Thathri

The word Thathri is derived from the Kashmiri word "Thath" (ٹہاٹھ).

The word thathri is derived from 'thath', which locally means a heap of wood or timber collected on the bank of the river Chenab in earlier times. The activities of collection of wood and timber were performed by local people of ancient Thathri (now called Upper Thathri) and from other villages like Tipri, Badanoo, Barshalla, Jangalwar, and Phagsoo. The locals earned their living by working as labourers in the collection of wood in the form of huge heaps of wood and timber, which were later on transported to Jammu by different agencies, both government and private. So the name thathri has its origin from the word 'thath', which could still be narrated today from the records of forest departments and revenue departments. So far as the transportation of wood or timber through Chenab water to the last stop at the bank of the Chenab river at Thathri continued till the construction of the Dool Hasti power project dam. After that, this tradition was discontinued and wood and timber were directly transported through trucks and other vehicles from the source of timber in the present day district of Kishtwar to other parts of Jammu and Kashmir.{{cite web | title=Thathri: Where History Whispers from Timber Heaps | website=Official website of Thathri — Town in Doda district | date=2023-05-07 | url=https://www.thathri.com/2024/02/thathri-where-history-whispers-from.html | access-date=2024-02-03}}

File:Thathri Town.jpg

In ancient times, it was filled with the paddy fields of nearby villagers. As more and more people built their houses in place of these fields and finally it became a village. Over time, the population increased by people coming and settling here from nearby villages and also from places as far as Tral, Baramulla in Kashmir and the people who now settled in Thathri made it a center of business. The reasons for Kashmiri population settling here in the past in 17th or 18th century is matter of ambiguity between historians. However Sumantra Bose says it was repression by feudal class that drew people to the district of Doda.{{citation |last=Snedden |first=Christopher |title=Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s5KMCwAAQBAJ&pg=PR21 |year=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-1-84904-342-7 |page=23}}

In 2011 the population census reported that Thathri contained at least 93 villages.

Thathri was formerly a part of Tehsil Bhadarwah, until it separated as a new Tehsil in 1981. In 2010 Thathri was upgraded to a town. On 23 July 2014 it was upgraded to Subdivision, and is now divided into five Tehsils as Thathri, Phagsoo, Kahara, Chiralla and Bhela. The first municipal elections of Thathri town were held in October 2018.

On 22 July 2017, a flash flood affected Thathri, killing 6 people and washing away 6 homes.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/monsoon-active-across-india-6-killed-in-jk-flash-floods/articleshow/59714097.cms|title=Monsoon active across India, 6 killed in J&K flash floods | India News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=22 July 2017 }}

Thathri town, the headquarters of Thathri tehsil, is an underdeveloping town in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir as of 2019.{{Cite news|title=Thathri deserves district status, separate assembly constituency: TDF|url=https://news.statetimes.in/thathri-deserves-district-status-separate-assembly-constituency-tdf/|date=17 November 2019|publisher=State Times|access-date=21 July 2020}}

Thathri is a historical and commercially important town in the Thathri subdivision. It is located along the left bank of Chenab river and National Highway 244 passes through the town.{{cite news | last=Yusafzai | first=Tahir Nadeem Khan | title=Flash floods wreak havoc in Thathri town of J&K’s Doda | website=Greater Kashmir | date=2024-06-28 | url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/chenab-valley/flash-floods-wreak-havoc-in-thathri-town-of-jks-doda/ | access-date=2025-01-23}}

On 1 February 2023, Thathri suffered from land subsidence that resulted in 300 people being displaced and 23 homes being declared unsafe; eight days later, another landslide blocked the highway that passes through the town.{{cite news |last1=Ganai |first1=Naseer |title=Jammu & Kashmir: One House Collapses, Several Develop Cracks In J&K's Doda, Villagers Fear Another Joshimath In Making |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/jammu-and-kashmir-one-house-collapses-several-develop-cracks-in-jk-doda-villagers-fear-another-joshimath-in-making-news-259375 |access-date=8 February 2023 |work=Outlook (Indian magazine) |date=4 February 2023}}{{cite news |title=Fresh Landslide Strikes Batote-Kishtwar National Highway at Thathri {{!}} News — Times of India Videos |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/fresh-landslide-strikes-batote-kishtwar-national-highway-at-thathri/videoshow/97793925.cms |access-date=11 February 2023 |work=The Times of India |date=10 February 2023 |language=en}}

As of 2025, demand for district status in Thathri subdivision is increasing with number of arguments with the present district.{{Cite web|last=Ayoob|first=Anzer|title=Why Thathri needs district status?|url=https://thechenabtimes.com/2020/09/07/why-thathri-needs-district-status/|date=7 September 2020|publisher=The Chenab Times|access-date=8 September 2020}}{{cite news | last=Excelsior | first=Daily | title=Create Bhaderwah, Thathri two districts: Rao | website=Daily Excelsior | date=2025-01-15 | url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/create-bhaderwah-thathri-two-districts-rao/ | access-date=2025-01-23}}

As of March 2025, the Jammu and Kashmir administration rejected an immediate proposal by the Chenab Times Foundation to grant Thathri district status, stating no administrative reorganization is currently planned, though future consideration remains possible.{{cite news |url=https://www.scoopnews.in/m/newsdet.aspx?q=136511 |title=J&K administration declines immediate creation of Thathri and Bhaderwah districts |publisher=Scoop News |date=2025-03-11}}

Thathri town is located in the foothills of the Lesser Himalayas, 34 km far from Doda city and 30 km from Kishtwar and Batote-Kishtwar National Highway 244 passes through the town.

