Baramulla (Urdu pronunciation: [baːɾaːmuːlaː]), also known as Varmul (Kashmiri pronunciation: [warmul]) in Kashmiri, is a city and municipality of the Baramulla district of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Baramulla district, located on the banks of the River Jhelum downstream from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The town is known as gateway of Kashmir, serving as the major distribution centre for goods arriving in Kashmir valley through the Jhelum valley cart road.
The town was earlier known as Vārāhamūla. The name is derived from two Sanskrit words, Vārāha (meaning wild boar) and Mūla (meaning root/origin). The town was a major urban settlement and trade centre, before suffering extensive damage during the 1947 Pakistani tribal invasion of Kashmir. Currently, Baramulla is a major centre of business and education in Northern Kashmir.
