Akhnoor - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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8/8/2014 Akhnoor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhnoor

Akhnoor

city

Location in Jammu and Kashmir

Coordinates: 32.87N 74.73E

Country India

State Jammu and Kashmir

District Jammu

Elevation 301 m (988 ft)

Population (2011)

Total 11,225

Languages

Official Urdu

Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)

PIN 181201

Telephone

code

91 1924

Website www.akhnoor.nic.in

(http://www.akhnoor.nic.in)

AkhnoorFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Akhnoor(Hindi: ; Urdu: ) is anarcheological site and Municipal Committee in

Jammu district inthe state of Jammu & Kashmir,

India. It is located at a distance of 28 kmfrom

Jammu, Akhnoor is located in the foothills of theHimalayas. The picturesque town is located on the

banks of the Chenab River. The Akhnoor Tehsil is

divided into two Revenue Blocks- Akhnoor &

Khour. Akhnoor is also divided into three Education

Zones of Akhnoor, Khour & Chowki Choura.

Contents

1 History

2 Etymology

3 Geography

4 Demographics

5 Tourism

6 See also

7 References

8 External links

History

The place is believed to be the ancient city of Virat

Nagarmentioned in the Mahabarata [1][2]however,

Bairat, a town in northernJaip ur district of Rajasthan

is more established as the ancient Virat Nagar.

[3][4]

The place is one of the most important historical sitein Jammu and Kashmir. Excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India have established the fact tha

Akhnoor was one of the last bastion of the Harappan Civilization and Manda,Akhnoor is the northern m

site of the Harrappan Civilisation. Terracotta figures and other anthropological objects belonging to the

later Harrappan period have been found during the excavations.Beyond Akhnoor, towards the upper hill

area that joins Sivalik Hills, there has been no trace of any object that could show that Harappans move

any further beyond this town.

Excavations at Ambaran-Pamberwan sites have proved that the place was a prominent abode of Buddhi

during the Kushan period and 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 pathwa

Akhnoor

Coordinates: 32.87N 7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushan_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gupta_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harappan_Civilization#Collapse_and_Late_Harappanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracottahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harappan_Civilizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabaratahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindi_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdu_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_coordinate_systemhttp://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Akhnoor&params=32.87_N_74.73_E_type:city(11225)_region:IN-JKhttp://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Akhnoor&params=32.87_N_74.73_E_type:city(11225)_region:IN-JKhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_coordinate_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India_Jammu_and_Kashmir_location_map_UN_view.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gupta_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushan_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivalik_Hillshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harappan_Civilization#Collapse_and_Late_Harappanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracottahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harappan_Civilizationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeological_Survey_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaipur_districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viratnagarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabaratahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenab_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_cityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_%26_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdu_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindi_languagehttp://www.akhnoor.nic.in/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Index_Numberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC%2B5:30http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Standard_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_districts_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_and_territories_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Akhnoor&params=32.87_N_74.73_E_type:city(11225)_region:IN-JK


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meditation cells and rooms),[5]life sized Terracotta busts of Buddha and coins belonging to those period

were also excavated from the sites.[6]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 copp

coins from the Gupta period are reported to be found.[7][8]The location of the Stupas is such that it lies o

the ancient routes from Patliputra,now in present day Patna, Bihar in India to Taxila now in Punjab

Province, Pakistan. Among other find of historical importance that indicates the place inhabited by peop

pre-dominantly beloning to Hinduism is the green coloured Trimurti idol made up of a single stone at

Ambarran Village.

Etymology

The town is considered the place where Pandavas had to hide themselves from Kauravas during their pe

of Agyaatwaas. A popular story of how Virat Nagarbecame Akhnooris that when Mughal emperor

Jahangir died on his way back from Kashmir at Sarai Sadabad in the year 1627 C.E. There were

speculations of revolt in the Mughal Empire by his sons for the crown, to overcome the revolt it was

necessary to keep his death a secret. His body was preserved in Chingus & the entrails were removed an

buried in the Chingus Fort near Rajouri . The body was then transferred to Lahore to be buried in ShahdBagh, a suburb of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. When they were going to cross the Chenab river in Akhnoo

Jehangir's corpse fell in the boat. Seeing this Noorjahan,shed tears. That is how this place got the name

khnoorwhich is often summarized in the Local folklore as Jahan Girey Noor Jahan ki Aankhon ke No

Wahan basa Shehar Akhnoori.e The Place where tears from the eyes (Ankh) ofNoorJahan fell is the pl

Akhnoor. Varoous signboards installed by the Indian Army connects the two myths as one can find two

them with one reading Gulistan bana rahega Noorjahan ki ankhoon ka noor Akhnoorreferring to the lat

while another board readsAao Pandavon ki Tapobhumi ko hara bhara banaye pointing towards the form

Another narrative goes like this : The town was named Akhnoor by Mughal Emperor Jahangir who onc

visited the area and the fort on the advice of a saint when his eyes got infected while returning fromKashmir. Amazingly, Jahangirs 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 kn

khnoor.[9]However a contrasting narrative as copied from the official site of Akhnoor goes like this:

... it came to be known as Akhnoor during the Mughal reign. The reason behind this that the Mughal emperor's wife had vision problem in her eyes and she was prescribedwash her eyes with the holy water of Chenab using some ayurvedic medicines by a loHindu priest. The queen strictly followed the prescription and her vision was restoreHence the city was named Akhnoor as in Urdu the word 'noor' means vision/glow/shi

and the word 'aankh' means the eye.-Sourced from www.akhnoor.nic.in

Geography

Akhnoor is located at .[10]It has an average elevation of 301 metres (988 ft).Akhnoor i

located at the right bank of the mighty Chenab.Chenab enters plains at Akhnoor.On the North and East,

