Kathua


Kathua is a town located in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, near its border with Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The town serves as the District Headquarter of its namesake district and is divided into 27 wards which constitute the Kathua Municipal Council and its adjoining Outgrowths . It is situated along NH-44. The town has a bustling industrial area and an Army Cantonment adjoining it.Jodh Singh a famous Rajput of Andotra clan migrated from HASTINAPUR to KATHUA nearly 2000 years ago and settled here. The three Hamlets of Taraf Tajwal, Taraf Manjali and Taraf Bhajwal were established by his three sons Viz. Teju, Kindal and Bhaju. Their descendent are now called as Tajwalia, Bhajwalia and Khanwalia Rajputs of Andotra sub-caste. The conglomeration of these three hamlets was loosely called “KATHAI” in earlier times which with the passage of time came to be called as KATHUA.

Geography

Kathua is located at.It has an average elevation of. The city is surrounded by three rivers. Ravi is just 7 km down Kathua while ujjh is about 11 km ahead on Jammu Highway. Kathua itself is situated along the banks of a khad which has been heavily polluted and encroached over there years and this has become a drain of sewage,dividing it into two boroughs: Parliwand, meaning the other side; and Orliwand, meaning this side. Itself being a Plain the area is surrounded in the North by snow capped Sivalik hills. It is the gateway to the Indian state Jammu and Kashmir, Kathua lies 88 kilometres south of Jammu.

Demographics

Population

Use of Urdu is predominant in official government documents alongwith English, but Dogri is the mother tongue and the vernacular language of the populace alongwith Hindi.

Transportation

Kathua is 80 kms away from Jammu city and 120 kms from Katra. Interstate and Intrastate road transport is easily accessible due to the close proximity to NH44 .There are two bus stands in the city and an under construction Bus stop near highway. Jammu Airport is the nearest Major airport with regular flights. The town is connected by Indian railways to all Major cities of India. Intra-district transport is also easily available for travelling within the town and surrounding areas.

Climate

Kathua has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate. Kathua generally experiences extreme rainfall during the monsoon being on windward side of Sivalik. Because of its proximity to rivers, the climate is moderate to very hot in summers and mild to very cold in winters. Summers are hot and the temperature may shoot up to 41 degrees, while in winters, the temperature can dip to 2 degrees. Heavy downpour is experienced during the monsoon season in July and August. The annual rainfall is around mainly in monsoons and winters. Town does not experience snowfall. Heavy hailstorms may be experienced in February and March, but are very rare. Fog and sometimes Smog occurs regularly during the winters especially in January and February.
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