The Basics
Jammu & Kashmir at a Glance
Jammu & Kashmir is a Himalayan Union Territory in India's far north, made up of the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu region. A former princely state that acceded to India in 1947, it was reorganised into a Union Territory in 2019, when Ladakh was separated into its own UT.
- Srinagar & Jammu Summer and winter capitals (the traditional "Darbar Move"); Srinagar is the largest city
- 31 Oct 2019 Became a Union Territory under the J&K Reorganisation Act — formerly a state
- 42,241 km² Area under Indian administration (excluding Ladakh, separated in 2019)
- 20 districts Across two divisions — the Kashmir Valley and Jammu
- Five languages Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi & English — official since 2020
- 90 seats Legislative Assembly — with 5 Lok Sabha and 4 Rajya Sabha seats
- Governance A Lieutenant Governor, with an elected Assembly restored in October 2024
- Geography The Himalayas & Pir Panjal; the Kashmir Valley; rivers Jhelum, Chenab & Tawi
- Borders Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and the UT of Ladakh; a Line of Control to the west
- State tree The chinar (Platanus orientalis) — brilliant red-gold in autumn
People
Population & Society
The 2011 Census — the last full count — was taken when J&K was a single state that also included Ladakh; figures here are on that basis unless noted. The UT spans two regions and many communities, described below in neutral, demographic terms.
- 1.23 crore Population of the present UT (2011, excluding Ladakh) — about 1,22,67,000
- 23.6% Decadal growth, 2001–2011 (former state)
- 889 Sex ratio — females per 1,000 males, 2011
- 67.2% Literacy rate, 2011
- Two regions The Kashmiri-speaking, Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley and the Dogri-speaking, religiously mixed Jammu division
- Faiths Muslim ~68% and Hindu ~28%, with Sikh & Buddhist minorities — Census 2011, when the state still included Ladakh
- ~12% Scheduled Tribes — including the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities
- Languages Kashmiri (~53%) and Dogri (~20%), with Gojri, Pahari & others
Economy
Apples, Saffron & Crafts
J&K's economy rests on horticulture, handicrafts and tourism, and leans on central support. Its orchards make it India's fruit basket, and its crafts are renowned the world over.
- ₹2.88 L cr GSDP 2025-26 (budget estimate)
- ~10% Nominal GSDP growth, 2025-26 (budget estimate)
- ~₹1.55 lakh Per-capita income (2024-25) — below the national average
- ~65% Share of revenue that comes from the Centre
Orchards & crafts
- Apples India's largest apple producer — about three-quarters of the national crop
- Saffron The Pampore belt grows most of India's saffron; "Kashmir Saffron" is GI-tagged (2020)
- Walnuts & cherries India's main producer of both, plus pears and almonds
- Handicrafts Pashmina & Kani shawls, hand-knotted carpets, papier-mâché and walnut-wood carving — many GI-tagged
- Centre-dependent: like other Himalayan UTs, J&K relies heavily on central transfers, with tourism and horticulture as mainstays.
- Figures here are the latest J&K Budget estimates (via PRS) and the J&K Economic Survey. The India GDP page compares all states at FY2024-25.
Agriculture
The Fruit Basket of India
From apple orchards across the Valley to the saffron fields of Pampore and the rice terraces of the hills, horticulture is the backbone of rural J&K.
- Apples The signature crop — J&K grows the bulk of India's apples
- Kashmir Saffron The world-famous saffron of Pampore & Kishtwar — GI-tagged in 2020
- Walnuts India's main walnut producer — most of the national output
- Cherries & almonds Kashmir leads India in cherries; almonds and pears too
- Rice & maize The staple field crops of the Valley and the Jammu plains
- Mushqbudji A prized aromatic short-grain Kashmiri rice, revived around Sagam (Anantnag)
- Kashmir willow The willow of the Valley, famously turned into cricket bats
Administrative
The Twenty Districts
The Indian-administered J&K Union Territory has 20 districts — ten in the Kashmir Valley and ten in the Jammu division. The map shows these twenty; the broader claimed boundary, including areas under Pakistani administration, is not depicted here. Select a district to highlight it on the map above.
The map and this list share the same data. Clicking a district highlights it on the interactive map in the hero; soon each will open its own page.
What Makes J&K Unique
Strengths, Heritage & Nature
J&K's draw is its landscape and heritage — the lakes and gardens of Srinagar, the meadows of Gulmarg and Pahalgam, ancient temples and revered shrines, all ringed by the Himalaya.
