Gurez

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.)

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Bandipore district map

Gurez ia a town and tahsil in Bandipora district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Gurez may be identified with Daratpura of Rajatarangini.

Variants

• Gurez/Gurej (गुरेज) = दे. Darada (दरद) (AS, p.292)
• Daratapuri (दरतपुरी) = Gurez (गुरेज) (AS, p.426)
• Daratpura (दरतपुर) = Gurez (गुरेज) (AS, p.426)
• Gurais
• Gurez Valley

Location

Gurez is a valley located in the high Himalayas, about 86 km from Bandipore and 123 km from Srinagar in northern Kashmir and southern Gilgit-Baltistan. At about 2,400 metres above sea level, the valley is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The Kishanganga River flows through the valley. The road to Gilgit runs through Gurez.

History

Historically, Gurez was part of ancient Dardistan, stretching between Sharada Peeth in the west, Minimarg in the north, Drass in the east, and Bagtore in the south. The valley falls along the ancient Silk Route, which connected the Kashmir Valley with Gilgit, before continuing further to Kashgar. Archaeological surveys in valleys north of Gurez have uncovered hundreds of carved inscriptions in Kharoshthi, Brahmi, and Tibetan. In particular, the carvings provide insights into the origins of the Kashmiri people and the early history of Buddhism.

The ancient capital of the Dards, Dawar, is located in the Gurez Valley and is an important archaeological site. Other archaeological sites of importance in the valley include Kanzalwan, where the last council of Buddhism is believed to have been held and, further downstream, the ruins of the ancient Sharda University are preserved along the Kishenganga/Neelum River.

Prior to the partition of Kashmir, Gurez had been a destination for foreign tourists, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who is known to have visited some time before he became the US president. During the colonial period, Gurez was often visited by trekkers. Nehru and Indira Gandhi, accompanied by Sheikh Abdullah, were among those who visited the area in the 1940s, fishing for trout at Naranag, one of the lakes in the mountains above the valley.

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Kishanganga: Kishanganga or The Neelam River originates from Krishansar Lake in the vicinity of Sonamarg and runs northwards to Badoab village where it meets a tributary from the Dras side and runs westwards along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. It is fed by many glacial tributary streams on its way. It enters Azad Kashmir in the Gurez sector of the Line of Control, and then runs west until it meets the Jhelum River in Muzaffarabad. The Neelum River is 245 kilometers long, it covers 50 kilometers in Jammu and Kashmir and the remaining 195 kilometers in Azad Kashmir.

Bandipora : 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. The main source of pollution to Wullar Lake is Jhelum river. Jhelum river carries all the wastes from Srinagar city and other surrounding areas and deposits it in Wullar Lake. Despite being the richest wetland of South Asia and Largest Fresh water lake in Asia, no steps have been taken to save Wullar Lake.

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 Aaloosa 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 Northern 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. There are strong links between Skardu - Gurez and Bandipora.

In Rajatarangini

Daratpura (दरतपुर) was City of Darads mentioned in Rajatarangini: Book VII (p.195, 237); Book VIII (p.98); Identification: It is situated probably in the Kishanganga Valley. Daratpura may be identified with Gurez,the chief place of the upper Kisanganga Valley.

Villages in Gurez tahsil

1 Abdullan, 2 Baduab, 3 Badugam, 4 Badwan Wanpora, 5 Barnia, 6 Buglindar, 7 Dangi Thal, 8 Dawar, 9 Forest Block Gurez, 10 Gujran, 11 Gulshan Pora, 12 Gund Gul Sheikh, 13 Husan Gam, 14 Jurniyal, 15 Khandyal, 16 Kilshi Pain, 17 Korgbal, 18 Malangam, 19 Manz Gund, 20 Markoot, 21 Mastan Khopri, 22 Nail Kanzalawan, 23 Niru, 24 Parana Talel, 25 Saradab, 26 Shah Pora, 27 Wazirithal, 28 Zadigi,

Source - https://www.census2011.co.in/data/subdistrict/40-gurez-bandipora-jammu-and-kashmir.html

References

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