What is "banihal"

Banihal ( Urdu:بانہال)is a town and a notified area committee in Ramban district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. "Banihal" means blizzard in Kashmiri language. In some older texts it has also been referred to as 'Devgol' (The abode of mystical giants). It has an average elevation of .It is a rural and a hilly area with Kamirwah being one of the most spectacular hills. It is located about away from Qazigund of Anantnag district on NH 1A highway. However, the distance between Banihal and Qazigund is only 18 km by train on the new railway line which is much shorter than the road.Population of Banihal is mostly Muslim (over 95%).The most common language spoken in the region is Kashmiri, Urdu and English being other familiar languages.