Samba district

Encyclopedia

Samba District

 is a district in the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir formed in 2006. Before its formation, this area was part of Jammu district and Kathua district.

Geography

The district covers Samba town and adjoining tehsils: Vijaypur and village Supwal and Ghagwal tehsil . The district is separated from the Jammu district by “Purmandal Bridge”. Samba is situated on the bank of Basantar River.

Samba district consists of Eight blocks: Samba, Vijay Pur, Purmandal, Bari brahmana, Nud, Rajpura, Sumb and Ghagwal. Each block consists of GREF panchayats. The biggest village is Rajpura.

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Samba district in J & K

History

Samba was reportedly established in 1400 AD. It came under the suzerainty of Jammu in 1816 A.D., while it was annexed by Raja Gulab Singh in 1846 A.D. Historically Samba consisted of 22 towns (also known as Mandi), each headed by a separate family. Prior to 1947, Samba was a tehsil. Samba became a district in 2006.

Politics

Samba District has two assembly constituencies: Samba and Vijaypur. Both are part of Jammu (Lok Sabha constituency).

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Samba District had a population of 318,898, roughly equal to The Bahamas. It is the 568th largest in India (of 640). The district has a population density of 318 inhabitants per square kilometre (820/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade of 2001 to 2011 was 16.9%. Samba has a sex ratio of 886 females for every 1,000 males, and a literacy rate of 81.4%.

Religion

Religion in Samba district (2011)
Religion Percent
Hinduism
86.33%
Islam
7.20%
Sikhism
5.63%
Other or not stated
0.84%

Samba district has an overwhelming Hindu majority, spread among Muslims, Sikhs, and others are the minority in the Samba district.

Sex Ratio in Samba District in 2011 Census.
(no. females per 1,000 males)
Religion (and population) Sex Ratio
Hindu (pop 275,311)
887
Muslim (pop 22,950)
865
Christian (pop 2,306)
608
Sikh (pop 17,961)
941
Other (pop 370)
869
Total (pop 318,898)
886
Samba district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census.

Languages

Languages of Samba district (2011)

  Dogri (84.53%)
  Punjabi (4.95%)
  Gojri (4.32%)
  Hindi (2.72%)
  Others (3.48%)

At the time of the 2011 census, 84.53% of the population spoke Dogri, 4.95% Punjabi, 4.32% Gojri and 2.72% Hindi as their first language.

Festivals & Fairs of Samba

Rath Kharda Mela

An eight day fair is organised in Narsingh and Annapurna Temple in Ghagwal of Samba district of Jammu division. This fair involves taking out procession of deity on a chariot. Hence named Rath Kharda Mela. Thousands of devotees are drawn from neighbouring states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and also other parts of Jammu region. People from hilly areas of Jammu like: Basohli, Doda, Kishtwar, Bani, Dudu Basantgarh put stalls in this fair and sell the handicrafts and woolen items like Pattus, blankets & shawls.

During this fair, the temple is decorated with flowers and lights. Devotees visit the temple and pay obeisance to the main deity, Bhagwan Narsimha. A Bhandara is also organised for the devotees. Local farmers sow their fields in the name of Bhagwan Narsimha and while harvesting their crops offer a part of it to the temple during this fair.

Besides Ghagwal, Rath Kharda Mela is also held at other places of Jammu division like: Ramgarh tehsil of Udhampur district, Parnala village in Billawar tehsil and Hatli village in Kathua.

Famous People

  • Alla Rakha Indian Classical Musician and tabla player