Pampore (), known as Pampar () or Panpar () in

Kashmiri Kashmiri may refer to: * People or things related to the Kashmir Valley or the broader region of Kashmir * Kashmiris, an ethnic group native to the Kashmir Valley * Kashmiri language, the language of the Kashmiris ethnic group People with the nam ...

, is a historical town located in

Pulwama district The Pulwama district is an administrative district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is sup ...

in the

Indian union territory Among the states and union territories of India, a Union Territory (UT) is a region that is directly governed by the central government of India, as opposed to the states, which have their own state government systems. Unlike states, Union Ter ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

. It is situated on the eastern side of the

Jhelum River The Jhelum River is a major river in South Asia, flowing through India and Pakistan, and is the westernmost of the five major rivers of the Punjab region. It originates at Verinag and flows through the Indian-administered territory of Jammu ...

on the

Jammu–Srinagar National Highway The Jammu–Srinagar National Highway is the northernmost segment of NH 44 (formerly NH 1A before the renumbering of all national highways). It runs from Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley southward to the city of Jammu. It is one of the two ro ...

. It was known as Padmapura in antiquity. Pampore is about 17 kilometres (11 mi) away from Pulwama city & away from Srinagar city centre Lal Chowk. It is primarily known for its cultivation of

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of '' Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent ...

Etymology

Pampore was originally called ''Padmapura''.

Geography

Pampore is located at .

Prehistory

At the Galander site near Pampore, remains of the large extinct elephant ''

Palaeoloxodon turkmenicus ''Palaeoloxodon turkmenicus'' is an extinct species of elephant belonging to the genus ''Palaeoloxodon,'' known from the Middle Pleistocene of Central Asia and South Asia. Taxonomy The species was described in 1955 based on a partial adult sku ...

'' were found associated with stone tools produced by

archaic humans ''Homo'' () is a genus of great ape (family Hominidae) that emerged from the genus ''Australopithecus'' and encompasses only a single extant species, ''Homo sapiens'' (modern humans), along with a number of extinct species (collectively calle ...

, with the elephant bones suggested to display deliberate fracturing via stone tool hammering. The site is suggested to date to around 400,000-300,000 years ago.

Economy

Pampore is known for its cultivation of

, with the broader region around Pampore being responsible for 90% of India's saffron crop, though production as of 2023 has declined due to higher temperatures and erratic rainfall.

Demographics

As of the 2011 Indian census, Pampore

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...

had a population of 60,613. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Pampore has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 69%, and female literacy. As of 2011, Pampore town had a population of 21,680, males being 11,007 (51%) and females 10,673 (49%).

Politics

Pampore is an Assembly Constituency in the

Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, also known as the Jammu and Kashmir Vidhan Sabha, is the legislature of Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Prior to 2019, the State of Jammu and Kashmir had a bicameral legislature with a ...

References

{{Pulwama district Cities and towns in Pulwama district Tehsils of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)