Keran is a village in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is in the Neelum Valley on the bank of the Neelum (Kishanganga) river. The village lies on the Line of Control. The Keran block includes three villages: Keran, Mundiyan and Pathran.[3]

Keran
Village
Keran in Jammu and Kashmir, view from Keran, Azad Kashmir over Neelum River
Keran Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India Show map of Jammu and Kashmir Keran Keran (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 34.6505°N 73.9507°E / 34.6505; 73.9507
Country	India
Union Territory	Jammu and Kashmir
District	Kupwara
Block	Keran
Demonym(s)	Kerani, Keranwala, Keraniya
Languages
• Official	Kashmiri, Hindi, Urdu, Dogri, English[1][2]
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	193224
Website	kupwara.nic.in

The adjacent habitation on the Pakistani side is also called Keran. The Kishanganga river flowing through village acts as the natural border between the two habitations. While both sides have the same predominant religion, social and cultural practices differ greatly. The people are not allowed by Indian and Pakistani officials to intermingle. Karen village is surrounded by dense forests. Shalabhatu, a village in Keran sector is divided between Jammu and Kashmir and Azad Kashmir.[4][5] It was one of the most famous infiltration routes used in the early 1990s. The village has three border posts — Khokhri, Kulari and Mangerta.

History

The village is said to have been established by Raja Karn in the tenth century.[6] In 1990, the Indian army relocated the villagers due to frequent firing and shelling by the Pakistan Army. In 1992, a flood swept over the cultivated land and houses. In 2013, armed militants infiltrated the village, but were killed by the Indian Army during a 15-day operation.[7]

See also

• Teetwal

References