# Bandipore district

Bandipore district (also spelt as Bandipora or Bandipur) is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is one of the 20 districts in the Jammu and Kashmir. Bandipore town is the administrative headquarters of the district. Bandipore is located in the foothills of the snow-clad peaks of Harmukh overlooking the shores of Wular Lake and has produced hundreds of scholars and intellectuals. The district is known for its tourist places such as Wular Vintage Park, Athwatoo and Gurez valley. Before 1947, this town was a big trade and literary centre of Kashmir. This district was carved out from the erstwhile Baramulla district in 2007. The district is bounded by Kupwara district from the north, Baramulla district from west,Ganderbal district from the east, Kargil district in Ladakh, Neelum District in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir and Astore district in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan . Bandipore district is the only district in Kashmir Division that shares border with Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan region. This district occupies an area of 398 km$^2$. The district has a population of 392,232 as per 2011 census.

## Administration
### District Development Council

* DDC Chairperson Bandipora: Abdul Gani Bhat (JKNC)
* Vice-chairperson: Kaunser Shafeeq (INC)
| S.No | Party | Alliance | No. of Members |
| 1. | INC | UPA | 1 |
| 2. | BJP | NDA | 1 |
| 3. | JKNC | PAGD | 4 |
| 4. | JKPDP | PAGD | 2 |
| 5. | JKAP | | 1 |
| 6. | JKPM | | 1 |
| 7. | Independent | | 4 |
| Totak | Totak | Totak | 14 |

## Education

Some of the institutions and colleges of Bandipur which provide quality education to the students of district Bandipore.
* Govt HKM Degree College Patushay
* Govt Degree College Gurez
* Krishi Vigyan Kendra Patushay
* Islamiya Model School Patushay
* Govt Middle School Patushay
* Govt Girls Higher Secondary School, Plan Bandipora
* Govt NM Boys Higher School Kaloosa
* Govt Higher Secondary school Quilmuqam
* Govt Polytechnic College Bandipora
* Kendriya Vidyalaya BSF Bandipur.
* Al-Noor College Of Education moder
* Mehboobul Aalam College Of Education
* Govt High School Bagh]
* Govt High School Qazipora bandipora
* Muslim Model School Qazipora Watapora
* Army Good Will School Aythmulla
* Shaheen College Of Education
* Govt Higher Sec. School Nadihal
* Govt Higher Sec. School Aloosa
* Govt Higher Sec. School Aragam
* Govt Secondary School Mantrigam
* Govt Secondary School Bonakoot
* Eaglets Public Secondary School Plan
* SMS Islamia Model Higher Secondary School, Garoora
* Government Higher Secondary School, Arin

## Divisions

The district comprises seven tehsils: Ajas, Aloosa, Bandipore, Sumbal, Hajin, Gurez and Tulail. The district has three Vidhan Sabha constituencies: Gurez, Bandipore and Sonawari. All of these are part of Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency. The district comprises twelve community development blocks: Aloosa, Arin, Baktoor, Bandipore, Bonkoot, Ganastan, Gurez, Hajin, Naidkhai, Nowgam, Sumbal and Tulail.

## Demographics

Religion in Bandipore district (2011) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 97.39% | 97.39% |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 2.15% | 2.15% |
| Other or not stated | Other or not stated | 0.46% | 0.46% |
Sex Ratio in Bandipore District in 2011 Census. (no. females per 1,000 males) :
| Religion (and population) | Religion (and population) | Sex Ratio | Sex Ratio |
| Muslim (pop 382,006) | Muslim (pop 382,006) | 926 | 926 |
| Hindu (pop 8,439) | Hindu (pop 8,439) | 47 | 47 |
| Other (pop 1,787) | Other (pop 1,787) | 378 | 378 |
| Total (pop 392,232) | Total (pop 392,232) | 889 | 889 |
Languages of Bandipore district (2011)
According to the 2011 census Bandipore district has a population of 392,232, roughly equal to the nation of Maldives. This gives it a ranking of 561st in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 1,117 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,890/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 26.31%. Bandipore has a sex ratio of 899 females for every 1000 males (this varies with religion), and a literacy rate of 57.82%.
Bandipore district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census. :
| | Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Sikh | Buddhist | Jain | Other | Not stated | Total |
| Total | 8,439 | 382,006 | 572 | 555 | 44 | 17 | 2 | 597 | 392,232 |
| Total | 2.15% | 97.39% | 0.15% | 0.14% | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.15% | 100.00% |
| Male | 8,061 | 198,322 | 380 | 520 | 40 | 8 | 0 | 349 | 207,680 |
| Female | 378 | 183,684 | 192 | 35 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 248 | 184,552 |
| Gender ratio (% female) | 4.5% | 48.1% | 33.6% | 6.3% | 9.1% | 52.9% | 100.0% | 41.5% | 47.1% |
| Sex ratio (no. of females per 1,000 males) | 47 | 926 | 505 | 67 | – | – | – | 711 | 889 |
| Urban | 2,549 | 62,557 | 91 | 50 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 92 | 65,361 |
| Rural | 5,890 | 319,449 | 481 | 505 | 26 | 15 | 0 | 505 | 326,871 |
| % Urban | 30.2% | 16.4% | 15.9% | 9.0% | 40.9% | 11.8% | 100.0% | 15.4% | 16.7% |
At the time of the 2011 census, 82.39% of the population spoke Kashmiri, 8,82% Gojri, 4.18% Shina, 1.91% Pahari and 1.27% Hindi as their first language.