Charari Sharief is a town and a notified area committee in Budgam district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. It is also spelled as `Chrar-e-Sharif` or `Charar i Shareef`. This town has an average elevation of 1,933 meters above mean sea level. Charari Sharief was given the status of `Block` in January 2014. The town is divided into 10 Wards. Each ward has a municipal councilor.
History of Charari Sharief
Charari Sharief is the only town in Jammu and Kashmir which was developed as a Model Town. However, the project has remained unfulfilled. In the year 1995, during the fierce encounter between Indian troops and Mujahideen, the whole town of Charari Sharief got burnt down. Approximately, 1500 residential houses were devastated in this fire. The town has since been rehabilitated.
Religious Significance of Charari Sharief
This historical town is notable for the tomb of Sheikh Noor-u-din Noorani, who preached Islam through his poetry. The tomb of Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani is also popularly known as Alamdar-e-Kashmir or the flag-bearer of Kashmir. It is located around 28 km in the southwest of Srinagar at Charari Sharief.
The area, where the shrine is nestled, belonged to Sangram Dar. Dar was a follower of Alamdar-e-Kashmir, who had constructed a mosque there. It was here, where Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani performed his Friday prayers. Locals often say that following the death of Alamdar-e-Kashmir, his coffin, after flying some distance, descended at the site where the shrine is situated and where the great Sufi saint has been laid to rest.
Demography of Charari Sharief
The statistical figures of the 2001 census show that there are 7378 inhabitants in the city. 53% of the population is male while the percentage of female is 47%. Charari Sharief has a literacy rate of 48% which is lower than the national average of 59.5%. The male literacy rate is 56% and female literacy rate is 39%. 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Charari Sharief is considered as one of the most sacred Muslim shrines in the country. Every year, Urs is celebrated at Charari Sharief which draws thousands of devotees from various distant places.
