# Budgam district

Budgam district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in Kashmir region. Created in 1979 with its headquarters at the town of Budgam, it is the district with the largest population of Shia Muslims in the Kashmir valley.

## Administration

Budgam district is the closest district to the union territory capital Srinagar 11 kilometres (6.8 mi). Budgam district came into existence in 1979, prior to which it was part of Srinagar district. In former times, Budgam was a part of Baramulla district, when Srinagar itself was a constituent of the Anantnag district. It was then known as tehsil Sri Pratap. Historical records suggests that Budgam was also referred to as Pargana Deesu. According to the well-known chronicler Khawaja Azam Demari, the area was also known as Deedmarbag. Budgam district borders the districts of Baramullah and Srinagar in the north, Pulwama in the south and Poonch in the south west.
In 2008, Budgam district consisted of eight blocks. Currently, the district consists of seventeen blocks: Beerwah, Budgam, B.K.Pora, Chadoora, Charari Sharief, Khag, Khansahib, Nagam, Narbal, Pakherpora, Parnewa, Rathsoon, Soibugh, Sukhnag, Surasyar, S.K.Pora and Waterhail. Each block consists of a number of panchayats.
The district is subdivided into the nine tehsils of Charari Sharief Tehsil, Magam tehsil, Beerwah Tehsil, Budgam Tehsil, Chadoora Tehsil, Khansahib Tehsil, Khag Tehsil, BK Pora Tehsil and Narbal Tehsil.

### District Development Council

Source:
* Chairperson: Nazir Ahmad Khan (IND)
* Vice-chairperson: Nazir Ahmad Jahara (JKNC)
| S.No | Party | Alliance | No. of Members |
| 1. | JKPDP | PAGD | 1 |
| 2. | JKNC | PAGD | 8 |
| 3. | JKPDF | | 2 |
| 4. | JKPM | | 1 |
| 5. | Independent | | 2 |
| Total | Total | Total | 14 |

## Other details

| Number of Sub-division | 03 |
| Number of Municipalities | 06 |
| Number of Tehsils | 09 |
| Number of Blocks | 17 |
| Number of Gram Panchayats | 281 |
| Number of villages | 510 |

## Demographics

Religion in Budgam district (2011) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 97.65% | 97.65% |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 1.34% | 1.34% |
| Sikhism | Sikhism | 0.74% | 0.74% |
| Other or not stated | Other or not stated | 0.27% | 0.27% |
Languages of Budgam district (2011)
According to the 2011 census Budgam district has a population of 735,753 roughly equal to the nation of Guyana or the US state of Alaska, making it 494th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 554 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,430/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 24.14%. Badgam has a sex ratio of 883 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 56.08% (males 66.30%, females 44.85%), an increase from 42.20% (males 53.13%, females 30.29%) in 2001. Literacy is higher in urban areas (average 68.87%, male 79.46%, female 55.38%) than in rural areas (average 54.01%, male 64.00%, female 43.29%).
Sex Ratio in Badgam District in 2011 Census. (no. females per 1,000 males) :
| Religion (and population) | Religion (and population) | Sex Ratio | Sex Ratio |
| Muslim (pop 736,054) | Muslim (pop 736,054) | 915 | 915 |
| Hindu (pop 10,110) | Hindu (pop 10,110) | 109 | 109 |
| Sikh (pop 5,559) | Sikh (pop 5,559) | 674 | 674 |
| Other (pop 2,022) | Other (pop 2,022) | 532 | 532 |
| Total (pop 753,745) | Total (pop 753,745) | 894 | 894 |
Budgam district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census. :
| | Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Sikh | Buddhist | Jain | Other | Not stated | Total |
| Total | 10,110 | 736,054 | 1,489 | 5,559 | 47 | 6 | 2 | 478 | 753,745 |
| Total | 1.34% | 97.65% | 0.20% | 0.74% | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.06% | 100.00% |
| Male | 9,119 | 384,281 | 965 | 3,321 | 36 | 4 | 1 | 314 | 398,041 |
| Female | 991 | 351,773 | 524 | 2,238 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 164 | 355,704 |
| Gender ratio (% female) | 9.8% | 47.8% | 35.2% | 40.3% | 23.4% | 33.3% | 50.0% | 34.3% | 47.2% |
| Sex ratio (no. of females per 1,000 males) | 109 | 915 | 543 | 674 | – | – | – | – | 894 |
| Urban | 7,502 | 89,111 | 561 | 635 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 74 | 97,912 |
| Rural | 2,608 | 646,943 | 928 | 4,924 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 404 | 655,833 |
| % Urban | 74.2% | 12.1% | 37.7% | 11.4% | 55.3% | 50.0% | 0.0% | 15.5% | 13.0% |
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 94.78% of the population in the district spoke Kashmiri and 3.01% Gojri as their first language.
Shias form 20% of Budgam district's population; almost 30% of the urban population of the district are Shia, whilst the majority of the rural population of the district are Sunni.

## Education

There are 590 schools in Budgam, both private and public, 33 of which are Higher Secondary Schools.↵There are 6 Government Degree Colleges at;
* Government Degree College Beerwah
* Government Degree College Khansahib
* Government Degree College Magam
* Sheikh ul Aalam Memorial Degree College Budgam
* Model Degree College Chrar e Sharif
* Government Degree College chadoora.

## Railways

Budgam district has three railway stations: Budgam, Nadigam and Mazhom, which are all on the Jammu–Baramulla line.
Budgam railway station is located in Ompora town nearly 2.5 km (1.6 mi) from Budgam's district headquarters and 9 km (5.6 mi) from Srinagar's city centre, Lalchowk. It is the biggest railway station in Kashmir division. This railway station has the administrative head controlling the rail service in the Kashmir valley.

## Health care

Budgam mainly rely on the Hospitals of Capital City Of Srinagar But Contain One District Hospital In Budgam City One Sub District Hospitals respectively in Beerwah, Khan Sahib, Magam, Chadoora.Outside Budgam railway station, there is a big hospital, named Ibn-Sina Hospital, which is Budgam district's first private hospital.

## Attractions

Budgam contains the only airport in Kashmir valley at Ichgam. The district's main tourist attractions are Doodhpathri, Yusmarg, Tosamaidan, Nilnag, Khag and Pehjan. District Budgam offers many stunning locales and has tremendous tourism potential that has largely remained untapped so far. The attractive places that can be visited are Doodhpathri, Yousmarg, Tosamaidan, Nilnag and Khag. Kani Shawl adomed the caesar's court and was looked upon by Mughals and later by Nawabs as mark of nobility. In 1776, Napoleon Bonaparte presented a Kani shawl to his wife Josephine and with that took off a new fashion trend in Europe. The revered shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali can also be found in the Charari Sharief Tehsil of Budgam district. Asia's oldest/largest Chinar resides at Chattergam Budgam. Aga Sahib Shrine and Tomb of Shams-ud-Din Araqi are also situated in this district.

## Notable people

* Nund Rishi
* Shamas Faqir
* Ghulam Nabi Gowhar
* Samad Mir
* Aga Syed Yusuf Al-Moosavi Al-Safavi
* Mir Shams-ud-Din Araqi
* Aga Syed Mohammad Fazlullah
* Aga Mir Syed Mohammad Baqir Mosavi
* Aga Syed Mustafa Al-Moosavi
* Aga Syed Mehdi
* Aga Syed Mohsin