Tithwal

Teetwal (also spelled Tithwal) is a small border village in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated on the banks of the Kishanganga River in Kupwara district, from the district headquarters and close to the Line of Control with Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Teetwal is connected to the rest of India via Tangdhar. Not to be confused with Tithwal, a sub-section of the Swati tribe living near Kashmir.

History

In June 1847 Patrick Alexander Vans Agnew, who was en route to Gilgit, stopped at Teetwal. There he was met by Rajah Shere Ahmad Khan of Karnah, Khan was concerned about the rival claims of Moizoodeen Khan, Agnew described the meeting as follows: "Had a conversation with Rajah Shere Ahmed Khan. He is in reality tolerably hopeful, but pretends great fear and uncertainty lest Moizoodeen Khan’s offers should prevail at Court. Told him his failing to come in to Lieutenant Lumsden or me prevented his having any claim to be heard by me. Recommended him to give up Moizoodeen’s property to the Maharajah, and send a Vakeel to Court." Diaries of Mr. P. A. Vans Agnew, Assistant to the Agent, Governor-General, North-West Frontier, On Deputation to Gilgit, in 1847.
Prior to the 1947 Partition of India, Teetwal used to be a commercial hub.

Geography

Teetwal village is located on the Line of Control (LOC), separating Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistani-administered regions. As per the Karachi Agreement signed by India and Pakistan in 1949, no construction is permitted within 500 yards of the zero line on LOC, and this "no construction zone" is considered a "no man's land" which is secured by both countries with landmines within their respective areas. India has constructed an Anti-Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS) along the 734 km of LOC. AIOS is a three-tiered fencing system with checkposts and wire fences where villagers are given passage based on the smart card-based identity cards issued by the Indian Army. Teetwal is among the villages that lie between the landmine zero point on the LOC and the 3 tiers of AIOS.

Maa Sharda Devi temple

On 22 March 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah re-inaugurated the Sharda Devi temple in Teetwal, Karnah in Kupwara district, which is close to the Line of Control.
The construction work on the Sharda Peeth base temple at Teetwal started after local Muslims handed over the land for the construction of a temple in 2021. They also remained part of the construction of the temple and its inauguration. The architecture and reconstruction of the Maa Sharda Devi temple was carried in accordance with scriptures under the aegis of Sharada Peeth, and the temple was inaugurated on the first day of Chaitra Navratri. A mosque is also being constructed near this temple. The Teetwal temple of Maa Sharda Devi was the base camp for Sharada Peeth prior to partition. The temple was destroyed by tribal raiders in 1947. Sharada Peeth is situated barely 40 kilometers from Teetwal.

Administration

Teetwal has an elected gram panchayat for local governance. There is a school with 400 students and an irrigation canal constructed with the INR 2,200,000 provided by the Indian Army under the Operation Sadbhavana, and several bunkers to protect villagers from the shelling and firing by the Pakistan Army.On the wrong side of fence
The Caravan, 01 April 2021.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census of India, Teetwal has 187 households. The literacy rate of Teetwal village was 73.75% compared to 67.16% of Jammu and Kashmir. In Teetwal, male literacy stands at 89.89% while female literacy is 55.67%.

Transport

Road

Teetwal in India, is right on the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, is connected to Tangdhar in India via the ''"Gundishat Bridge-Teetwal Road"''. NH 701 which begins at Tangdhar, provides further connectivity to other places in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond in India.

Tithwal International Bridge

Tithwal Bridge is one of the five crossing points along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. It was first constructed in 1931, but was destroyed in the First Kashmir war. However, in 1988, the bridge was reconstructed jointly by India and Pakistan. This bridge connects the ''"Srinagar-Sopore-Tangdhar-Teetwal road"'' in India to the ''"Muzaffarabad-Nausadda- Kundal Shahi road"'' in Pakistan.

Rail

The nearest railway stations to Teetwal are Baramulla railway station and Sopore railway station , 116 km away, both are on Baramulla-Sopore-Srinagar-Jammu railway line and these are reachable by a 3.5 hour drive by road from Tangdhar.

Air

The nearest airport is Srinagar International Airport, located at a distance of .

See also

*Lolab Valley
*Sharada Peeth

Referencesthe

{{Villages in Kupwara district

Villages in Kupwara district