[1] Covering an area of 4,550 square kilometres (1,760 sq mi) in the Himalayan mountains, the district has its headquarters in the town of Udhampur.

[8] According to the 2011 census Udhampur district has a population of 555,357,[9] greater than that of Brunei and roughly equal to the EU nation of Luxembourg.

At the time of the 2011 census, 81.36% of the population spoke Dogri, 5.18% Gojri, 3.67% Hindi, 2.81% Gaddi, 1.35% Pahari and 1.30% Kashmiri as their first language.

Besides being an excursion destination in the state, it is also a holy site, sharing the legend and sanctity of Lake Manasarovar.

It is said to believe that Arjun shot an arrow in to the Mansar and a spring gushed of the earth and now it is known as Surinsar Lake.

One legend associated with this shrine is as: Once, when Goddess Parvati was in deep prayer, a demon called Sudheet came to pay his respectful obeisance.

But Sudheet refused to come back to life telling Lord Shiva that only by dying at His hands would he be able to obtain moksha (Salvation).

Ever since Dhirendra Brahmachari, the Yogic mentor of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was killed in air crash in June 1994 property worth hundreds of crore in Mantalai Aparna Asharam is gathering dust.

Places of worship located in the district include Aparneshar Temple (Parvati Janmbhoomi), Sudh Mahadev (Shool Panishwar Mahadev), Babore Temples, Kansar Devta's shrine, Shaankari Devta mandir, Shiv Khori Cave Temple, Bhairav Ghati, Krimchi Temples, Shiv Parvathi Cave shrine, Cairhai, Mutal Pingla Devi shrine, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, Deva Mayi Maa Temple, Sheshnag Shrine In the 7th century text, the Nilamata Purana by Nila Muni, it is mentioned that the Devika River is a manifestation of the mother Goddess Parvati to benefit people of Mader Desha that covers the areas between river Ravi and Chenab and the river Devika and appears on the Shiv Ratri.

[14] In Devi Mahatmya it is mentioned, that there is no need to perform Japa or any ritual for obtaining spiritual benefits at this pilgrimage site, but only to touch the Devika waters or bathing in them.

The Northern Command Headquarters of the Indian Army is based in Udhampur and consists of three Corps, the XIV, XV, and XVI.

All units are deployed along the Line of Control in Kashmir, with the exceptions of the 39th Infantry Division, and the 2nd, 3rd, and 16th Independent Armored Brigades.

Prior to Independence, Northern Command Headquarters was located at Rawalpindi, and was responsible for the defence of North West India.

In India, a new headquarters designated as Western Command was located at Shimla to look after the Northern borders with Pakistan and some portions of Tibet.

The experience of wars in 1962, 1965 and 1971 reinforced the conviction that the Northern Theatre needed to be commanded by a headquarters at Shimla.

After 1971, Headquarter Northern Command was established at Udhampur, taking over responsibility for Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Northern Command now controls this sensitive region of the country which covers the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and contiguous portions of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

Troops of the Northern Command have been manning the highest battlefield in the world at the Siachen Glacier where the altitude of the posts varies from 15,000 to 23,000 ft.

The 8 Mountain Division played a major role in evicting intrusions and defeating the Pakistan army at Kargil.

As of mid-1999 there were two divisions, comprising approximately 15,000 soldiers each, manning the LoC and the Line of Actual Control with China from Kargil to Siachen.

As of early 2002 these units had been joined by Central Command's I Corps Strike Force consisting of three divisions.

For an effective operational preparedness in the western sector, in mid-2005 Indian Army raised a new corps at Yol Cantt in Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh.