Kathua District is located on the south-east part of
Jammu and Kashmir. It is enclosed by
Jammu District in the north-west,
Udhampur District in the north,
Himachal Pradesh in the east,
Punjab in the south and Sialkot (Pakistan) in the south-west. Kathua occupies 2,651 sq km of land, and holds a population of more than half a million.
Dogri is the main language spoken.
Ravi, Ujh, and Sewa are the most important rivers flowing through Kathua. The climate ranges from sub-tropical to temperate and even alpine in higher regions. The annual rainfall is 170 cm. Paddy, maize and wheat are the major corps.
Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary, located on the banks of river Ujh near Jasrota village, is the only wildlife sanctuary. Bamboo, chir, khair, deodar, oak, kail, and khai are the main species of trees.
Deepavali, Lohri,
Holi,
Ramnavami,
Shivratri, Tihar, Navroze, Id,
Baisakhi, Bahu Mela, Chaitre Chaudash, Purmandal Mela, Jhiri Mela, and Mansar Mela are the main festivals celebrated. Jasrota,
Billawar, Mankote, Lakhanpur, Bhadu, Tirikote, Ziarat Pir Fazal Shah Sahib, Sukarala Mata Temple, and Chamunda Devi are some of the historic and holy places. The major tourist spots are
Basholi, Sarthal, Bani, Banjal, Ujh and
Dhar Mahanpur.
