Poonch is one of the 14 districts of Jammu & Kashmir and is popularly known as Mini Kashmir. It is the smallest district of the state and also the remotest one. Poonch town is the district head quarter of Poonch district. The district is bounded by the actual line of control (LoC) on three sides. The district was divided into two parts during the war between India and Pakistan in 1948. The present Poonch district is divided into 4 Tehsils and 6 blocks for further generalization in administration and collection of revenue.
Poonch is a conglomeration of various cultures and religions. The people of this district have been living with peace and harmony for over centuries. Some places in the district
are important from religious and tourism point of view. Some of these
religious shrines are: Gurudwara Nangali Sahib, Mandir Budha Amar Nath
ji, Ramkund Mandir, Shri Dashnami Akhara Mandir, Ziarat Chhote Shah
Sahib and Ziarat Sain Illahi Bakash Sahib. These shrines are widely
visited by tourists from the whole world.
Facts & Figures
| Area | 1,674 sq. Kms |
| Area under forests | 33656 |
| Latitude | between 33°25' and34º01' North |
| Longitude | between 73°58' and74º35' East |
| Population(2001) | 372613 |
| Males | 194213 |
| Females | 178400 |
| Sex Ratio | 959 females per 1000males |
| Literacy Rate | 51.20% |
| No. of sub-divisions | 1 |
| No.of Tehsils | 4 |
| No. of blocks | 6 |
| No. of Villages | 178 |
| No.of panchayats | 115 |
| STDCode | 01965 |
| Postal Code | 185101 |
How to reach
Poonch
is connected to other parts of the country through road links. It is
situated at a distance of 250 kms from Jammu, the winter capital of
Jammu & Kashmir. It takes approximately 9 to 10 hours from Jammu to
reach Poonch. The fare ranges from Rs.100 to Rs.300 depending upon the
vehicle. Jammu is easily reachable from all parts of the country by air, rail and road.