Shiwaliks, Kali Dhar and Trikuta range surround it.Akhnoor lies on (Mughal Road) Jammu-Poonch

32.87N 74.73E
http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Akhnoor&params=32.87_N_74.73_E_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurvedahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noorjahanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab,_Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jahangirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal_empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kauravahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandavahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimurtihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjab,_Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxilahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biharhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patnahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pataliputrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Dalai_Lamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha


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National Highway about 28 km away from Jammu. It connects with Rajouri District on North, Reasi

District onEast & Chamb Tehsil (Pakistan Occupied Jammu Kashmir Area) on west.

emographics

As of 2011India census, [11] Akhnoor had a population of 11,225.Akhnoor is governed by Municipal

Committeeof 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 59.5%; with 56% of thmales and 47% of females literate.

The languages spoken are Dogri followed by Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi and English.

Tourism

Some of the main tourist attractions are:

Sumah Devta: A Classical Dogra ShrineJia Pota Ghat

Akhnoor and Indus Valley Civilization

The historical sites of Ambaran - Akhnoor

See also

Jammu

Jammu taviTalab Tillo

Samba, Jammu

Nagrota

Kathua

Jammu Cantonment

Hiranagar

References

1. ^ O fficial Web Site of Akhnoor Sub-Division (J&K) (http://www.akhnoor.nic.in/)

2. ^ A khnoor: Caught in a time warp - The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/akhno

caught-in-a-time-warp/article5007275.ece)

3. ^ A Tryst with History at Viratnagar (http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/exclusive_arch.asp?

ex_id=1968&ex_title=A+Tryst+with+History+at+Viratnagar+)

4. ^ K apasan Mata (http://kapasanmata.com/History.aspx)

5. ^ D alai Lama to visit Kushan period monastry excavated in Kashmir | Hill Post (http://hillpost.in/2011/11/d
http://hillpost.in/2011/11/dalai-lama-to-visit-kushan-period-monastry-excavated-in-kashmir/34832/http://hillpost.in/2011/11/dalai-lama-to-visit-kushan-period-monastry-excavated-in-kashmir/34832/http://kapasanmata.com/History.aspxhttp://www.daijiworld.com/chan/exclusive_arch.asp?ex_id=1968&ex_title=A+Tryst+with+History+at+Viratnagar+http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/akhnoor-caught-in-a-time-warp/article5007275.ecehttp://www.akhnoor.nic.in/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiranagarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_Cantonmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathuahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagrotahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samba,_Jammuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talab_Tillohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jammu_tavi&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogri_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census


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Wikimedia Commons has

media related to Akhnoor.

lama-to-visit-kushan-period-monastry-excavated-in-kashmir/34832/)

6. ^ D alai Lama to visit Ambaran next month - News Oneindia (http://news.oneindia.in/2011/10/17/dalai-lama

visit-ambaran-next-month.html)

7. ^ D alai Lama Visits Ancient Buddhist Sites in Jammu : Himsatta (http://himsatta.com/fullstory.php?

&id=6&newsid=1331)

8. ^ h ttp://www.thenorthlines.com/newsdet.aspx?q=41918

9. ^ T he Tribune...Saturday Plus Head (http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99sep04/saturday/head13.htm)

10. ^ F alling Rain Genomics, Inc - Akhnoor (http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/12/Akhnur.html)

11. ^ " Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)"

(http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?

stad=A&state5=999). Census Commission of India. Archived from the original

(http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999) on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.

External links

Akhnoor (http://akhnoor.nic.in/tourism.html) on Akhnoor's

tourism portal

[1] (http://akhnoor.nic.in/photos.html) Akhnoor Photo Gallery

Akhnoor (http://jammu.nic.in/tourism/photogallery/akhnoor.asp) on Jammu's tourism portal

Akhnoor (http://www.ladakh-kashmir.com/cities-jammu-kashmir/akhnoor-india.html) on Kashmi

Tibet tourism portal

Retrievedf rom "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Akhnoor&oldid=618592804"

Categories: Cities and towns in Jammu district

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http://hillpost.in/2011/11/dalai-lama-to-visit-kushan-period-monastry-excavated-in-kashmir/34832/http://www.wikimediafoundation.org/http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_policyhttp://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Terms_of_Usehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_Licensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Categoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Akhnoor&oldid=618592804http://www.ladakh-kashmir.com/cities-jammu-kashmir/akhnoor-india.htmlhttp://jammu.nic.in/tourism/photogallery/akhnoor.asphttp://akhnoor.nic.in/photos.htmlhttp://akhnoor.nic.in/tourism.htmlhttp://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/12/Akhnur.htmlhttp://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99sep04/saturday/head13.htmhttp://www.thenorthlines.com/newsdet.aspx?q=41918http://himsatta.com/fullstory.php?&id=6&newsid=1331http://news.oneindia.in/2011/10/17/dalai-lama-to-visit-ambaran-next-month.htmlhttp://hillpost.in/2011/11/dalai-lama-to-visit-kushan-period-monastry-excavated-in-kashmir/34832/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Cities_and_towns_in_Jammu_districthttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Akhnoor

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Akhnoor - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia