INTRODUCTION

Baramulla District is the largest District in entire valley both with reference to the population and area. The District is spread over an area of 4588 Sq.Kms and its population according to 2001 Projections is 11.51 lakhs. Baramulla District is bounded by Kupwara in the North, Budgam and Poonch in the South, parts of Srinagar and Ladakh in the East and has the line of control in west.

The District is administratively divided into 8 Tehsils, 16 CD Blocks. Baramulla is no different from other parts of Kashmir Valley. The food habits, dress pattern, customs and traditions are the same as followed in other parts of the valley. Kashmiri is the main language of the people in the District, Pahari and Gojari are also spoken in Uri and areas near foothills of Gulmarg and Bandipora, Sheena (Dard) is the local language in Gurez and Tilail areas. The people also speak Urdu.

The city of Baramulla, founded by Raja Bhimsina held the position of a gate-way to the valley as it was located on the route to the Valley from Muzaffarabad, now in POK, and Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan. As such, a number of prominent visitors have been to Baramulla. These include the famous chinese visitor Heiun T'Sang and Moorcraft, the British historian. Mughal Emperors has special fascination for Baramulla. Being the gate way of the valley it was a halting station for them during their visits to the Valley. In 1508 A.D.Emperor Akbar who entered the Valley via Pakhil spent a few days at Baramulla and according to "Tarikh-e-Hassan" the city during Akbar's stay, had been decorated like a bride,Jahangir also stayed at Baramulla during his visit to Kashmir in 1620 A.D.

From the very beginning, Baramulla has enjoyed religious importance. The construction of Hindu Teeratha and Buddist Vihars made the city scared to Hindus as well as Buddhists. In the 15th Century, the place became important to muslims also, as the famous muslim saint, Syed Janbaz Wali, who visited the valley alongwith his companions in 1421 A.D.chose Baramulla as the centre of his mission and after death, was burried there. His shrine attracts Pilgrims from all over the Valley. In 1894 the sixth Sikh Guru Shri Hargobind Ji visited the city and Gurdawara "Chatti Padshahi" was constructed in his memory, Baramulla thus became an abode of Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Sikhs living in harmoney and contributing to a rich composite culture.