Rathsun

Rathsun رَھٹسُن
Village
Rathsun, Beerwah, Budgam, Kashmir
Coordinates:
Country	India
Union territory	Jammu and Kashmir
District	Budgam
Tehsil	Beerwah
Government
• Type	Panchayat
Area
• Total	4.44 km2 (1.71 sq mi)
Elevation	1,595 m (5,233 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	5,907
• Density	1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi, Dogri, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	193401
Vehicle registration	JK04
Sex Ratio	851 ♀/ 1000 ♂

Rathsun or Rathsoon (Kashmiri: رٹھسُن) is a village and block located in the Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district. It is situated at the base of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas. It falls under the administrative division of tehsil Beerwah one of the nine tehsils of district Budgam. It is about 23.7 km (14.7 mile) via Beerwah-Budgam Road from district headquarters Budgam, 7 km (4.3 mi) from sub-district headquarters Beerwah, known as the Gateway of Doodhpathri and Gateway of Tosamaidan, and 29 km (18 mile) away from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Magam, known as the Business Hub of Budgam district and the Gateway of Gulmarg, is nearest town to Rathsun which is approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) away.

The Sukhnag (Sokhanag) River, known locally as the spring of solace, passes through Rathsun.

Etymology

Local tale says that the name Rathsun is derived from Persian words rath "jealousness" and sun "gold". It is said that the famous saint of Kashmir Sheikh ul Aalam Sheikh Noor din Noorani, while visiting through the village, came across a few residents. While having conversations with them he concluded that: "People are friendly and land is blessed but it would have been gold (sun), if jealousy (rath) would not have been a common trait among locals." So he called it Rathsun.

Geography

The total geographical area of village is 4.44 square kilometres (1.71 sq mi). It is located at an elevation of 1,595 m (5,232 ft) above the sea level. The landscape, mostly the agricultural field area, is made up of plateau-like terraces known as karewas.

Demographics

Population

As of 2011 sensus, the population of Rathsun is 5,907 of which 3,191 are males while the remaining 2,716 are females and a total number of 1488 children below 6 years as per the report. There are about 596 houses in Rathsun village.

Population (%) Population Males   54.02% Females   45.98% Distribution of Population

Religion

Religions Religion Islam   100% Others   0% Distribution of Population on Religion

Sects of Islam Sects of Islam Sunni   100% Others   0% Distribution of Sects on Religion

People in all the hamlets of Rathsun follow Islam and the whole of the population of Rathsun belong to Sunni sect of Islam. Most of the people of the village follows the Hanafi School of Thought. Religious education is imparted through Madrassas either early in the morning or in the evening time.

Economy

Much of the local economy is agricultural crops grown include rice, maize, vegetables, apples, walnuts, pears, apricots and almonds. The staple food of the locals is cooked rice, and is served at lunch and dinner. The economy in Rathsun also includes smaller businesses such as shops, shawl work, knit-work, and embroidery.

Due to the large population, Rathsun has a hospital, a marriage hall, a branch of JK Bank including an ATM.

Due to growth in the educational sector, the service sector has also increased professional jobs such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and civil servants are also increasing in number.

Transport

The nearest airport from Rathsun is Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport. The nearest railway station is the Mazhom railway station.

Education

Schools in Rathsun include both government-run and private schools of varying levels. The 'Government Boys High School' is one of the oldest high school in the area imparting education to the common folks, thus Rathsun enjoys a central position in educational field also. Besides this, a large number of middle and primary schools are also operational in Rathsun.

See Also

Beerwah, Jammu and Kashmir

Aripanthan

Onagam

Chewdara