Kotla, Bagh
Kotla is the name of a valley in Northern Bagh the name of the main village of this valley is Kotla,on the basis of which the entire valley was named Kotla Valley. Kotla () is a Village and tourist resort in Bagh District, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Kotla is above sea level. Kotla contains pine trees that are hundreds of years old. It takes approximately 1 hour to drive from Bagh to Kotla. History Kotla Valley is a historical site in Bagh District. It is said that at one time a family named Sakal lived here.The family migrated 300 years ago today due to heavy snowfall. At that time there was heavy snowfall in Bagh Valley. And until the month of August, the ice was frozen in the streams. Kotla and Bagh had dense forests. Even today, in the form of Khanthi forest, the largest forest in the Bagh Valley is located near Kotla. Traces of old times have been found in Kotla. The Sakal family cemetery is also located at Lad. Forests Kotla is also home to some of the rarest forests in the region containing Pine Abies pindrow trees that are hundreds of years old. Due to lack of knowledge/interest, these forests are now endangered to become extinct as locals continue deforestation by cutting down trees yet local/state governments seem to have no interest in saving them. Geography The village is situated on the confluence of two mini nullahs, Jaber Nala and Mangimar, which flow all the year round. Kotla is 18 km from the city of Bagh and is located in a valley surrounded by large mountains on three sides. On the south of the valley lies Kanthi Forest. The northern area of Kotla borders Muzaffarabad District. Kotla is the central point of the Sharqi area. Tourism Kotla is famous for its hiking trails that lead to Pir Kanthi , Danna meadows, Panjal Mastan plains and Ganga Choti, a mountain peak at about and one of the most famous tourist attractions in AJK, Pakistan. Kotla Waterfalls Kotla Watterfalls is located in Kotla village. It is a very large waterfall. It is located at a height of 5798 feet above sea level. The waterfall drops about from a hanging valley that ends in overhanging cliffs above the Kotla River. The Valley of the Bagh is located at a height of 5798 feet above sea level. The stream, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, forms a cascade so high that it is almost lost in spray before it reaches the level of the valley. After rain, and early in the season when fed by the melting snows, Kotla Falls is very striking. The force of the stream above the fall at such times is sufficient to carry the water clear of the precipice, and the whole mass descends in a condition of liquid dust, between spray and cloud, that sways to and fro with the gentlest breeze. In a dry summer, when the supply of