Heritage
- Mughal Gardens Shalimar Bagh (1619) and Nishat Bagh (1633) terraced beside Dal Lake
- Martand Sun Temple The ruined 8th-century sun temple built by Lalitaditya, near Anantnag
- Vaishno Devi The major hilltop shrine at Katra (Reasi) — among India's most-visited
- Shrines & mosques Hazratbal and the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar; the Shankaracharya temple above the city
Nature
- Dal Lake Srinagar's famous lake of houseboats and shikaras, ringed by gardens
- Wular Lake One of the largest freshwater lakes in the subcontinent — a Ramsar site
- Gulmarg The meadow-and-ski resort, with one of the world's highest cable cars
- Chinar & Pir Panjal Autumn chinars, alpine meadows and the Pir Panjal range
Culture & Traditions
Wazwan, Pheran & the Chinar
Kashmiri and Dogri cultures meet in J&K — the lavish Wazwan feast and saffron kahwa, the pheran and kangri against the cold, Sufiana music, and a poetry that runs from Lal Ded to Habba Khatoon.
- Wazwan The grand multi-course Kashmiri feast — Rogan Josh, Gushtaba, Rista & Tabak Maaz
- Kahwa The saffron-and-almond green tea of Kashmir
- Pheran & kangri The long woollen gown and the wicker fire-pot that see Kashmir through winter
- Crafts Pashmina, Kani shawls, papier-mâché, carpets & crewel embroidery
- Music & dance Sufiana Mausiqi and Chakri; the women's Rouf; the Dogri Kud of Jammu
- Poets Lal Ded (14th century) and Habba Khatoon, the "Nightingale of Kashmir"
Places to Visit
Lakes, Meadows & Shrines
Long called "paradise on earth," the Valley draws visitors to Srinagar's lakes, the ski slopes of Gulmarg and the meadows of Pahalgam and Sonamarg — while Jammu is the gateway to Vaishno Devi.
- Srinagar Dal Lake, houseboats and the Mughal gardens
- Gulmarg Skiing, meadows and the Gulmarg Gondola
- Pahalgam The Lidder valley and a base for the Amarnath Yatra
- Sonamarg The "meadow of gold," gateway toward the Zojila pass
- Tulip Garden Srinagar's spring tulip garden, described as Asia's largest
- Katra Base for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, in the Jammu region
- Patnitop & Bhaderwah The hill stations of the Jammu region
Rail, Road & Air
Onto the Rail Map
Long reliant on a single mountain highway, J&K reached a turning point in 2025, when the railway finally crossed the Himalaya into the Kashmir Valley — over the world's highest railway bridge.
- Rail to the Valley The Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla line opened fully in June 2025, connecting Kashmir to the national network
- Chenab Bridge The world's highest railway arch bridge (~359 m above the river), near Reasi
- Anji Khad Bridge India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, also on the new line
- Airports Srinagar International Airport and Jammu Airport (a new terminal opened in 2024)
- NH-44 The Jammu–Srinagar highway lifeline, with the long Banihal–Qazigund tunnel (2021)
- Learning hubs IIT Jammu, NIT Srinagar, the Universities of Kashmir & Jammu, and AIIMS Vijaypur
People
Voices of J&K
From mystic poets and the Dogra maharajas to a 20th-century political figure and a cricketer who broke through, a few of the names associated with Jammu & Kashmir.
- Lal Ded The 14th-century mystic poet whose verses shaped Kashmiri literature
- Habba Khatoon The 16th-century poet, the "Nightingale of Kashmir"
- Maharaja Gulab Singh Founder of the princely state of J&K (1846), first of the Dogra dynasty
- Maharaja Hari Singh The last ruling Dogra maharaja, who acceded to India in 1947
- Sheikh M. Abdullah A 20th-century political leader, "Sher-e-Kashmir," and former head of government
- Parvez Rasool The Anantnag all-rounder — the first from J&K to play cricket for India
Through the Ages
A Short History of Jammu & Kashmir
From an ancient seat of Sanskrit learning to a princely state, accession to India and reorganisation as a Union Territory — a few of the milestones, told plainly and neutrally.
| When | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 8th century | King Lalitaditya reigns; the Martand Sun Temple is built |
| 12th century | Kalhana writes the Rajatarangini, the chronicle of Kashmir's kings |
| 1339 | The Sultanate of Kashmir begins under Shah Mir |
| 1586 | Kashmir is annexed by the Mughal emperor Akbar |
| 1819 | The Sikh empire under Ranjit Singh takes the Valley |
| 1846 | The Treaty of Amritsar; Gulab Singh founds the princely state of J&K (Dogra dynasty) |
| 26 October 1947 | Maharaja Hari Singh signs the Instrument of Accession to India |
| 1950 | Article 370 gives J&K special status within the Constitution |
| 5 August 2019 | The Government of India moves to abrogate Article 370's special status |
| 31 October 2019 | J&K is reorganised into a Union Territory; Ladakh becomes a separate UT |
| 11 December 2023 | The Supreme Court of India upholds the abrogation |
| 2024 | The first Assembly elections since 2014 are held; an elected government takes office |