RAJOURI DISTRICT
Rajouri or Rajauri District is a district of the Jammu region which was earlier known as the land of kings. Rajouri District covered with Poonch to its North, the Line of Control to its West, the Reasi District to its East, and the Jammu District to its South. Rajouri District is situated about 155 kilometers from Srinagar and about 150 kilometers from Jammu City on the Poonch Highway. Rajouri District is the birthplace of the Sikh General Banda Singh Bahadur. Kalaadi is the famous sweet of Rajouri District which is made from milk. The land of the Rajouri District is mostly fertile and mountainous. The main crops that are grown in the Rajouri district are maize, wheat, and rice. Tawi River is the main source of irrigation that originates from the mountains of Pir Panjal.
In historical times, the Rajouri area has great importance. In Mahabharat, there was a kingdom that was called Panchal Desa. Panchal Naresh was the king of that state whose daughter Draupadi was married to Pandavas. So the historians identified the state Panchal Desa as the Panchal Range of mountains. Rajouri District was also part of the kingdom of Panchal Naresh.
The climatic conditions of the Rajouri District are somewhat cooler than the other surrounding plains. Summers are short and salubrious and winters are cool and frosty with rainfall due to western disturbances. Snowfall is meager but may occur in cold months around December. 29 degrees Celsius is the average temperature of summers and 16 degrees Celsius is the average temperature of winters.
Rajouri District is a district that has a good number of attractive tourists spots. Places that are seeing near Rajouri Town or Rajouri fort are Gurudwara Chhati Patshahi, Balidan Bhavan, Rama Temple, Jama Masjid, and Shiv Mandir. The other famous and important places of tourist attraction and several hotels or lodges in Rajouri District are as follows: Shahdara Sharief shrine, Doodadhari Temple, Dhanidhar Fort, Kotranka Budhal, Mangla Mata Temple, The Manma Mata, Ziarat Sain Ganji Sahib, Peer Badesar, Mangal Dei Fort, Chingus Fort, Hall of Fame, Thanamandi Sarai, Lah Wali Bawli, Darhal, and Tatapani.
Folk art of Rajouri District contains folk dances and folk songs which explain the culture of the Indian union territory Jammu and Kashmir. Rajouri is one of the lands of unimaginable and matchless beauty in the form of ancient mountains, rich flora and fauna, towering snow-clad mountains, exotic landscapes, verdant meadows, rich heritage, vivid cultural life, and marvelous folk dances and folk songs.
The famous folk songs of Rajouri District which are renowned amongst the people are Dhindi, Kenchi, Cuckoo, Sopahiya, Mehndi, Baisakh, Dholan, Chann, Laari, and Bar-Shams. Some dance forms are very heart-touching and unforgettable that express the innermost joy and happiness. Dances are always connected with festivals, fairs, or worship of God and Goddess. The famous dances of Rajouri District are Gogri dance, Dogri Bhangra, Letri Naach, Chowki Naach, Jattar, Jagarana, Keekli, and Roff, etc. These are the dances that are performed at the festivals and fairs.
