Rajauri is a town and a municipal council in Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir. Rajauri is known as the Vale of Lakes as there are many lakes around the city. Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University is based in the town.

Location of Rajauri
Rajauri is about 155 kilometres (96 mi) from Jammu city of Jammu and Kashmir on the Poonch Highway.

History of Rajouri
Rajouri was a region of immense significance in ancient times. Indian Epic, Mahabharata has references to a kingdom known as Panchalya Desha, whose king was Panchal Naresh, and whose daughter Draupadi was married to the Pandavas. Historians identify Panchalya Desha as the area in the Panchal range of mountains. Rajouri was also a part of this kingdom of Panchal Naresh. The region was then known as Rajapuri - `the land of Kings`. It finds its mention in the travel account of Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang who visited the town in 632 B.C.E. and described it as a part of Kashmiri territory. Still earlier in the Buddhist period, Rajouri formed a part of Gandhara territory (Afghanistan, Gandhar and Tashkent) and later was incorporated in the province called Darabhisanga which comprised the hilly stretch from Poonch in Poonch District to Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir. In those days Laharkote in Poonch district and Rajouri had emerged as two influential states of the area. Several villages, towns and cities are located in Rajauri, like Saaj.

Geography of Rajouri
Rajouri is the city in the Jammu & Kashmir state of India. The total area of Rajouri is 2,630 square kilometres including 2,608.11 square kilometres rural area and 21.89 square kilometres urban area. Rajouri has a population of 642,415. There are 130,401 houses in the district. Rajauri is located at 33.38 degree North to 74.3 degree East. It has an average elevation of 915 metres (3001 feet).

Climate of Rajouri
The climate of Rajauri is somewhat cooler than the other areas of Duggardesh plains. Summers are short and pleasant. The summer temperature generally does not exceed 41 degrees. Winters are cool and chilly characterized with rainfall due to western disturbances. Snowfall is scanty but may occur in cool months like that of December 2012. Average rainfall is 769 millimetres (26.3 in) in the wettest months.

Demography of Rajouri
Rajouri itself had a population of 37,552 while the population within the municipal limits was 41,552. Males constituted 57% of the population and females 43%. Rajouri had an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 75.5%. Male literacy was 83% and Female literacy was 68%. 12% of the population was under 6 years of age. The people are mostly Gujjars and Paharis. Muslims make up 55% of the population, Hindus 42% and Sikhs 2.4%.

Administration of Rajouri
Rajouri is further divided into the following Blocks and tehsils for administrative purposes: Budhal, Darhal, Kalakote, Nowshehra, Rajauri, Sunderbani, Thanamandi and Manjakote

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