Kathua is one of the 14 districts of Jammu & Kashmir bordered by Punjab in the South-East, Himachal Pradesh in North-East, District Doda and Udhampur in North and North-West, Jammu in the West and Pakistan in the South-West. The district head quarter is located at Kathua town which is 84 kms from Jammu – the state’s winter capital. The total area covered by the district is 2651 Sq Kms with a total population of 5,44,206 persons, according to 2001 census.
Kathua has rich Pahari culture which resembles the culture of Himachal Pradesh. Most of the people
are agriculture dependent and cultivate major crops like paddy, wheat,
maize etc. Dogri/Pahari is the main language spoken by the people of
this district.
Kathua has some small beautiful valleys and
religious shrines visited by thousands of visitors every year. The worth
visiting places in the district are: Jodia Di Mata, Dhoula Wali Mata,
Banjal, Chandel, Panyalag, Dullangal, Chhatargalla, Sarthal and Duggan.
The small orchards of apples, almonds and walnuts are added attractions.
Facts & Figures
| Area | 2651 sq.kms |
| Area under forests | 1036 sq. kms |
| Latitude | 32017' to 32055' North |
| Longitude | 75070' to 76016' East |
| Population (2001) | 5, 44,206 |
| Male | 2, 85,308 |
| Female | 2, 58,898 |
| Sexratio | 907 Females per 1000Males |
| Literacy Rate | 65.29% |
| No. of sub-divisions | 3 |
| No.of Tehsils | 4 |
| No. of blocks | 8 |
| No. of Villages | 587 |
| No.of panchayats | 183 |
| STDCode | 01922 |
| Postal Code | 184102 |
| Average rainfall | 1672 mm |
| Temperature | 480C(max) 00C(min) |
| Religion | Muslims, Buddhists,Hindu |
How to reach
Kathua is well connected by rail and road with major cities of the country. The district head quarter
is about 88 Kms. from Jammu, 390 Kms from Srinagar, about 500 Kms. from
Delhi and 25 Kms from Pathankot. It is connected to Jammu, Srinagar,
Pathankote, and Delhi through National Highway 1A (NH-1A). Regular Bus
Services are available for Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Katra, Delhi,
Pathankote, Chandigarh, Shimla and all other major cities of Punjab, Himachal Paradesh, Haryana, Delhi, UP, Rajasthan.
The nearest rail head is Kathua connected with major cities of the Country and is located at Govindsar, 7 Kms from the City Chowk, Kathua.