Samba District, Jammu and Kashmir

Samba District, Jammu and Kashmir :

Samba District of Jammu and Kashmir State is a newly formed district and earlier it was a part of the Jammu District. Samba is a district located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a newly formed district and earlier it was a part of the Jammu District. As per 2001 Census, the total population is 2.86 lakh, which includes 1.51 lakh male population and 1.35lac female population in the district. The density of the population is 317 people per sq km. The schedule castes represent 31 percent of the population while schedule tribes i.e. Gujjar and Bakerwals represent 4 percent only of the overall population of the District. The main stay of the population of the districts is agriculture and service in defence.

Location of Samba District : Samba District is situated on range of Shivalik hills alongside the National Highway 1-A on the bank of river Basantar at a distance of forty kilometers from Jammu city. Tehsil Samba is surrounded by Udhampur District in the North, Kathua District in the East, Tehsils Jammu and Bishnah of District Jammu in the west, while on the southern side it has International Border with Pakistan.

Demographics :  According to the 2011 census, Samba District had a population of 318,898,roughly equal to The Bahamas. It is the 568th largest in India (of 640). The district has a population density of 318 inhabitants per square kilometre (820/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade of 2001 to 2011 was 16.9%. Samba has a sex ratio of 886 females for every 1,000 males, and a literacy rate of 81.4%.

History : History of Samba District states that Samba was principality established somewhere in 1400 A.D. As per folklore Malh Dev, the younger son of Rai Saidu of Lakhanpur was the founder of Samba principality, who married into the family of Ghotar, a local tribesman. After his marriage he settled at Samba and made himself the master of the tract with Samba as its capital. Samba ultimately came under the domination of Jammu, during the period of Hari Dev, in 1816 A.D. and in 1846 A.D. it became an important part of the Jammu & Kashmir State.

Geography :  About two third of the area of Tehsil Samba is Kandi and rain fed. The area on southern side downside the national highway is irrigated through Ravi Tawi Irrigation canal network and contributing towards main cereals crop and vegetable cultivation as special focus has been assigned by the govt. of India, Ministry of Water Resources through Command Area Development Department. The climate of the district being sub tropical zone is hot and dry in summer and cold in winter. Being in the foot hills of the mountains nights are bit cooler than that of neighbouring areas of Punjab. The temperature ranges between 6 degree Celsius and 47 degree Celsius.

Administration : Samba District comprises 382 villages as per the notification issued by the Govt. under SRO No.185 dated 22nd of May 2007. These villages have been organised into 55 Patwar Halquas, and 99 Panchayats. Out of 382 villages, 62 villages have been detached from Tehsil Hiranagar of district Kathua and one village from Tehsil Majalta of District Udhampur. Besides, four urban towns viz. Samba, Vijaypur, Ramgarh and Bari Brahmna are also the part of this district.

Tourism : Tourism is an important part of Samba District. Mansar Lake is situated on the Samba - Udhampur Road at a distance of twenty two kms from Samba. The Mansar Lake is enclosed by small hills with different Hindu Gods and Goddesses Temples and also attracts a large number of tourists as well as religious pilgrims in the area. Purmandal is a religious place located at a distance of thirty nine kilometres from Jammu and also connected with Samba via Purmandal-Utterbani -Vijaypur road. Purmandal is known as "Chotta Kashi", having old Shiva temples which has essential religious importance and surrounded by the Shivalik Hills that possess a natural exquisiteness. Utterbani is another religious place located on the bank of legendary Devika and has centuries old temples located at a distance of five kms from Purmandal.