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Kotla Valley
Kotla Valley
Village
	Coat of arms
	Kotla Valley
	Coordinates: 34°01′32″N 73°49′45″E / 34.0255°N 73.8291°E
Country	Pakistan
State	Azad Kashmir
District	Bagh
Elevation	2,000 m (6,500 ft)
Languages
• Official	Urdu
Time zone	PST

Kotla is the name of a valley in Northern Bagh. The name of the main village of this valley is Kotla, on the basis of which the entire valley was named Kotla Valley. Kotla (Urdu: وادی کوٹلہ) is a village and tourist resort in Bagh District, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Kotla is 6,560 feet (2,000 m) above sea level. Kotla contains pine trees that are hundreds of years old. It takes approximately 1 hour to drive from Bagh to Kotla.

History

Kotla Valley is a historical site in Bagh District. It is said that at one time a family named Sakal lived here.The family migrated 300 years ago today due to heavy snowfall. At that time there was heavy snowfall in Bagh Valley. And until the month of August, the ice was frozen in the streams. Kotla and Bagh had dense forests. Even today, in the form of Khanthi forest, the largest forest in the Bagh Valley is located near Kotla. Traces of old times have been found in Kotla. The Sakal family cemetery is also located at Lad.

Forests

Kotla is also home to some of the rarest forests in the region containing Pine Abies pindrow trees that are hundreds of years old. Due to lack of knowledge/interest, these forests are now endangered to become extinct as locals continue deforestation by cutting down trees yet local/state governments seem to have no interest in saving them.^{[citation needed]}

Geography

The village is situated on the confluence of two mini nullahs, Jaber Nala and Mangimar, which flow all the year round. Kotla is 18 km from the city of Bagh and is located in a valley surrounded by large mountains on three sides. On the south of the valley lies Kanthi Forest. The northern area of Kotla borders Muzaffarabad District. Kotla is the central point of the Sharqi area.

Tourism

Kotla is famous for its hiking trails that lead to Pir Kanthi 10,930 feet (3,330 m), Danna meadows, Panjal Mastan plains and Ganga Choti, a mountain peak at about 9,989 feet (3,045 m) and one of the most famous tourist attractions in AJK, Pakistan.

Kotla Waterfalls

Kotla Watterfalls is located in Kotla village. It is a very large waterfall. It is located at a height of 5798 feet above sea level. The waterfall drops about 150 metres (490 feet) from a hanging valley that ends in overhanging cliffs above the Kotla River. The Valley of the Bagh is located at a height of 5798 feet above sea level.

The stream, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, forms a cascade so high that it is almost lost in spray before it reaches the level of the valley. After rain, and early in the season when fed by the melting snows, Kotla Falls is very striking. The force of the stream above the fall at such times is sufficient to carry the water clear of the precipice, and the whole mass descends in a condition of liquid dust, between spray and cloud, that sways to and fro with the gentlest breeze. In a dry summer, when the supply of water is much reduced, the effect is comparatively insignificant. The height of the cascade is between 300 and 400 ft, one of the highest in Kashmir formed of a single unbroken fall.

Danna Medows

Danna is a hilltop area situated in Tehsil Bagh in the Bagh District of Azad Kashmir. Its approximate height is about 9,514 feet (2,900 m) above sea level. Rawalakot, Muzaffarabad, Kazinag Glacier (14,500 ft) and Jhulem River can be viewed from Danna. Danna is the highest mountainous location in the northeastern area of Bagh, and near Kotla. it is the point of origin of three different mountain ridges. There are some remains of an old mazar on the highest hilltop. Danna is most accessible during the summer months; the weather is generally pleasant but becomes colder from October through March.^{[citation needed]}

Danni Sar (Lake)

Danni Sar is a high-altitude lake (2,612 metres (8,570 feet) located near Kotla Bagh, Azad Kashmir.

Pir Kanthi

Pīr Kanthi is a peak and is located in near Kotla village. The elevation above sea level is 3321 meters.

Ganga Choti

Ganga Peak, more commonly known as Ganga Choti among locals, is located in the Bagh district of Azad Kashmir. It is also visible from Bagh city and is often called "the Crown of Bagh". Ganga Choti is approachable from Sudhan Gali and Kotla, Dist Bagh, it is the four-hour trek and it is a strenuous trek since you have to gain height at every step as there is very scant flat ground on this trek. Ganga Choti is a peak village Bani Minhasan and Kotla in Bagh District, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is 9,989 feet (3,045 meters) high. It is an attraction for tourists in that area.^{[citation needed]} It is situated in the Pir Panjal Range.

The hike for Ganga peak starts from the town of Sudhan Gali and Kotla which is at a height of 2200 meters above sea level. From there, the peak can be reached through a 3–4 hours easy hike. People in Chanari climb Ganga from that side.

The hike to Ganga offers views of the valley and meadows. From the peak, there is a 360-degree panoramic view of the whole area. The nearest peak higher from Ganga Peak is called Pir Kanthi, which is at an aerial distance of about 10 km from it.

Ganga Lake

Ganga Lake or Ganga Sar is a high-altitude lake 2,942 metres (9,652 feet) located in the Bagh Valley, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is near Ganga Choti Peak in the Himalayan (Pir Panjal) range. The lake is accessible from Bagh by a Jeep track.

