Rajouri District took its name from the town of Rajouri which had been historically known as Rajapuri (meaning, 'royal town'). The district is spread over an area of 2,630 sq km, and holds a population of about 0.4 million. It is enclosed by the districts of
Poonch in the north,
Jammu in the south,
Udhampur in the east, and Pak Occupied Kashmir (Mirpur area) in the west. Gujri, Pahari, Punchi,
Dogri and
Kashmiri are the main languages spoken.
The climate varies from semi-tropical in the southern part to temperate in the mountainous north. The sub-tropical region receives regular monsoons whereas the northern part is prone to hailstorms and excessive rain. The district is drained by small rivers.
Majority of the population belong to the
Paharies tribe and rest are Bakerwal and Gujjar. Agriculture is the main occupation - maize, wheat, and paddy are the chief crops.
The popular ballads are Dhindi, Baisakh, Kenchi, Lucko, Chann, Dholan, Sahibn, Mehndi, Laari, Saif-ul-Malook and Bar-Shams.
Dussehra, Nowshera Day, and
Holi are some of the main festivals celebrated.
Thanamandi, Dhandidhar Fort,
Usman Memorial,
Balidan Bhawan, War Memorial, and
Hall of Fame are some of historical places and monuments. Also, Rajouri has a number of tourist spots such as Ziarat Shahdara Sharief, Naogazi Ziarat, Mangla Mata Temple, Chingas, Samot Sar, Chandan Sar, Divya Sar, Sukh Sar, and Gum Sar.
