Saaj

Saaj
Village
Saaj Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India
Coordinates: 33°25′39.5″N 74°22′06.6″E / 33.427639°N 74.368500°E
Country	India
State	Jammu and Kashmir
District	Rajouri
Population (2001)
• Total	3,137
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)

Saaj or Saj^[1] (33°28'0"N 74°20'28"E) is a village is situated on MUGHAL ROAD, in the ThanaMandi tehsil of the Rajouri district in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir. Saaj lies off India 144A ^[2] approximately equidistant from both Rajouri and Thanamandi. Saaj is a Historical village having a glimpse of MUGHAL ERA i.e.A MUGHAL FORT. It is a village with healthy literacy rate in the district.

Being a village having large area, Saaj is bifurcated into two Panchayats viz. SAAJ-A (or Saaj-1) and SAAJ-B (or Saaj-2). Saaj-1 is the Southern part and Saaj-2 is Northern part of the village. Both Panchayats are further divided into six Wards each. The detail of wards are as under:

SAAJ-A

1. Mori,
2. Lohar Mohalla, Kamal Ghai,
3. Thakkar Mohalla,
4. Bhatti Mohalla, Kathadi, Padaati
5. Pune, Thapla Nalla, Khor wale
6. Broota, Kalaah Khokran,

SAAJ-B

1. Khokhar Mohalla, Posal, Dheri
2. Saraan, Balyaari, Tanda
3. Nalla, Mori-1, Kasbee Mohalla
4. Mohalla Gegian, Soud, Lohar Mohalla
5. Kemri, Kumhaar Mohalla,
6. Kopra, Danna

Population and Agriculture

Lohar (Blacksmith), Kamhars (Potters), and Tarkhan (Carpenters) are among some of the most prominent professions. The major part of the population of Saaj depends on farming for their livelihood. Others are government workers or jobs less focused on manual labor. Some animals like buffalo, goats, and sheep are commonly relied on for food and clothing.

According to 2001 census data, Saaj has 525 households and a population of 3,137.^[3]

The climate of Saaj is moderate and is suitable for various crops and vegetation. The main crops of Saaj are maize (مکی), wheat (گندم), and paddy (دھان).

Maize is cultivated in the middle and upper portion of the village, while Paddy is cultivated in the lower portion of the village, along with wheat cultivated all over the village. Vegetables are also grown in Saaj on a small scale. Saaj is also full of natural vegetation. It has grasslands, meadows, trees, herbs, bushes, and common land for cattle.

Religion in Saaj

The whole population of the village is Muslim, which is based on several castes, including the Bhatti, Khokhar, Gujjar, Thaker, Kashmiri and Janjua caste. The caste of "Bhatti" is widely spread throughout the village.

There are a few JAIMA MASJIDs in the village, but the Largest of all is situated Near Govt. Higher Secondary School Saaj. It is a Two-Storey Mosque with a large space to accommodate about 1000 people during prayer in one sitting.

There is another Jamia Masjid situated near Govt. Middle School SAAJ BHATTIAN, which is still under construction but the religious enthusiasm of nearby people is reflected from the Mosque.

Local Landmarks

• Historical Mughal Fort (مغل سراۓ )
• Historical Pond (تالاب )
• Holy Tomb of Baba Jallian Wali Sarkar (زیارت بابا جلیانوالی سرکار) ^[4]
• Leeran Wali Bawli (لیراں والی باولی)
• Govt. Higher Secondary School Saaj (گورنمنٹ ہائر سکینڈری سکول ساج)

References

1. "Saj 185132". Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
2. "India NH144A". OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
3. "2001 Census Data for Saj". Census of India. Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
4. "Hazrat Baba Jaliyan Wale Saaj". Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 10 February 2016.