# Ganderbal district

The Ganderbal district, is an Indian-administered district in Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It was formed in 2007 and has 6 subdistricts (tehsils): Kangan, Ganderbal, Tullamulla, Wakura, Lar, and Gund.

## Lakes and Rivers

There are many lakes in the Ganderbal district both plain and alpine varieties, which include over 100 alpine lakes.
Plain lakes:
* Ahansar Lake
* Khanpursar Lake
* Manasbal Lake
* Narayanbagh Lake
* Waskura Lake
* Shallabugh Wetland (which includes some portion of Anchar Lake)
Alpine lakes:
* Gadsar Lake
* Gangabal Lake
* Krishansar Lake
* Nundkol Lake
* Satsar Lake
* Vishansar Lake
Furthermore, Durinar Lake III (located at an elevation of 4,650 meters above sea level) is the highest altitude alpine lake in Kashmir, while Manasbal Lake (with a depth of 13 meters or 43 feet) is the deepest plain lake in Kashmir. Both lakes fall within the jurisdiction of the Ganderbal district.
The rivers flowing within the jurisdiction of the Ganderbal district are:
1. Sind River - The primary river flowing through the district, originating from the Zoji La pass and running throughout Ganderbal.
2. Kishanganga/Neelum River - This river originates in vicinity of Sonamarg and flows onward across the Line of Control and enters the Pakistan.
3. Jhelum River - The major river of Kashmir that flows through some villages in the Ganderbal district, playing a vital role in the region's agriculture and water supply.

## Grape Cultivation

Lar town stands out for its grape cultivation, yielding the highest production in the entire valley. This has given Ganderbal the title of the Grape Town of Kashmir.

## Wicker Work

The Ganderbal district, particularly the Sherpathri belt, is renowned as the Wicker Hub of Kashmir due to its distinctive wicker artisans. Spanning nearly 25 small hamlets, most of the population in this area is associated with the craft of wickerwork. These craftsmen create a variety of items, including chairs, sofas, baskets, flower vases, and kitchen essentials, using locally sourced willow reeds.

## Historic sites and remains
### Kheer Bhawani

Kheer Bhawani is a temple dedicated to the goddess Bhavani, constructed over a spring in Tulmul village. The name of the temple is derived from both the rice pudding (kheer) that is used as an offering, and the goddess it is offered to.

### Naranag Temple

The Naranag Temple located near Harmukh Mountain, holds historical significance as an ancient pilgrimage site dedicated to Lord Shiva. Historians suggest that it was commissioned by the eighth-century ruler Lalithdatiya Muktapid and has been associated with religious practices for centuries. While its impressive architecture reflects the craftsmanship of its builders from the eighth century, the temple currently faces challenges of preservation and maintenance. Despite recent efforts by the government to construct protective walls, the site remains in a state of disrepair, with only faint traces of its former glory surviving. While acknowledging its cultural and historical importance, it's essential to recognize the need for ongoing efforts to ensure its preservation and relevance for future generations.

## Geography

Ganderbal district, has its district headquarters located at 33°44′N 75°09′E﻿ / ﻿33.73°N 75.15°E﻿ / 33.73; 75.15 in the town of Ganderbal, is at an average elevation of 1,950 metres (6,400 ft) above mean sea level. The town is at a distance of 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Srinagar city. The total geographical area of Ganderbal district is 259 km2.
The mountainous Ganderbal district is spread across the Sind River. It is the only river in Jammu and Kashmir on which three hydroelectric power stations are functional, and provides water for irrigation. 80% of the population of the district is engaged with farming. The river sand (bajri), often mixed with cement, it produces is of high value.
Harmukh is the highest peak in the region and Gangbal the largest alpine lake.

### Sub Districts

The district currently has six subdistricts (tehsils):
* Kangan
* Ganderbal
* Tullamulla
* Wakura
* Lar
* Gund
It is further divided into nine CD blocks: Ganderbal, Wakura, Lar, Kangan, Gund, Sherpathri, Phaag, Manigam and Batwina. Each block consists of a number of panchayats. Ganderbal District has 2 assembly constituencies: Kangan and Ganderbal.

## Demographics

Religion in Ganderbal district (2011) :
| Religion | Religion | Percent | Percent |
| Islam | Islam | 97.69% | 97.69% |
| Hinduism | Hinduism | 1.88% | 1.88% |
| Other or not stated | Other or not stated | 0.43% | 0.43% |
Sex Ratio in Ganderbal District in 2011 Census. (no. females per 1,000 males) :
| Religion (and population) | Religion (and population) | Sex Ratio | Sex Ratio |
| Muslim (pop 290,581) | Muslim (pop 290,581) | 905 | 905 |
| Hindu (pop 5,592) | Hindu (pop 5,592) | 79 | 79 |
| Other (pop 1,273) | Other (pop 1,273) | 316 | 316 |
| Total (pop 297,446) | Total (pop 297,446) | 874 | 874 |
Languages of Ganderbal district (2011)
Ganderbal district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census. :
| | Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Sikh | Buddhist | Jain | Other | Not stated | Total |
| Total | 5,592 | 290,581 | 406 | 486 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 344 | 297,446 |
| Total | 1.88% | 97.69% | 0.14% | 0.16% | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.12% | 100.00% |
| Male | 5,182 | 152,571 | 255 | 458 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 231 | 158,720 |
| Female | 410 | 138,010 | 151 | 28 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 113 | 138,726 |
| Gender ratio (% female) | 7.3% | 47.5% | 37.2% | 5.8% | 24.0% | 87.5% | 25.0% | 32.8% | 46.6% |
| Sex ratio (no. of females per 1,000 males) | 79 | 905 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 874 |
| Urban | 389 | 46,498 | 53 | 38 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 57 | 47,039 |
| Rural | 5,203 | 244,083 | 353 | 448 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 287 | 250,407 |
| % Urban | 7.0% | 16.0% | 13.1% | 7.8% | 12.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% | 16.6% | 15.8% |
At the time of the 2011 census, 68.92% of the population spoke Kashmiri, 20.21% Gojri, 3.49% Pashto, 2.61% Pahari and 1.31% Hindi as their first language. Balti and Shina are also spoken by small populations in the high mountains.

## Tourism

The Ganderbal district is located in valley of the Sindh River, also known as Nallah Sindh. It is rich in landscape and is often called the District of Lakes, as it possesses the highest number of lakes in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

### Sonamarg

Sonamarg, a hill station located 80 kilometers from Srinagar. At an altitude of 2,800 meters, it has views of snow-clad mountains, alpine meadows, and the Sindh River. Hosting the International Championships of Rafting on the Sindh River, it attracts adventure enthusiasts from around the world. The area has seen some development in the form of private hotels offering modern amenities for visitors. Additionally, Sonamarg serves as a starting point for treks to high altitude lakes like Vishansar, Krishansar, Gadsar and Gangabal, known for their abundant trout populations.

### Manasbal Lake

Manasbal Lake, located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north west of Ganderbal, is a tourist destination known for its scenery and wildlife. Spanning 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long and 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide. It is located in the Jhelum valley, north of Srinagar city. Named after Lake Manasarovar. it is encircled by three villages: Jarokbal, Kondabal and Gratabal with a depth of 13 m or 43 ft one of the deepest lakes in the Kashmir valley.
The lake is renowned for its large growth of lotus plants, which bloom during July and August, enhancing the beauty of its clear waters. Additionally, the Mughal garden known as Garoka, built by Nur Jahan, offers stunning views of the lake.
Manasbal Lake is a haven for birdwatchers, boasting one of the largest natural habitats for aquatic birds in Kashmir. Despite its natural beauty and ecological significance, the lake faces challenges such as environmental degradation and tourism-related pressures.
Accessing the lake from Srinagar involves a 30-kilometer road journey via Shadipur, Nasim, and Ganderbal. The road to Wular Lake, Kashmir's largest lake, passes through Manasbal, providing visitors with an opportunity to explore the region's diverse water bodies and natural landscapes.

### Prang

Prang village is 12 kilometres far from the central hub (beehama) of district Ganderbal, towards the east. Srinagar-Leh National Highway (NH 1D) passes right through the middle of this village. This village falls under the jurisdiction of tehsil Kangan.
The Prang garden used to be the picnic spot in 1990's before army came and established the base camp there. However, the army camp was later evacuated from the garden in the year 2008. This garden is situated on the banks of the famous Sindh River, and forested slopes are on the other side of the garden adding more charm to its beauty. The famous Environmental park (usually known as the "dumping park") is in the adjacent village of Prang.
This village is considered as the main hub for its adjacent areas. The adjacent areas of this village are "Lari Prang, Check Prang, Herra Prang, Pati Prang and dragtung".

### Mohand Marg

Mohand Marg is an alpine meadow in the Lar tehsil. In summer it is a tourist destination for trekking and camping. Sir Aurel Stein was the first person to explore the place, pitching his camp in the summer of 1895.
It is hidden in the mountains to the north of Srinagar at the foot of Haramukh Peaks about 25 kilometers from Srinagar via the Ganderbal road towards Leh. From the road it is accessed via 5 kilometer trek up a steep path through the hill-side settlements and fields of Lar and Chount Waliwar before the 'Marg' opens out across the mountain side giving views of the Sindh Valley far below in one direction and the Valley of Kashmir in the other.

### Harmukh

Harmukh (also known as Mount Haramukh or Harmukh mountain) is a mountain with a peak elevation of 16,890 ft (5,148 metres), in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. Harmukh is part of the Himalaya Range, and is located between Sindh River to its south and Kishanganga River to its north. It rises above the Gangabal Lake in the vicinity of Kashmir Valley. It is more hazardous to reach Mount Haramukh from the east and south side of Ganderbal and has never been climbed from these sides; thus, it is mostly climbed in the north-west from the Arin Bandipore side.
Harmukh was first climbed by the Great Trigonometric Survey's Thomas Montgomerie in 1856 and made the first survey of the Karakoram some 210 km (130 miles) to the south, and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labelling them K1 and K2. Harmukh was later climbed by many other climbers. Therefore, Harmukh is the mountain from which the world's second highest mountain peak K2 was discovered and the Serveyer's mark K2 continues to be the name.

### Gangabal Lake

Gangabal Lake, also called Gangbal Lake, is a lake situated at the foothills of Mount Haramukh (one of the highest mountain peak in the vicinity of Kashmir valley) in Ganderbal district, north of Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is an alpine high altitude oligotrophic lake, and is home to many types of fishes of which one is the brown trout.
The lake has a maximum length of 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) and maximum width of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi). It is fed by precipitation, glaciers and springs. The lake water outflows to a nearby small lake (Nundkol) and then via Wangath nullah to Sindh River. The trout fishes are present in the lake. Gangabal lake is approached from Srinagar 45 kilometres (28 mi) by road via Ganderbal up to Naranag and then a 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) track upslope.

### Shallabugh Wetland

Shallabugh Wetland, situated in the Shallabugh village of Kashmir valley, is a haven of natural beauty and ecological significance. It was declared as a Ramsar Site recently. Spanning across acres of marshy terrain, this wetland plays a crucial role in maintaining environmental equilibrium. It serves as a vital habitat for numerous species of migratory birds, offering them a seasonal refuge during their journeys. The wetland's diverse flora and fauna contribute to the rich biodiversity of the region.

## Villages

The villages of Ganderbal district include:
* Baba Dariya Din
* Gogjigund
* Haripora
* Kangan
* Lar
* Naranag
* Nawabagh Ganderbal
* Paribal Shallabugh
* Shallabugh
* Sonamarg
* Wakura

## Universities, colleges and schools

The colleges and universities located in the District of Ganderbal include:
* Central University of Kashmir, Tullamulla
* Government Degree College, Ganderbal
* Three faculties of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir:-
** Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Shuhama
** Faculty of Forestry, Benhama
** Faculty of Fisheries, Rangil
* Sainik School, Manasbal

## Tunnels

* Z-Morh Tunnel
* Zoji-la Tunnel