Kotli District - Geography

Geography

Kotli is a hilly area rising gradually towards the high mountains of Poonch District. Its climate is more moderate than that of Mirpur due to the sub-mountainous topography. The river Poonch passes through Kotli to be joined by a smaller river called the Baan at Brahli, a short distance from Kotli.

The district headquarters is at a distance of 141 km from Islamabad - the capital of Pakistan. It is linked with Mirpur by two metalled (paved) roads, one via Gulpur and Rajdhani, and the other via Dhungi and Charohi. It is also directly linked with Islamabad and Rawalpindi via Sehnsa and Holar.

Gulhar,south of the city, has the tombs of two Islamic Scholars; Qazi Fateh-ulla Siddiqui and Khawaja Muhammad Sadiq whose son Muhammad Zahid Sultani is also a great Islamic scholar.

The tombs of some of the greatest Islamic Scholars Syed Noor Hussain Shah, Syed Aftab Hussain Shah and Syed Mushtaq Husssain Shah are in Mandi the north of city on Poonch river bank.

In the north west of Kotli city (between Kotli and Sarsawa), there lies union council Chowki Tinda having an ancient history. Sarsawa is linked with Sehnsa with road on left hand from Sarsawa Chowk towards west and Panjera comes on right hand and is linked to Plandri. Moving eastward from Sarsawa Chowk, comes Baloch and afterwards Rawlakot on left hand link. Right hand link towards east leads Kotli city through Chowki Tinda (also misleadingly known as Tinda Kalah).

Kotli with its scenic landscape with many mosques, has such basic facilities as a main bazaar, banks, hospitals, colleges, telephone and telegraph office and hotels.

Kotli has officially been declared Madina-tul-Masajid (City of Mosques).

Dahmole, a beautiful village near Kotli is a great place to live. At a distance of 26 km from Kotli via a metalled road lies Tattapani, a popular tourist and mythical destination. Further on lies Hajeera (Poonch), to which thousands of people flock each year in hopes of curing their illnesses at its famous sulphur springs.

Southeast of Kotli is the town of Khoi Ratta, famous for its annual Baisakhi festival.

Southwest is the small town of Gulpur, where a large refugee camp is situated. Adjoining Gulpur is Throtchi famous for its castle built in 1460. It was here in 1947 that a contingent of local men headed by Col. Mahmood defeated and chased out the Dogra army.

West of Gulpur, on the Kotli-Rawalpindi road, Sehnsa lies just before Holar (the boundary point between Azad Kashmir and Pakistan). Sehnsa is a sub-divisional (Tehsil) headquarters of Kotli district in the centre of Sehnsa valley. It is situated at a distance of 35 km from Kotli. Nearby is the scenic Bruhian surrounded by Chir forests and natural beauty.

Kotli district is a hilly area with narrow valleys and rises gradually towards the high mountains of Poonch district. These hills are the southern limits of the Pir Panjal Range. The average height in the eastern and central part of the district is about 1000 meters above sea level. The rest of the area is less than 1000 meters in altitude. Hills are generally covered with coniferous tree.