Kokernag facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kokernag
Breng Kokernag
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Sub-District and Town
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Kokernag Park
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| Nickname(s):
Breng Kokernag
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 Kokernag
Location in Jammu and Kashmir
Kokernag
Location in India
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| Country | India |
| Union Territory | Jammu and Kashmir |
| District | Anantnag |
| Government | |
| • Type | Parliamentary |
| • Body | Municipal |
| Elevation | 2,000 m (7,000 ft) |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 6,553 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi, Dogri, English |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN |
192202
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| Vehicle registration | JK-03 |
Kokernag is a beautiful town in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It's part of the Breng Valley, which is sometimes called "The Golden Crown of Kashmir." This lovely place is famous for its amazing botanical gardens, clear freshwater springs, and a special farm where rainbow trout fish are raised. It's about 25 kilometers from Anantnag and is a popular spot for people to visit on weekends, especially from the capital city of Srinagar.
Contents
What's in a Name? The Meaning of Kokernag
The name 'Kokernag' (Kashmiri: کۄکرناگ) has a few interesting stories behind it. No one is completely sure which one is true!
The Chicken Claw Theory
One idea is that the name comes from two words: koker (a Kashmiri word for chicken) and nag (a Sanskrit word for springs). The springs in Kokernag flow out from the bottom of a hill and split into many small streams. These streams look a bit like a chicken's foot or claw, which is how the name might have come about.
Other Name Ideas
Another theory suggests that 'Koker' means 'fowl' (like a bird) and 'nag' means 'serpent' (a snake). There's also a thought that Kokernag comes from 'Koh' (mountain), 'kan' (from or under), and 'nag' (spring).
The Golden Crown
The poet and scholar Shiekh ul Alam gave Kokernag another name: Breng Kokernag. He said, "kokernag breng chu sunsund preng," which means "Kokernag is crown of gold." This shows how special and beautiful the place is. Long ago, in a book called Ain Akbari, it was even written that the water from Kokernag could help with hunger, thirst, and indigestion!
Exploring Kokernag's Location and Surroundings
Kokernag is located high up in the mountains, about 2,000 meters (or 6,560 feet) above sea level.
Nearby Towns
Some of the towns and villages close to Kokernag include Wangam, Devalgam, Hangalgund, Nagam, Sagam, Zalengam, Magam, and Soaf Shali.
The Trout Farm Area
The famous Kokernag trout farm is quite large, covering about 400 kanals of land. A big part of this area, about 129 kanals, is used for beautiful gardens.
Weather in Kokernag
| Climate data for Kokernag (1981–2010, extremes 1978–2012) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
26.2 (79.2) |
28.3 (82.9) |
31.6 (88.9) |
34.9 (94.8) |
33.0 (91.4) |
31.8 (89.2) |
31.2 (88.2) |
29.4 (84.9) |
21.4 (70.5) |
13.4 (56.1) |
34.9 (94.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) |
6.8 (44.2) |
11.4 (52.5) |
18.9 (66.0) |
23.0 (73.4) |
26.5 (79.7) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.1 (79.0) |
25.2 (77.4) |
19.5 (67.1) |
11.8 (53.2) |
5.2 (41.4) |
17.1 (62.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.5 (23.9) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
1.7 (35.1) |
3.5 (38.3) |
7.6 (45.7) |
12.1 (53.8) |
13.7 (56.7) |
13.5 (56.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
4.3 (39.7) |
0.9 (33.6) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
5.0 (41.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −18.3 (−0.9) |
−26.3 (−15.3) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
4.1 (39.4) |
7.9 (46.2) |
7.1 (44.8) |
4.2 (39.6) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−13.5 (7.7) |
−26.3 (−15.3) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 92.6 (3.65) |
119.8 (4.72) |
144.9 (5.70) |
112.1 (4.41) |
114.7 (4.52) |
79.0 (3.11) |
137.9 (5.43) |
123.2 (4.85) |
50.8 (2.00) |
42.7 (1.68) |
37.3 (1.47) |
60.8 (2.39) |
1,115.8 (43.93) |
| Average rainy days | 5.7 | 7.5 | 9.2 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 7.2 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 72.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) | 79 | 72 | 63 | 54 | 53 | 51 | 66 | 69 | 62 | 59 | 67 | 73 | 65 |
| Source: India Meteorological Department | |||||||||||||
Kokernag's Economy: Fish and Crafts
Kokernag is well-known for its trout streams and the largest freshwater spring in Kashmir. These are very important for the local economy.
Trout Fish Farming
The trout hatchery department has built many pools where trout fish are raised. The Trout Fish Farming Project Kokernag started in 1984 with help from the European Economic Community. This project is a main center for producing high-quality Rainbow trout and Brown trout.
Thanks to this project, 59 other trout rearing units and hatcheries have been set up across the state, even in places like Leh and Kargil. More new units are being built too. You can buy fresh trout fish at all these rearing units, including a special shop at Gagribal.
Supporting Local Crafts
Kokernag is also home to the state's first rural mart. This mart was created to help local women's self-help groups sell the beautiful handicraft products they make. This project is supported by NABARD, an organization that helps with rural development.
People of Kokernag
Religion in Kokernag Town (2011) Islam (86.11%) Hinduism (13.02%) Christianity (0.43%) Sikhism (0.32%) Not stated (0.12%)
In 2011, a census showed that Kokernag had a population of 6,553 people. Most of the population, about 68%, were males, and 32% were females.
Education in Kokernag
Kokernag has a good average literacy rate of 63%. This is higher than the national average for India, which was 59.5% at the time. For males, the literacy rate was even higher at 77%. For females, it was 33%. About 9% of the people living in Kokernag were under 6 years old.
Getting Around Kokernag
It's easy to travel to and from Kokernag using different ways.
By Road
Kokernag is about 25 kilometers from Anantnag and is located near NH 244. The easiest way to get there is to hire a car, like a Tata Sumo, from Anantnag. You can also take a local bus from Anantnag, which is usually available and takes about an hour to reach Kokernag.
By Train
The closest train station to Kokernag is the Anantnag railway station. This station is part of the 119-kilometer-long Kashmir Railway line, which runs from Baramulla to Banihal. The Anantnag station is about 30 kilometers away from Kokernag.
By Air
If you're flying, the nearest airport is Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar. This airport is about 85 kilometers from Kokernag.
See also
In Spanish: Kokarnag para niños
