Location of Samba District Samba District is situated on range of Shivalik hills alongside the National Highway 1-A on the bank of river Basantar at a distance of forty kilometers from Jammu city. Tehsil Samba is surrounded by Udhampur District in the North, Kathua District in the East, Tehsils Jammu and Bishnah of District Jammu in the west, while on the southern side it has International Border with Pakistan. History of Samba District History of Samba District states that Samba was principality established somewhere in 1400 A.D. As per folklore Malh Dev, the younger son of Rai Saidu of Lakhanpur was the founder of Samba principality, who married into the family of Ghotar, a local tribesman. After his marriage he settled at Samba and made himself the master of the tract with Samba as its capital. Samba ultimately came under the domination of Jammu, during the period of Hari Dev, in 1816 A.D. and in 1846 A.D. it became an important part of the Jammu & Kashmir State. Geography of Samba District About two third of the area of Tehsil Samba is Kandi and rain fed. The area on southern side downside the national highway is irrigated through Ravi Tawi Irrigation canal network and contributing towards main cereals crop and vegetable cultivation as special focus has been assigned by the govt. of India, Ministry of Water Resources through Command Area Development Department. The climate of the district being sub tropical zone is hot and dry in summer and cold in winter. Being in the foot hills of the mountains nights are bit cooler than that of neighbouring areas of Punjab. The temperature ranges between 6 degree Celsius and 47 degree Celsius. Administration of Samba District Samba District comprises 382 villages as per the notification issued by the Govt. under SRO No.185 dated 22nd of May 2007. These villages have been organised into 55 Patwar Halquas, and 99 Panchayats. Out of 382 villages, 62 villages have been detached from Tehsil Hiranagar of district Kathua and one village from Tehsil Majalta of District Udhampur. Besides, four urban towns viz. Samba, Vijaypur, Ramgarh and Bari Brahmna are also the part of this district. Tourism in Samba District Tourism is an important part of Samba District. Mansar Lake is situated on the Samba - Udhampur Road at a distance of twenty two kms from Samba. The Mansar Lake is enclosed by small hills with different Hindu Gods and Goddesses Temples and also attracts a large number of tourists as well as religious pilgrims in the area. Purmandal is a religious place located at a distance of thirty nine kilometres from Jammu and also connected with Samba via Purmandal-Utterbani -Vijaypur road. Purmandal is known as "Chotta Kashi", having old Shiva temples which has essential religious importance and surrounded by the Shivalik Hills that possess a natural exquisiteness. Utterbani is another religious place located on the bank of legendary Devika and has centuries old temples located at a distance of five kms from Purmandal. |