View source for Akhnoor

{{distinguish|Aknoor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
<!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Indian cities]] for details -->{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Akhnoor
| native_name                     = 
| native_name_lang                = 
| other_name                      = 
| settlement_type                 = City
| image_skyline                   = Fort at Akhnoor 2013-09-05 12-15-20.jpg
| image_alt                       = 
| image_caption                   = [[Akhnoor Fort]]
| nickname                        = 
| pushpin_map                     = India Jammu and Kashmir#India
| pushpin_label_position          = 
| pushpin_map_alt                 = 
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in Jammu and Kashmir
| coordinates                     = {{coord|32.87|N|74.73|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_name                = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1               = [[States and territories of India|Union territory]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Jammu and Kashmir (Union territory)| Jammu and Kashmir]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Jammu district|Jammu]]
| established_title               = <!-- Established -->
| established_date                = 
| founder                         = 
| named_for                       = 
| government_type                 = 
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| unit_pref                       = Metric
| area_footnotes                  = 
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| area_rank                       = 
| elevation_footnotes             = 
| elevation_m                     = 301
| population_total                = 20756
| population_as_of                = 2019
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_density_km2          = auto
| population_rank                 = 
| population_demonym              = 
| demographics_type1              = Languages
| demographics1_title1            = Official
| demographics_type2              = Languages
| timezone1                       = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1                     = +5:30
| postal_code_type                = [[Postal Index Number|PIN]]
| postal_code                     = 181201
| area_code                       = 91 1924
| area_code_type                  = Telephone code
| registration_plate              = 
| website                         = {{URL|http://www.akhnoor.nic.in}}
| footnotes                       = 
| demographics1_info1             = [[Dogri]]
| demographics2_title2            = Secondary official
| demographics2_info2             = [[Urdu]], [[Hindi]], [[English language|English]]
| official_name                   = 
}}

'''Akhnoor''' is an archeological site and Municipal Committee in [[Jammu district]] in the Indian territory of [[Jammu and Kashmir (Union territory)| Jammu and Kashmir]]. It is located in [[Jammu city|Jammu]]. The area is divided into three Administrative Sub-Divisions - Akhnoor, [[Chowki Choura]] & [[Khour, India|Khour]]; Seven Tehsils - Akhnoor Khaas, Chowki Choura, Maira Mandrian, Jourian, Kharah Balli, Khour & Pargwal. Akhnoor is also divided into three Education Zones of Akhnoor, Khour & Chowki Choura.

==History==

The place is believed to be the ancient city of ''Virat Nagar'' mentioned in the [[Mahabarata|Mahabharata]]<ref>[http://www.akhnoor.nic.in/ Official Web Site of Akhnoor Sub-Division (J&K)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/akhnoor-caught-in-a-time-warp/article5007275.ece Akhnoor: Caught in a time warp - The Hindu<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> however, [[Viratnagar|Bairat]], a town in northern [[Jaipur district]] of Rajasthan is more established as the ancient ''Virat Nagar''.<ref>[http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/exclusive_arch.asp?ex_id=1968&ex_title=A+Tryst+with+History+at+Viratnagar+ A Tryst with History at Viratnagar<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://kapasanmata.com/History.aspx Kapasan Mata<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The place is one of the most important historical sites in Jammu and Kashmir. Excavations by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] have established the fact that Akhnoor was one of the last bastion of the [[Indus Valley Civilization]] and Manda, Akhnoor is the northernmost site. [[Terracotta]] figures and other anthropological objects belonging to the [[Harappan Civilization#Collapse and Late Harappan|later Indus]] period have been found during the excavations. Beyond Akhnoor, towards the upper hilly area that joins [[Sivalik Hills]], there has been no trace of any object that could show that Harappans moved any further beyond this town.

