Bijbehara
| Bijbehara Bijbiara Vijeshwar | |
|---|---|
| city | |
  Bijbehara | |
| Coordinates: 33°48′N 75°06′E / 33.80°N 75.10°ECoordinates: 33°48′N 75°06′E / 33.80°N 75.10°E | |
| Country |
 India |
| State | Jammu and Kashmir |
| District | Anantnag |
| Elevation | 1,591 m (5,220 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 19,703 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Urdu Kashmiri |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Vehicle registration | JK03 |
Bijbehara, also known as Bijbiara, Vijeshwar & Vejibyor , is a town and a notified area committee in Anantnag district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Geography
Bijbehara is located at 33°48′N 75°06′E / 33.80°N 75.10°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 1,591 metres (5,223 feet).
The town of Bijbehara is situated in the north of district headquarters on the banks of Jhelum River popularly known here as "Veth". It is one of the notable towns of the district. It is four miles to the north of Anantnag town.
The town is surrounded and intersected by plateaus, including "The Totak Shah", from which the whole town can be seen. There are many other plateaus which are getting urbanised.
Demographics
As of 2001 India census,[2] Bijbehara had a population of 19,703. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Bijbehara has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 64% and female literacy of 42%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
History
The Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh constructed a bridge here which was 100 yards long and 6 yards wide spanning the Jhelum River at Bijbehara near the Mughal garden. The bridge was washed away by heavy floods. The oldest Chinar of the sub-continent is located in the garden popularly called as Padshahi Bagh which is now under the control of Tourist Department. JK Bank is assigned with its better development and maintenance. The garden comprises 25 Chinars. The oldest Chinar is 70 feet in circumference at ground level. The Padshahi Garden is 25 canals and 10 marlas. The Dara Shiku Garden is also on the bank of the Jhelum. The garden is of 224 canals area. The Padshahi Garden and the Dara Shikoh Garden are separated by the river Jehlum which is spanned over by a bridge known as "Padshahi Bagh Bridge", thus connecting the two gardens.
Guru Nanak had also come to this town and presently a Gurudwara under name "Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Pehli Padshahi Gurudwara Bijbehara" is at this place.
Bijbehara finds mention in Rajtarangini by Kalhan. Then famous for temples of Chakradhar and Vijayeshwar. Vijayeshwar temple was built by King Shachinar. This temple was reconstructed again during the reign of Anantdev. This fortified temple was a famous site in then Kashmir ( previous to 500 AD) [3]
Flora and fauna
The town of Bijbehara is filled with Chinar trees and hence it is also called "The Town of Chinars". The Chinar trees were imported by Mughal emperors from Iran to enhance the beauty of the town.
References
- ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Bijbehara
- ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ↑ [visit bijbehara http://www.wikimapia.com/bijbehara/]