Lalit Gupta
Balor/Billawar (Vallapura): A Forgotten Capital with a Glorious Past
A City by the River Bhini: Nestled 108 kilometres from Jammu, Billawar sits on a natural plateau above the rocky bed of Bhini River, a tributary of Ujh. Today’s Billawar-a quiet town with a name barely known beyond the Shivalik foothills- was once a flourishing capital of a medieval hill principality, a vital node on ancient trade and pilgrimage routes between Kanauj and Kashmir and beyond.
Founded in the mid-8th century CE by Raja Bhog Pal, this old capital of Vallpura derived its name from the presence of many Ballava trees in the area. It was not just a royal seat but the heart of an extensive state that included areas of Bhaderwah and Bhaddu, and Sumarta. Its rulers, like other rajas of hill principalities, retained their independence till the rise of Jammu Raj in the 18th century. Ancient walls, ruins of towers, and an old gateway are silent witnesses to a time when this region pulsed with activity.
The rulers of Vallpura, like other rajas of hill principalities of Duggar, retained their independence till the rise of Jammu Raj in the 18th century.
In the Eyes of Historian and Travellers: The earliest reference to Vallapura comes from Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, the famed 12th-century chronicle of Kashmir kings, which mentions the Raja of Vallapura as part of a winter delegation to Kashmir in 1087-88 CE, during the reign of Ananatadeva. Royal alliances and matrimonial ties between Vallapura with the royal houses of Kashmir.
The great Persian scholar Alberuni, in his Kitab-Tariq-al-Hind (1031 CE), refers to the town as Balaur. He mentions it as a key waypoint on the highland route between Kanauj to Kashmir, affirming its role as a trade and cultural hub in the 9th-10th centuries.
Royal records-the vanshavali-trace the genealogy of the Billawaria kings from 1169 to 1590, before the capital was shifted to Basohli in 1635, leaving Billawar to fade quietly from the political map.
The Jewel of Billawar-The Bilvakesvar or Hari Hara Temple: At the spiritual heart of this forgotten capital stands the Hari Hara Temple, locally called Bilvakesvar-a majestic yet time-worn monument to faith and craftsmanship.
Built in the 11th and 12th centuries by prosperous trade guilds or the royal court, the temple is a classic example of a regional take on the Gurjara-Pratihara style that developed in north and central India during the 8th-9th centuries.
With its square sanctum, ornate shikhara and a mandapa, the structure shares kinship with temples of Chamba, Baijnath, and Kumaon.
Besides the Shiva Linga, several sculptures in the sanctum of the temple emerge as important internal evidence which further supports the view that the temple complex, after having suffered damage either at the hands of iconoclasts or a natural calamity, was reconstructed time and again.
Showing different stylistic phases, along with different levels of mutilation, prominent among these sculptures are exquisitely carved idols of Vaikuntha Vishnu in black stone. The presence of Vaikuntha Vishnu sculptures at the Billawar Shiva temple indicates the worship of the deity in Jammu Shivaliks during the 10th to 12th centuries.
Local legend adds a mythical dimension: The temple is said to have been first built by Babruvahana, a warrior son of Shiva himself.
Banihal: A gateway to Kashmir
While Billawar thrived in the south, Banihal to the north offered a link between Kashmir and the plains. The modern-day Banihal finds mention as Banashala in Rajatrangini, it guarded the eastern approach to the Valley at a relatively low altitude of 9000 feet, making a historically strategic passage towards the upper Chenab Valley and the Eastern Punjab hill States.
During King Jayasimha’s reign (1120-1149 CE) in Kashmir, rival Bhiksacara attempted an invasion through this very pass. The castle of Banashala, then held by a Khasa chief, was a key military post.
As per folklore, the town was based on 12 villages (hals); Jachahal, Jinahal, Haniza hal, Karalchi, Parhinderhal, Chamhal, Talahal, Barnehal, Akhandhal, Mitalhal, Tajanihal, and Dag Hal. As per another local legend, Bahihal is named after twelve Nalas, which flow here. These are Danad Nala, Nougaam Nala, Jabankhaar Kot Nala, Lanmbar Nala, Jarel Nala, Asharkot Nala, Karodhe Janjali Nala, Dailgam Bankot Nala, Ambkot Nala, Chanbaluas Nala, Neel-par-Hinder Nala, Mahumngat Nala, Kharosh Targam Nala, Subard Raamsu Nala, and Maggarkot-Pogal Nala. There is a tradition to name places after the number of Nalas that flow. Like the area of 22 Nalas in the Reasi district is named Bimhaag. As per Tasvir-E-Doda, Banihal’s old name was Deb-gole, since it was a residence of a Dev amidst a thick jungle (Deol in the local language). The place was under the control of the Kashmir ruler. In the 16th century, when Chakks became weak, the raja of Kishtwar established his rule here.

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