Peaks

There are nine peaks around the Kotla Valley.

Serial no	Peak	Height in ft	Height in mt
01	Bisali Peak	11154	3400
02	Pir Kanthi	10930	3331
03	Ganga Choti	9989	3044
04	Kobra	9875	3009
05	Naza Gali	9858	2791
06	Nanga Pir Peak	8576	2611
07	Danna	9450	2880
08	Kafar Peak	10892	3320
09	Sank	10825	3300

Culture

The culture of Kotla Village Azad Kashmir has many similarities to that of the northern Punjabi (Potohar) culture in Punjab province, The Peshawari turban is worn by some. The traditional dress of the women is the shalwar kameez in Pahari style.

Maldiyal Mughal in Kotla (Tribes living in Kotla)

Mughal tribe and Sheikh tribe in Kotla village Bagh Azad Kashmir : percentage of population, according to the 2021.

Maldiyal Mughal (96%)

Sheikh (04%)

For several hundred years, Kotla was inhabited only by the Maldial Mughal tribe. Later, a non-Muslim was settled on land after converting to Islam. The family whose descendants live in Kotla is called Sheikh. Everyone here speaks a Phari language. ^{[citation needed]}

Maldiyal Mughal

The Maldiyal is a Mughal clan, living in Azad Kashmir and Rawalpindi division of Punjab, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir division, and Punjab regions of India.^{[citation needed]} It is a major land-holding tribe in Bagh District and Tehsil Abbaspur of the Poonch District and Tehsil Mendhar of District Poonch of Indian Jammu and Kashmir. The main village of Maldiyal is birpani, Kotla, Topi Kothian & Narr Sher Ali Khan, moere than 95% ^{[citation needed]} population of these areas is Maldiyal The word "Maldyal" is derived from the name of Mirza Moloud Baig, Father of Maldyals and a great warrior of Poonch State.

Shajra of Mirza Moloud Baig

A short introduction from Ameer Taimoor Gorgani Barlasi. The great Mughal Emperor to Mirza Moloud Baig.

Ameer Taimoor Gorgania Barlasi, the great Mughal Emperor

Ameerzada Umer Sheikh Gorgani
Mirza Baiqra
Ghiaath-Ud-Din Mansoor Mirza
Ghazi Hussain Mirza
Badih-Uz-Zaman Mirza
Muhammad Yaadgar Mirza
Mirza Tahir Baig
Mirza Mouloud Baig

The tribe has a history of bravery and martiality. The tribe is descended from Prince Mirza Tahir Baig, who immigrated from Herat in Afghanistan, which was the largest province of Taimoorid Sultanate, and settled in Srinagar. Later, the Maldyal Tribe settled in Poonch.^{[citation needed]}

Climate

Kotla features a humid subtropical climate (Cwa) under the Köppen climate classification. Kotla has mild to warm temperatures during the spring and autumn, humid temperatures during summer and cold to snowy during the winter. The temperature can rise as high as 38 °C (100 °F) during the mid-summer months and drop below −10 °C (14 °F) during the winter months. Snowfall can occur in December and January, while most rainfall occurs during the monsoon season stretching from July to September.^[1]

Climate data for Kotla, Azad Kashmir
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	19.6 (67.3)	20.9 (69.6)	30.4 (86.7)	41 (106)	45 (113)	40.6 (105.1)	43.2 (109.8)	40 (104)	36.4 (97.5)	35.9 (96.6)	33.3 (91.9)	25.9 (78.6)	45 (113)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	17.3 (63.1)	19.8 (67.6)	24.7 (76.5)	30.6 (87.1)	36.3 (97.3)	38.1 (100.6)	34.8 (94.6)	33.5 (92.3)	33.2 (91.8)	30.4 (86.7)	25.2 (77.4)	19.7 (67.5)	28.6 (83.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	3.8 (38.8)	6.7 (44.1)	11.1 (52.0)	15.9 (60.6)	21 (70)	23.8 (74.8)	24.3 (75.7)	23.6 (74.5)	21.1 (70.0)	14.8 (58.6)	8.8 (47.8)	5 (41)	15.0 (59.0)
Record low °C (°F)	−10 (14)	−5.6 (21.9)	−3.8 (25.2)	1.3 (34.3)	10 (50)	13 (55)	12 (54)	12.7 (54.9)	13 (55)	1.9 (35.4)	0 (32)	−3.3 (26.1)	−10 (14)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	24.9 (0.98)	30.8 (1.21)	31.2 (1.23)	20.1 (0.79)	14.4 (0.57)	44.1 (1.74)	112.8 (4.44)	136.3 (5.37)	43.8 (1.72)	15.7 (0.62)	14.5 (0.57)	19.1 (0.75)	507.7 (19.99)
Source: ^[2]

Sports

There is a cricket ground near the Dana Medows known as Goralay Bagly Ground, located between two mountains. Every year in June a cricket tournament is held there in which sixteen teams of District Bagh and Mzd participate.

Earthquake of 2005

Kotla and its surrounding villages were totally destroyed by the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, hundreds of people were killed or injured by this quake. 100% population was left homeless. Most of the houses have been reconstructed though with the help of the Governments of Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and local and international NGOs.