Excavations at Ambaran-Pamberwan sites have proved that the place was a prominent abode of [[Buddhism]] during the [[Kushan Empire|
Kushan]] period and [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] period. Apart from an ancient an eight-spoke [[Stupa]] (a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, made of high quality baked bricks and surrounded by stone pathways, meditation cells and rooms),<ref>[http://hillpost.in/2011/11/dalai-lama-to-visit-kushan-period-monastry-excavated-in-kashmir/34832/ Dalai Lama to visit Kushan period monastry &#91;sic&#93; excavated in Kashmir | Hill Post<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> life sized Terracotta busts of [[Buddha]] and coins belonging to those periods were also excavated from the sites.<ref>[http://news.oneindia.in/2011/10/17/dalai-lama-to-visit-ambaran-next-month.html Dalai Lama to visit Ambaran next month - News Oneindia<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The [[14th Dalai Lama]] visited the place in August, 2012. Buddhist relics from the Pre-Kushan reign and silver caskets, gold and silver leaves, pearls, corals and three copper coins from the Gupta period are reported to be found.<ref>[http://himsatta.com/fullstory.php?&id=6&newsid=1331 Dalai Lama Visits Ancient Buddhist Sites in Jammu : Himsatta<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thenorthlines.com/newsdet.aspx?q=41918 |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308054924/http://www.thenorthlines.com/newsdet.aspx?q=41918 |archive-date=8 March 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The location of the Stupas is such that it lies on the ancient routes from [[Pataliputra]], in present-day [[Patna]], [[Bihar]], in India to [[Taxila (modern)|Taxila]] now in [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] Province, [[Pakistan]]. 
Dar, the now small village in Akhnoor,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dar Village Population - Akhnoor - Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir |url=https://www.census2011.co.in/data/village/5557-dar-jammu-and-kashmir.html |access-date=2026-02-09 |website=www.census2011.co.in}}</ref> was a [[Zamindar|Zamindari]] Estate to the Dhar family established by [[Maharaja]] Virendra Mohan Dar, which later shifted to [[Dhamrai Upazila|Dhamrai]] and Rajrajeshwar in [[Bangladesh]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=مکھرجی |first=رمیش |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=3uW4EQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y |title=وِرینٛدر موہن دار |date=1979-12-06 |publisher=بنوارا پبلشنگ |year=1979 |publication-date=6 December 1979 |language=ar}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Badal |first=M. N. C. |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=m9C8EQAAQBAJ&pg=PT58&dq=Virendra+Mohan+dar&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwixuaawtMuSAxUqSGcHHc8qBF0Q6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage&q=Virendra%20Mohan%20dar&f=false |title=ZAMĪNDĀRS OF EARLY BAṄGĀL AND EAST PĀKISTĀN AND DECLINE OF ZAMĪNDĀR SYSTEM |date=1949-06-11 |publisher=Baṅgāl Granthālaya Prakāśan |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Oil Portrait of Maharaja Virendra Mohan Dar of Akhnoor.jpg|thumb|Claude-Sterling [[portrait]] of Virendra Mohan Dar, ''The [[Maharaja]] at 26'']]
Among other find of historical importance that indicates the place inhabited by people pre-dominantly belonging to [[Hinduism]] is the green coloured [[Trimurti]] idol made up of a single stone at Ambarran Village.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

==Etymology==
The town is believed to have been named Akhnoor by Mughal Emperor Jahangir who once visited the area and the fort on the advice of a saint when his eyes got infected while returning from Kashmir. Amazingly, Jahangir's eyes were fully cured by the fresh air of the town blowing over the Chenab. He called the town ''Aankho-ka-Noor'' (light of the eyes) and since then the place came to be known ''Akhnoor''.<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99sep04/saturday/head13.htm The Tribune...Saturday Plus Head<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 
However a contrasting narrative as copied from the official site of Akhnoor goes like this:

{{cquote|... it came to be known as Akhnoor during the Mughal reign. The reason behind this is that the Mughal emperor's wife had vision problem in her eyes and she was prescribed to wash her eyes with the holy water of Chenab using some [[Ayurveda|ayurvedic]] medicines by a local Hindu priest. The queen strictly followed the prescription and her vision was restored. Hence the city was named Akhnoor as in [[Urdu]] the word 'noor' means vision/glow/shine and the word 'aankh' means the eye.|source=Akhnoor Sub-Division Administration<ref>[http://akhnoor.nic.in/AkhnoorDetails/tourism.htm Akhnoor Tourism]</ref>}}

==Geography==
Akhnoor is located at {{Coord|32.87|N|74.73|E|}}.<ref>[http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/12/Akhnur.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Akhnoor]</ref> It has an average elevation of {{convert|301|m}}. Akhnoor is located at the right bank of the mighty Chenab. Chenab enters plains at Kathar (Khadhandhara Valley)<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/a-vale-behind-the-veil | title=A vale behind the veil | date=12 May 2013 | first=Nagendra Singh | last=Jamwal | newspaper=Daily Excelsior | access-date=18 April 2018 }}</ref>  in Maira Mandrian tehsil of Akhnoor. On the north and east, the Shiwaliks, Kali Dhar and Trikuta range surround it. Akhnoor lies on [[National Highway 144A (India)|National Highway 144A]] that runs between Jammu and Poonch, about 28&nbsp;km away from Jammu. It connects with [[Rajouri district]] on the north, [[Reasi district]] on the east and the [[Chamb, Azad Kashmir|Chamb]] tehsil ([[Pakistan administered Kashmir|Pakistan-administered Kashmir]]) on the west. It has humid subtropical climate.

==Demographics==
{{As of|2011}} India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Akhnoor had a population of 11,225. Akhnoor is governed by Municipal Committee of Akhnoor having 13 wards. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Akhnoor has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 74%; with 56% of the males and 47% of females literate.

The languages spoken are [[Dogri language|Dogri]] followed by Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi and English.

==Religion==
Hindu 92.37%, Muslim 2.70%, Christian 2.38%,<ref>http://www.census2011.co.in</ref>

==Tourism==

Some of the main tourist attractions are:
* Sumah Devta: A Classical Dogra Shrine
* Jia Pota Ghat
* Akhnoor and Indus Valley Civilization
* The historical sites of Ambaran - Akhnoor
* Akhnoor fort

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Akhnoor}}
* [http://akhnoor.nic.in/ Official Akhnoor sub-division website]

{{Municipalities of Jammu and Kashmir}}
{{Jammu and Kashmir topics}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Jammu district]]