Doda is a district of Jammu region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India and is the third largest district of Jammu and Kashmir after Leh and Kargil. Doda acquired the status of a district when it was separated out of the former district of Udhampur in the year 1948. Sandwiched between the middle and outer Himalayan ranges of Jammu Region of J&K State, the district has mostly a hilly terrain. Because of its vastness, inconvenience is faced by people living in its far-flung areas. Thus, for making the whole area administratively manageable, the State Government trifurcated the district into three districts viz Doda, Ramban & Kishtwar in July 2006. The district shares its borders with Anantnag of Kashmir Division on its North, district Kishtwar in the North-East, Chamba area of Himachal Pardesh in the South, district, Kathua in the south, district Udhampur in the South-West and district Ramban in the West.

Doda History

This District has a rich history. The district name is derived from the name of its district headquarters Doda. It is said that one of the ancient Rajas of Kishtwar whose dominion extended beyond Doda convinced one utensil maker Deeda, a migrant from Multan, to settle permanently in this territory and set up a utensil factory there. Respecting the invitation of the Raja, Deeda settled in a village which later on was called by his name and with the passage of time the name Deeda has changed into Doda, the present name of the town.

The entire region of district, including Allaqa Dengbatal, was previously divided into two independent States of  Kishtwar and Bhaderwah. Kishtwar State consisted of some areas of the present district Doda viz, Doda-Siraj excluding present Bhaderwah, Bhallessa and Thathri Tehsils, Marmat Galihan, Raggi, Assar, Batote areas of Doda and Ramban Districts. The province of Bhaderwah was distributed into fifteen tharas or administrative units. The total area of Bhaderwah Jagir was reduced from 533 sq. miles to 213sq.miles after delimitation of Udhampur district. As per records, from 1112 AD to 1930 AD the Bhaderwah Jagir remained under the control of different Rajas.

Its name as private Jagir was renamed as Private Domain and the in-charge of Jagir was now called as Director Private Domains.The existence of Bhaderwah ended in 1930 on the recommendations of Private Domain Assimilation Committee. Consequently, Bhaderwah became a Tehsil of Udhampur district in 1931. After being separated from district Udhampur in 1948, Bhaderwah became a Tehsil of Doda district. Naibat Tahthri and Niabat Bhalessa of Bhaderwah Tehsil also became fully fledged Tehsils as a consequence of reorganization of districts in 1981.

Doda Climate

Varying physical features of Doda leads to the inconsistent type of climate. The climate is moderate in the places like Kishtwar, Bhadarwah etc. and sub tropical in areas like Ramban. Average rainfall in Doda district has been recorded as 35.08 inches per year which is lowest in Jammu Division. The whole of district Doda has been declared as drought prone due to low average annual precipitation. Since there is a lot of snow fall during the winter season and the summer is as pleasant as Kashmir, the climate of Bhadarwah and Kishtwar is totally different to that of Doda.. These places are worth visiting in winters being famous for snowfalls. Bhadarwah is also called as "MINI KASHMIR" due to this feature.

Doda Culture

The district is known for its rich cultural heritage and ethical values. It is also popular for its age-old traditions of secularism and the spirit of tolerance, which have been since times recognized for binding the people together. The peaceful co-existence in this vast district has been possible only because of the presence values and spirit of the traditions. This feature has been guiding the very destinies of the people professing varied faiths since a long time.