UDHAMPUR

town in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir state, situated at an elevation of 2,500 feet (760 m). It is named for Udham Singh, eldest son of Gulab Singh, the founder and ruler of the Jammu and Kashmir state. Situated on the Pathankot-Uri national highway connecting Srinagar via Udhampur to the rest of India, Udhampur town is an important military cantonment in northern India. Krimchi, a group of four Siva temples (11th century AD), is situated 6 miles (10 km) north of the town. The Chenani hydroelectric project and an old fort are other places of interest. The region in which Udhampur is situated slopes from the Pir Panjal Ranges of the Middle Himalayas in the north to the Jammu Siwalik Hills on the south and is drained by the Chenab and Tawi rivers. Forests of pine, fir, and spruce cover the hills. Agriculture is carried out on the terraced hill slopes and small alluvial tracts of river valleys. Rice, corn (maize), jowar (sorghum), and barley are grown. The grassy slopes of the higher elevations are grazing grounds for the sheep and goats of the Gujjar and Bakarwal nomads who move up from the lower elevations in the summer. Livestock, dried milk, raw wool, and hides are local trade items. Local industries include sawmilling, rice milling, metalworking, and ore smelting. The shrine of Vaisno Devi is a major Hindu place of pilgrimage. Pop. (1981) town, 22,509.