Bandipora
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.) |
Bandipora (बांडीपूर) is town and district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Bandipora was the connecting link between North India and Central Asia via the Silk Road. There are strong links between Skardu Gurez and Bandipora.
Variants of name
Origin of name
Rajatarangini[1] tells that Then the virtuous and truthful Gopalavarmma (902-904), began to reign under the direction of his mother Sugandha. Though he was yet a boy, and lived among the vile and the seduced, yet he did not contract any bad habit. His mother was now a widow, and living in luxury, asked Prabhakaradeva, a minister (treasurer), to her embrace, and bestowed on her paramour wealth, rank, and three good districts. The treasurer robbed the queen of much wealth and built a town Bhandapura at Shahirajya. The reigning Shahi disobeyed his orders to build the town, on which he changed the name of the country to Kamalaka, and gave it to Tomarana the son of Lalliya. (Book V,p.122)
Jat clans
Location
It is located on the northern banks of Wular Lake - the second largest fresh water lake in Asia. Bandipora has a terraced garden similar to that of Nishat Bagh in Srinagar.
History
Bandipora is the administrative headquarters of the district of Bandipora in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located on the northern banks of Wular – the largest fresh water lake in Asia. Bandipora has a terraced garden similar to that of Nishat Bagh in Srinagar.
In Kashmiri there is a famous phrase about Bandipora or in other words Bandipora is famous for three A’s – A’lim (knowledge), Adab (good habits or literature) and Aab (water).As can be known from the folklore, the name of Bandipora originated either from Bund of Wular as Bund e pur, from the local Folk-singing Bands as Baand e pur or from the enlosed geographical location as Bandh e pur.
Bandipora is bound by mountains on three sides and by Wular Lake in the fourth. Bandipora is situated on the banks of the Wular, the largest fresh-water lake in Asia which is home to a lot of migratory birds. Inadvertent dumping of the polluted river waters and sewage affluence has led to a pandemic growth of algae in the waters of the Wular which is threatening the lake and its supporting life itself.
Bandipora is also a stepping town to the higher reaches of Razdan, Gurez and Tragbal. The famous Lolab valley in Kupwara district is adjacent to the Bandipora. It is just 30 km from Bandipora via Aloosa village. Once this road is upgraded it will become a lifeline of the Lolab valley and it will provide an additional route to the Kupwara district. Bandipora was the connecting link between North India and Central Asia via the Silk Road. At Pazalpora village there was a custom and immigration department which is now a forest check post. Due to the fact, Bandipora is also known as Gateway to Central Asia. There are strong links between Skardu Gurez and Bandipora.
One of the sacred places of the Hindus is Danishwar, locally also called Chota Amar Nath. It is a cave in dense forests of Erin. Pilgrims have to crawl about 60 meters to reach a cave where there are engraved features of Lord Shiva. People used to go there on the Sharvan Purnima, the date on which Amar Nath Yatra is being performed. Ref - https://bandipore.nic.in/history/
Jat History
Subhash Chandra Moond (Naib Subedar) (01.12.1965 - 03.10.2007) , Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous), From Bhainrupura, Laxmangarh, Sikar, Rajasthan. He became martyr on 3.10.2007 in J&K counter-insurgency operations at Bandipora in Jammu and Kashmir.
- He was NSG Commando in Unit 10 Para (SF).
Nihal Singh Nunia (Subedar) (20.01.1953 - 24.08.1996) is a Martyr of Militancy in Gurej sector of Bandipora in Jammu and Kashmir on 24-08-1996 . He was Gothra Nooniya village in Chirawa tahsil of Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan. Unit: 9 Jat Regiment.
Sajjan Singh Malik (Capt) (25.11.1979 - 08.07.2004), Kirti Chakra (Posthumous), martyr of Counter Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, was killed on 7 July 2004 at Gundpura village in Bandipora district. He belonged to village Kirtan of Rajgarh Churu tahsil in Churu district of Rajasthan.
Navdeep Singh Bains (Lt) (08.06.1985 - 20.08.2011), Ashok Chakra, was from Santnagar village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. He became martyr on 20.08.2011 in Gurej sector of Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir fighting with the militants.
Yogesh Kumar Janawa (LNK) (05.07.1995 - 17.09.2023) became martyr on 16.09.2023 at Bandipore in Anantnag in district of Jammu and Kashmir fighting with militants. He was from Lambor Bari village in Rajgarh tahsil of Churu district in Rajasthan.
