Akhnoor is a town and municipal committee, near city of Jammu in Jammu district of Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies 28 km away from Jammu. Akhnoor is on the bank of the Chenab River, just before it enters the Pakistani Punjab. Its border location gives it strategic significance. The Akhnoor area is divided into three administrative sub-divisions - Akhnoor, Chowki Choura and Khour; Seven Tehsils - Akhnoor Khaas, Chowki Choura, Maira Mandrian, Jourian, Kharah Balli, Khour & Pargwal.
History
Ancient
The place is believed to be the ancient city of
Virat Nagar mentioned in the
Mahabarata[ Akhnoor: Caught in a time warp - The Hindu] however,
Viratnagar, a town in northern
Jaipur district of Rajasthan is more established as the ancient
Virat Nagar.
[ A Tryst with History at Viratnagar][ Kapasan Mata] 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 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 period and Gupta Empire 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),[ Dalai Lama to visit Kushan period excavated in Kashmir | Hill Post] life sized Terracotta busts of Buddha and coins belonging to those periods were also excavated from the sites.
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.
Modern
See Operation Grand Slam in the
Chumb-
Jourian-Akhnoor sector.
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 has come to be known as
Akhnoor.
[ The Tribune...Saturday Plus Head]
Some believed another etymology which is published in the official site of Akhnoor goes like this:
Geography
Akhnoor is located at .
[ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Akhnoor] It has an average elevation of . Akhnoor is located at the right bank of the mighty Chenab. Chenab enters plains at Kathar (Khadhandhara Valley)
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 that runs between Jammu and Poonch, about 28 km away from Jammu. It connects with
Rajouri district on the north,
Reasi district on the east and the Chamb tehsil (
Azad Kashmir) on the west. It has humid subtropical climate.
Demographics
India [[census]],
The languages spoken are Dogri language followed by Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi and English.
Religion
Hinduism is the largest religion in Akhnoor with 92.37% followers. Sikhism, Islam and Christianity are followed by 1.91%, 2.70% and 2.38% people respectively.
See also
-
Line of Actual Control (LAC)
