Pampore (Urdu pronunciation: [pɑ̃ːpoːɾ]), known as Pampar[4] (Kashmiri pronunciation: [paːmpar]) or Panpar (Kashmiri pronunciation: [pãːpar]) in Kashmiri, is a historical town situated on the eastern side of the Jhelum River on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway. It was known as Padmapura in antiquity.[5] Pampore is about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) away from Srinagar city centre Lal Chowk. It is primarily known for its cultivation of saffron.

Pampore
Pampar, Panpar
View of Pampore Town in Pulwama district of the Kashmir Valley
View of Pampore Town in Pulwama district of the Kashmir Valley
Nickname: 
Saffron City
Pampore is located in Jammu and Kashmir
Pampore
Pampore
Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India
Pampore is located in India
Pampore
Pampore
Pampore (India)
Coordinates: 34°01′N 74°56′E / 34.02°N 74.93°E / 34.02; 74.93
Country India
Union Territory Jammu & Kashmir
DivisionKashmir
DistrictPulwama
Elevation
1,573 m (5,161 ft)
Population
 • Total
21,680[1]
Demonym(s)Pampori, Pamporiya, Pampari, Panpari, Panpariya
Languages
 • OfficialKashmiri, Urdu, Hindi, Dogri, English[2][3]
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)

Etymology

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Pampore was originally called Padmapura.[6]

Geography

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Pampore is located at 34°01′N 74°56′E / 34.02°N 74.93°E / 34.02; 74.93.[7]

Prehistory

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At the Galander site near Pampore, remains of the large extinct elephant Palaeoloxodon turkmenicus[8] were found associated with stone tools produced by archaic humans, with the elephant bones suggested to display deliberate fracturing via stone tool hammering. The site is suggested to date to around 400,000-300,000 years ago.[9]

Economy

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Pampore is known for its cultivation of saffron, with the broader region around Pampore being responsible for 90% of India's saffron crop, though production as of 2023 has declined due to higher temperatures and erratic rainfall.[10]

Demographics

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Religion in Pampore (2011)[1]

  Islam (99.56%)
  Christianity (0.18%)
  Hinduism (0.12%)
  Sikhism (0.04%)
  Buddhism (0.004%)
  Other (0.004%)
  Not Stated (0.09%)

As of the 2011 Indian census,[11] Pampore tehsil had a population of 60,613. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Pampore has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 69%, and female literacy. As of 2011, Pampore town had a population of 21,680, males being 11,007 (51%) and females 10,673 (49%).[12]

Politics

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Pampore is an Assembly Constituency in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Pampore Town Population". Census India. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  2. ^ "The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Parliament passes JK Official Languages Bill, 2020". Rising Kashmir. 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  4. ^ Kashir Encyclopedia (in Kashmiri). Vol. 1. Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Arts Culture and Languages. 1986. p. 86.
  5. ^ Chib, Sukhdev Singh (1977). Jammu and Kashmir. Light & Life Publishers. p. 60. The entire process of saffron growing, harvesting, picking and drying is done in Pampore, which was known as Padmapura in ancient times. India is the second largest producer of Saffron in the world after Spain
  6. ^ Chib, Sukhdev Singh (1977). Jammu and Kashmir. Light & Life Publishers. p. 60. The entire process of saffron growing, harvesting, picking and drying is done in Pampore, which was known as Padmapura in ancient times. India is the second largest producer of Saffron in the world after Iran and Spain
  7. ^ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Pampur, India". Faiingrain.com. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  8. ^ Jukar, Advait M.; Bhat, Ghulam; Parfitt, Simon; Ashton, Nick; Dickinson, Marc; Zhang, Hanwen; Dar, A. M.; Lone, M. S.; Thusu, Bindra; Craig, Jonathan (11 October 2024). "A remarkable Palaeoloxodon (Mammalia, Proboscidea) skull from the intermontane Kashmir Valley, India". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 44 (2). doi:10.1080/02724634.2024.2396821. ISSN 0272-4634.
  9. ^ Bhat, Ghulam M.; Ashton, Nick; Parfitt, Simon; Jukar, Advait; Dickinson, Marc R.; Thusu, Bindra; Craig, Jonathan (October 2024). "Human exploitation of a straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon) in Middle Pleistocene deposits at Pampore, Kashmir, India". Quaternary Science Reviews. 342: 108894. Bibcode:2024QSRv..34208894B. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108894.
  10. ^ "'Red gold': Why saffron production is dwindling in India". BBC News. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  12. ^ "Pampora, Municipal Committee, Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir city population | Population of India". Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.