete the

Jammu–Baramulla line The Jammu–Baramulla line is a railway track being laid to connect the Kashmir Valley in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir with Jammu railway station and thence to the rest of the country. The 356 km railway track will sta ...

. The Northern Railway Construction Organization (

) is working on connecting Udhampur and Srinagar.

Air

Udhampur Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is located in Udhampur but it is not open for civilians.

Jammu Airport Jammu Airport, officially known as Jammu Civil Enclave, is a domestic airport serving Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated 14 km (8.7 miles) from the India–Pakistan border. Infrastructure Terminal 1 The terminal can only ...

is the nearest civilian airport.

Gallery

File:Udhampur Jammu Highway.jpg, Udhampur Jammu Highway File:Udhampur railway station.jpg,

File:Krimchi Temples, Udhampur.jpg, Kirmachi Temples file:Kirimachi temple complex.JPG, Kirmachi Temples File:Maharaja fort.jpg, Ramnagar Fort File:Rani samadhi.jpg, Samadhi of Queen of Raja Suchet Singh

References

16. Pingla Mata Shrine — Pingla Mata Cave is situated in Village Pinger of Ramnagar Tehsil in Udhampur District.

External links

Udhampur Government Website

Vaishno Devi Shrine

Udhampur DistrictBeing Dogra
{{Municipalities of Jammu and Kashmir Cities and towns in Udhampur district Himalayas Cities in Jammu and Kashmir