Kotla, Bagh

Kotla
Village
Kotla
Coordinates: 34°01′32″N 73°49′45″E / 34.0255°N 73.8291°E / 34.0255; 73.8291Coordinates: 34°01′32″N 73°49′45″E / 34.0255°N 73.8291°E / 34.0255; 73.8291
Country  Pakistan
State Azad Kashmir
District Bagh
Elevation 2,000 m (6,500 ft)
Languages
 • Official Urdu
Time zone PST

Kotla (Urdu: کوٹلہ) is a village and tourist resort in Bagh District, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Kotla is 6,560 feet (2,000 m) above sea level. Kotla contains pine trees that are hundreds of years old. It takes approximately 1 hour to drive from Bagh to Kotla.

Forests

Kotla is also home to some of the rarest forests in the region containing Pine trees that are hundreds of years old. Due to lack of knowledge/interest, these forests are now endangered to become extinct as locals continue deforestation by cutting down trees yet local/state governments seem to have no interest in saving them.

Kotla

Geography

The village is situated on the confluence of two mini nallahs, jaber nala and manjimar, which flow all the year round.Kotla is 18 km from the city of Bagh and is located in a valley surrounded by large mountains on three sides. On the south of the valley lies the famous Kanthi forest. The northern areas of Kotla borders Muzaffarabad District. Kotla is the central point of the Sharqi area.

Tourism

Kotla is famous for its hiking trails that lead to Pir Kanthi 10930 ft (3331mt), Danna meadows, Panjal Mastan and Ganga Choti, a mountain peak about 9989 ft(3044 mt) high and one of the most famous tourist attractions in AJK, Pakistan. There is also a waterfall in Kotla. The Valley of the Bagh is the largest and most beautiful waterfalls. It is located at a height of 5798 feet above sea level.and Danni Lake.

Danna

Danna is a hilltop area situated in Tehsil Bagh in the Bagh District of Azad Kashmir. Its approximate height is about 9400 ft above sea level. RWkot, MZD,Kazinag Glacier (14,000 ft) and Jhulem River can be viewed from Danna. Danna is the highest mountainous location in the northeastern area of Bagh,and near Kotla. it is the point of origin of three different mountain ridges. There are some remains of an old mazar on the highest hilltop. Danna is most accessible during the summer months; the weather is generally pleasant but becomes colder from October through March. The area's natural beauty is at its peak from April to September.

Kotla Waterfall

This waterfall is located in Kotla a village in northern Bagh., It is very large and beautiful waterfall. The Bagh is two hours away. The Valley of the Bagh is the largest and most beautiful waterfalls.It is located at a height of 5798 feet above sea level.The waterfall drops about 150 metres (492 ft) from a hanging valley that ends in overhanging cliffs above the Kotla River. The stream, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, forms a cascade so high that it is almost lost in spray before it reaches the level of the valley. After rain, and early in the season when fed by the melting snows, the Kotla Falls is a very striking object. The force of the stream above the fall at such times is sufficient to carry the water clear of the precipice, and the whole mass descends in a condition of liquid dust, between spray and cloud, that sways to and fro with the gentlest breeze. In a dry summer, when the supply of water is much reduced, the effect is comparatively insignificant. The height of the cascade is between 300 and 400 ft, one of the highest in Kashmir formed of a single unbroken fall.

Danni Sar (Lake)

Danni Sr is a high-altitude lake (2,612 metres (8,571 ft) located in near Kotla Bagh, PoK

Pir Kanthi

Pīr Kanthi is a peak and is located in near Kotla village,Bagh Azad Kashmir. The elevation above seal level is 3321 metres.

Ganga Choti

Ganga Peak, more commonly known as Ganga Choti among locals is located in the Bagh district of Azad Kashmir. It is also visible from Bagh city and is often called as the Crown of Bagh. Ganga Choti is approachable from Sudhan Gali and Kotla, Dist Bagh, it is four hours trek and it is strenuous trek since you have to gain height at every step, there is very rare flat grounds on this trek. Ganga Choti is a scenic peak village Bani Minhasan and Kotla in Bagh District, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is 9989 feet (3045 meters) high. It is an attraction for tourists in that area. It is situated in the Pir Panjal Range.

Hike for Ganga peak starts from the town of Sudhan Gali and Kotla which is at a height of 2200 meters from sea level. From there, the peak can be reached through a 3–4 hours easy hike. People in Chanari climb Ganga from that side.

The hike to Ganga offers some very nice views of the valley and meadows. From the peak one can have a 360 degree panoramic view of the whole area. The nearest peak higher from Ganga Peak is called Pir Kanthi, which is at an aerial distance of about 10 km from it.

Peaks

There are seven peaks around in the Kotla village.

