Budgam district


Budgam district is a district of the Indian administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Created in 1979 with its headquarters at Budgam, it is the district with the highest amount of Shias found in the Kashmir valley.

Administration

Budgam district is the closest district to capital Srinagar. Budgam district came into existence in 1979, prior to which it was part of Srinagar district. In former times, Budgam was a part of Baramulla district, when Srinagar itself was a constituent of the Anantnag district. It was then known as tehsil Sri Pratap. Historical records suggests that Budgam was also referred to as Pargana Deesu. According to the well-known chronicler Khawaja Azam Demari, the area was also known as Deedmarbag. Budgam District borders the districts of Baramullah and Srinagar in the north, Pulwama in the south and Poonch in the south west. It consists of eight blocks: Beerwah, Magam Budgam, B.K.Pora, Khan Sahib, Khag, Narbal and Chadoora. Each block consists of a number of panchayats. The district is subdivided into the seven tehsils of Charari Sharief Tehsil, Magam tehsil, Beerwah Tehsil, Budgam Tehsil, Chadoora Tehsil, and Khansahib Tehsil, Khag Tehsil.

Demography

According to the 2011 census Budgam district has a population of 753,745, roughly equal to the nation of Guyana or the US state of Alaska, making it 494th in India. The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 21.18%. Badgam has a sex ratio of 883 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 57.98%., an increase from 39.54% in 2001.
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 94.78% of the population in the district spoke Kashmiri, 4.00% pahari and 0.50% Pashto as their first language.

Education

There are 98 schools in Budgam, both private and public, 33 of which are Higher Secondary Schools.
Budgam has one government degree college, near Paller Village. Budgam is of one of backward districts in kashmir till date because some political issues. Budgam is district is also known to its great Muslim preachers as:Baba-Hanif-Ud-Din, locally the graveyard is known as "Baba sabin Ziyarath" which is situated at the most beautiful mountain which ends up in Rathsun, a small cute village. The people of Rathsun are very kind, as from the old times. Magam is one of the main town in budgam right now, because it is approximately at centre of the district budgam. Ompora, Charar Sharif, Kralpora and Soibugh are highly populated localities of Budgam district. Magam, Ichigam, Iskandarpora, Wahabpora villages of Budgam district are the biggest villages with Shia population.

Attractions

contains the only airport in Kashmir valley at Ichigam. The district's main tourist attractions are Doodhpathri, Yusmarg, Tosamaidan, Nilnag, Khag Mt Tatakuti, and Pehjan. District Budgam offers many stunning locales and has tremendous
tourism potential that has largely remained untapped so far. The attractive places that can be visited are
Doodpather,
Yousmarg,
Tosmaidan,
Nilnag and Khag.
Kani shawl adomed the caesar's court and was looked upon by Mughals and later by Nawabs as mark of nobility. In 1776 Napoleon presented a Kani shawl to his wife Josephine and with that took off a new fashion trend in Europe
The revered shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali can also be found in the Charari Sharief Tehsil of Budgam district. Asia's oldest/largest Chinar resides at Chattergam Budgam.
The Budgam railway station is located in Ompora town nearly 2.5 km from district headquarters and 9 km from city centre Lalchowk. It is the biggest railway station in Kashmir division. This railway station has administrative head controlling the rail service in Kashmir valley. Outside railway station Ompora there is a big hospital which is Budgam district's first private hospital.

Notable people

Bilal Ahmad Bhat of Zagipora Chadoora