Jammu & Kashmir is the northern most state of India situated mostly in the Himalayan Mountains. It shares its borders with the states like Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. It shares international borders with the countries like China and Pakistan. The state of Jammu & Kashmir consists of three main regions Jammu, Kashmir valley and the regions of Ladakh. Srinagar is the summer capital of the state while Jammu is its winter capital. The region of Jammu is mainly populated with the Hindu majority lies in the foothills in the south. Srinagar and the Valley of Kashmir lies in the centre and the region of Leh and Ladakh form the eastern highlands across the great Himalayas that comprise mainly the followers of Buddhism.
Islam
Islam is the vital religion of Kashmir valley. More than 95% of the total population of Jammu and Kashmir follows the Islamic faith. The Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir can broadly be divided into two sects - the Sunnis and the Shias.
Hinduism
The second most dominant faith in Kashmir is Hindus. Kashmiri Pandits and Gujjars form the major part of Hindus. A large portion of Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the Kashmir valleys as Gujjars got converted to Islam to a large extend.
Buddhism
Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir dwells most of the Buddhist population. In the main Kashmir valley, however, Buddhists are present in an insignificant numbers.
Division |
Population |
% Muslim |
% Hindu |
% Sikh |
% Buddhist/Other |
Kashmir (53.9%) |
5,476,970 |
97.16% |
1.84% |
0.88% |
0.11% |
Jammu (43.7%) |
4,430,191 |
30.69% |
65.23% |
3.57% |
0.51% |
Ladakh (2.3%) |
236,539 |
47.40% |
6.22% |
- |
45.87% |
Jammu & Kashmir |
10,143,700 |
66.97% |
29.63% |
2.03% |
1.36% |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Chandigarh |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Daman and Diu |
| Lakshadweep | National Capital Territory of Delhi |
| Puducherry |