Serial no Peak Height in ft Height in mt
01 Pir Kanthi 10930 3331
02 Ganga Choti 9989 3044
03 Kobra 9875 3009
04 Naza Gali 9858 2791
05 Nanga Pir 8576 2611
06 Danna 9450 2880
07 sank 10825 3300

Culture

Kotla has a population of about 7,00 Maldiyal Mughal are the dominant tribe of Kotla with a good number of Maldyal. People have simple culture. They have simple ceremonies of marriage eid and other festivals. They love Islam. Different languages are spoken like Urdu, Pahari, Ashmiri etc. Kashmiri literature has a rich history stretching back to hundreds of years. People like local music like bait and kashmiri music. They love to play different games like cricket, volleyball, hockey and football.

Language

Pahari language spoken in Kotla. The majority of the Maldyal Mughals speak Pahari and Potohari. There culture is symbol of typical Pahari culture. Their population is a majority of Muslim with a sizable (Shia) minority.

Maldiyal Mughal

The Maldiyal is a Mughal clan, living in Azad Kashmir and Rawalpindi division of Punjab, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir division, and Punjab regions of India. It is a major land-holding tribe in Bagh District and Tehsil Abbaspur of the Poonch District and Tehsil Mendhar of District Poonch of Indian Jammu and Kashmir. The main village of Maldiyal is birpani, Kotla, Topi Kothian & Narr Sher Ali Khan, moere than 95% population of these areas is Maldiyal The word "Maldyal" is derived from the name of Mirza Moloud Baig, Father of Maldyals and a great warrior of Poonch State.

Shajra of Mirza Moloud Baig

A short introduction from Ameer Taimoor Gorgani Barlasi. The great Mughal Emperor to Mirza Moloud Baig.

Ameer Taimoor Gorgania Barlasi, the great Mughal Emperor

The tribe has a history of bravery and martiality. The tribe is descended from Prince Mirza Tahir Baig, who immigrated from Herat in Afghanistan, which was the largest province of Taimoorid Sultanat, and settled in Srinagar. Later, the Maldyal Tribe settled in Poonch.

Climate

Kotla features a subtropical highland climate (Cwa) under the Köppen climate classification due to high altitude. Kotla has mild to warm temperatures during the spring and autumn, humid temperatures during summer and cold to snowy during the winter. The temperature can rise as high as 38 °C (100 °F) during the mid-summer months and drop below −10 °C (14 °F) during the winter months. Snowfall can occur in December and January, while most rainfall occurs during the monsoon season stretching from July to September.[1]

Climate data for Kotla, Azad Kashmir
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.6
(67.3)		 20.9
(69.6)		 30.4
(86.7)		 41
(106)		 45
(113)		 40.6
(105.1)		 43.2
(109.8)		 40
(104)		 36.4
(97.5)		 35.9
(96.6)		 33.3
(91.9)		 25.9
(78.6)		 45
(113)
Average high °C (°F) 17.3
(63.1)		 19.8
(67.6)		 24.7
(76.5)		 30.6
(87.1)		 36.3
(97.3)		 38.1
(100.6)		 34.8
(94.6)		 33.5
(92.3)		 33.2
(91.8)		 30.4
(86.7)		 25.2
(77.4)		 19.7
(67.5)		 28.63
(83.54)
Average low °C (°F) 3.8
(38.8)		 6.7
(44.1)		 11.1
(52)		 15.9
(60.6)		 21
(70)		 23.8
(74.8)		 24.3
(75.7)		 23.6
(74.5)		 21.1
(70)		 14.8
(58.6)		 8.8
(47.8)		 5
(41)		 14.99
(58.99)
Record low °C (°F) −10
(14)		 −5.6
(21.9)		 −3.8
(25.2)		 — 10
(50)		 13
(55)		 12
(54)		 12.7
(54.9)		 13
(55)		 1.9
(35.4)		 0
(32)		 −3.3
(26.1)		 −10
(14)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 24.9
(0.98)		 30.8
(1.213)		 31.2
(1.228)		 20.1
(0.791)		 14.4
(0.567)		 44.1
(1.736)		 112.8
(4.441)		 136.3
(5.366)		 43.8
(1.724)		 15.7
(0.618)		 14.5
(0.571)		 19.1
(0.752)		 507.7
(19.987)
Source: [2]

Sports

Kotla Cricket Ground (Altitude 8135 feet)

There is a cricket ground near the Dana known as Kotla Ground, located between two mountains. Every year in June a cricket tournament is held there in which sixteen teams of District Bagh and Mzd participate.

Earthquake of 2005

Kotla and its surrounding villages were totally destroyed by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, hundreds of people were killed or injured by this quake. 100% population was left homeless. Most of the houses have been reconstructed though with the help of the Governments of Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and local and international NGOs.

Heavy snowfall in the region around the epicentre, shown here in a January 6, 2006 NASA satellite image, hampered the relief efforts which began shortly after the earthquake struck.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Pakistan Meteorological Department
  2. ↑ "Kotla, Azad Kashmir". Climate Charts. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
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