{{Weather box

|metric first= yes

|single line= yes

|location= Thathri, Jammu and Kashmir, India

|Jan high C=7.6

|Feb high C=10.7

|Mar high C=16.1

|Apr high C=21.4

|May high C=25.5

|Jun high C=29.3

|Jul high C=30.4

|Aug high C=29.8

|Sep high C=27.8

|Oct high C=22.9

|Nov high C=16.3

|Dec high C=9.9

|Jan low C=-1.9

|Feb low C=0.7

|Mar low C=4.1

|Apr low C=7.8

|May low C=11.1

|Jun low C=15.2

|Jul low C=18.5

|Aug low C=17.6

|Sep low C=12.9

|Oct low C=6.1

|Nov low C=1

|Dec low C=-1.3

|precipitation colour= green

|Jan precipitation mm=11.8

|Feb precipitation mm=28.5

|Mar precipitation mm=39.6

|Apr precipitation mm=23.3

|May precipitation mm=21

|Jun precipitation mm=27.3

|Jul precipitation mm=29.3

|Aug precipitation mm=29.8

|Sep precipitation mm=2.5

|Oct precipitation mm=10.7

|Nov precipitation mm=9.4

|Dec precipitation mm=13.4

|source 1= World Weather Online{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldweatheronline.com/jangalwar-weather-averages/jammu-and-kashmir/in.aspx|title=Thathri, India Weather Averages - Monthly Average High and Low Temperature - Average Precipitation and Rainfall days |publisher=World Weather Online |access-date=20 Jun 2020 }}

}}

The population of Thathri tehsil as of the 2011 census is 59,955, of which 31,627 are men and 28,328 are women, living in 6,797 households spread across a total of 93 villages and 33 panchayats.

According to the 2011 census, the list of villages in Thathri along with their population is shown in the table below:

Thathri is the single town in Thathri subdivision of Doda district in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is the main town for the Thathri subdivision and also the Tehsil headquarters. Thathri village promoted as town in 2010. It is approximately 36 km from the district headquarters at Doda.

Nearby villages include Zea Abad (0.05 km) Barshala (1.2 km), Sharote (2.5 km), Bagh(0.1 km). Drabshala (5.2 km), Tanta (10.5 km), Premnagar (12 km), and Bhatyass (15 km). The nearest towns are Doda (36 km), Bhaderwah (60 km), Bhalessa (Gandoh) (30.5 km) and Kishtwar (30.3 km).

Noon chai in kashmiri (commonly known in Hindi/Urdu as Namkeen Chai) or Pink Tea is a famous beverage of the people of Thathri. Villagers often start their workdays by sipping a cup of tea at their homes or hotels. Noon Chai (noon means salt, 'chai means tea) is eaten with traditional Kashmiri breads and pastries like lavasa, sheermaal, kandir chot, bakarkhani and kulcha. It is traditionally made from special tea leaves, milk, salt, and cooked in a samavar. A pinch of baking soda is added to help give it more of a pronounced pink color. A recent variant preparation of this tea also includes sugar but it is not traditionally consumed in Thathri.{{Cite news|title=Famous tea beverage of Thathri|url=https://thechenabtimes.com/2018/03/26/famous-tea-beverage-of-thathri/|date=26 March 2018|publisher=The Chenab Times|access-date=22 October 2021}}

Thathri has been home to several notable figures who have contributed to its cultural and spiritual heritage.

Waaz Khan, born Ali Muhammad in the 1930s in Tral, Jammu and Kashmir, was an Islamic preacher and spiritual leader who played a significant role in the Chenab Valley. He was gifted a small piece of land in Thathri by a local contractor, Maqbool Ahmed. Waaz Khan’s teachings emphasized the Tawhid, moral integrity, and community unity.{{cite news | title=Walking with Faith: The Enduring Legacy of Waaz Khan in Chenab Valley | website=Kashmir Times | date=18 January 2025 | url=https://kashmirtimes.com/opinion/comment-articles/walking-with-faith-timeless-legacy-of-waaz-khan | access-date=20 January 2025}}

=== Taskeen Badanvi ===

Taskeen Badanvi, born Jalal Ud Din, is a poet from Badanoo village in Thathri. He is known for his significant contributions to literature through his poetry in Kashmiri, Bhadarwahi language, and Urdu languages. He has been recognized with several accolades from literary organizations and is affiliated with the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.{{cite web | title=Taskeen Badanvi | website=Official website of Thathri — Town in Doda district | date=11 January 2023 | url=https://www.thathri.com/2023/01/taskeen-badanvi.html?m=1 | access-date=20 January 2025}}

Mangta Sheikh was a contractor and ropeway engineer from Figsoo village, Thathri. He was involved in various infrastructure projects, particularly in the field of ropeway construction, across Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Chandigarh. Sheikh’s career began in his late twenties when he met Austrian engineer Florian Kropivnik, who mentored him. Over time, he contributed to several ropeway projects, including the restoration of the Gulmarg ropeway in 2003. Sheikh received his contractor license from the Public Works Department in 1986 and worked on numerous projects throughout his career. He died in 2024.{{cite news | title=منگتا شیخ (1947-2024): ڈوڈاہُک افسانوی روپ وے کنٹریکٹر | date=29 January 2025 | url=https://ks.thechenabtimes.com/29/01/2025/1973/ | access-date=29 January 2025}}

• Jantroon Dhar
• Doda
• Bunjwah
• Bhalessa
• Gandoh
• Chiralla
• Thathri Disaster 2023
• Thathri–Gandoh National Highway
• Kandi Canal

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{{Municipalities of Jammu and Kashmir}}

Category:Cities and towns in Doda district

Category:Chenab Valley

Category:Doda district

Category:Tehsils of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)