Unit: 14 Rashtriya Rifles/18 Cavalry
Tourist Places
Wullar Lake: Wular Lake (also spelt Wullar) is a large fresh water lake in Bandipore district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The lake basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum River. The lake’s size varies from 12 to 100 square miles (30 to 260 square kilometers), depending on the season.The lake is one of six Indian wetlands designated as a Ramsar site. However it faces environmental threats including the conversion of large parts of the lake’s catchment areas into agriculture land, pollution from fertilizers and animal wastes, hunting of waterfowl and migratory birds and weed infestation in the lake itself.The Tulbul Project is a “navigation lock-cum-control structure” at the mouth of Wular Lake.
Nishat Park: The famous Nishat Park in Bandipora was constructed in 1954 under the supervision of the then Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Bakhshi Ghulam Mohammad. Nishat garden Srinagar is the largest one of the Mughal gardens in Kashmir. Nishat park Bandipora is built in accordance with the Nishat Garden Srinagar and is in the outskirts of main market Bandipora,It features Beautiful and various Flowers and Trees and provide with a quite and relax environment place for the tourists and people of Bandipora.
Chota Amarnath: One of the sacred places of Hindus is Danishwar,locally also called as Chota Amarnath. It a cave in dense forests of Arin. Pilgrim have to crawl about 60 meters to reach a cave where there are engraved features of Lord Shiva. People used to go there on the Sharvan Purnima,the date on which Amar Nath Yatra is being performed.
Source - https://bandipore.nic.in/tourist-place/chota-amarnath/
Tehsils
Bandipora is divided into seven tehsils: 1. Bandipore, 2. Sonawari, 3. Gurez,
Newly created: 4. Ajas, 5. Hajin, 6. Aloosa, 7. Tulail,
Villages in Bandipora Tehsil
Town: 1 Bandipore,
Villages: 1 Ahmi Sharief, 2 Aloosa, 3 Anayat Pora, 4 Aragam, 5 Arin Dard Pora, 6 Ashtongu, 7 Bana Koot, 8 Brar, 9 Chak Arsala Khan, 10 Chak Rashi Pora, 11 Chhandaji , 12 Chithi Bandi, 13 Chonti Mula, 14 Forest Block Bandipora, 15 Gamroo, 16 Garoora, 17 Gund Dachhana, 18 Gund Qasar, 19 Gundpora Rampora, 20 Khayar, 21 Khurshi Pora, 22 Konan Baba Gund, 23 Kudara, 24 Kunas, 25 Lawadora, 26 Laway Pora, 27 Malangam, 28 Mantrigam, 29 Murad Pora, 30 Nadihal, 31 Nagin Pora, 32 Phalwan Pora, 33 Qazipora Patushi, 34 Quil Muqam, 35 Rangin Pora, 36 Shamthan, 37 Sonagam, 38 Soner Wani, 39 Sumlar Shok Baba, 40 Takiya Ahmad Shah, 41 Zurbaf Pora,
Source - https://www.census2011.co.in/data/subdistrict/41-bandipora-bandipora-jammu-and-kashmir.html
Important Towns and villages
The important villages of Bandipora are:
Ahamshareef, Ajar, Aloosa, Aragam, Arin, Ashtangoo, Ayathmullah, Barazullah, Binleepora, Bonakoot, Brar, Dachigam, Dardpora, Doban, Gamroo, Garoora, Gund-i-Dachina, Gund-i-Qaiser, Gundpora, Gurez, Kaloosa, Kehnoosa, Kemah, Kharapora, Khayar, Konan, Kralpora, Lawaypora, Lowdara, Mader, Mangnipora, Mantrigam, Muqaam, Nadihal, Naz Colony Nowpora, Nowpora, Nusoo, Paanaar, Panzigam, Papachan, Pathkoot, Patushai, Qazipora, Quil, Rampora, Sonarwani, Sumlar, Tangath, Turkpora, Wanagam, Watapora, Waven,
बांडीपूर
बांडीपूर, जिसे कभी-कभी बांडीपोरा और बंडपूर भी कहते हैं, भारत के जम्मू व कश्मीर राज्य के बांडीपूर ज़िले में स्थित एक शहर है जो उस ज़िले का मुख्यालय भी है। यह वुलर झील के उत्तरी छोर पर बसा हुआ है जहाँ हरमुख पर्वत से उतरने वाली मधुमति नदी आकर वुलर मे ख़ाली होती है।
