Tatrinote Poonch: Village on the Line of Control

Tatrinote is a village in Poonch district, Azad Kashmir, that sits directly on the Line of Control, about 8 km from the town of Poonch on the Indian side. It is known for the Tetrinote to Chakan Da Bagh crossing point, where the Poonch to Rawalakot bus once carried divided families across the LoC. For a visitor there is little to see beyond a river valley and the outside of a military frontier, and the crossing has been closed to civilians since 2019.

This guide explains where Tatrinote is, where its odd name may come from, what the crossing was and is, and why most travellers should admire it from a map rather than in person.

Where is Tatrinote?

Tatrinote lies in the south-east of Poonch district, in the foothills of the Pir Panjal, where a narrow valley carries the Poonch river towards the frontier. The roads in come through Hajira and Abbaspur, the two Poonch towns closest to this part of the LoC. Hajira, which Wikipedia describes as the nearest major town to the Line of Control, has road links to Rawalakot, Kotli and Trarkhal, with daily public transport to Rawalakot.

About 10,000 people live in the village and its surroundings. Farming is the main work, and, as across Poonch, money sent home by relatives in Britain, the Gulf, New Zealand and the United States matters a great deal to local households.

Where does the name Tatrinote come from?

Nobody seems to know for certain. The explanation Wikipedia records is that the name joins tatri and note, and that a landlord once bought the land for a single tetri, the smallest unit of the Georgian lari.

That story cannot be literally true. Georgia's lari, and the tetri with it, only came into use in 1995, long after the village had its name, and the tetri is a coin rather than a note. Treat it as a local joke or folk tale that has been written down, not as history. If you meet older residents, asking them what the name means is likely to get you a better answer than anything online.

The Chakan Da Bagh crossing

Tatrinote's place in recent history comes from the crossing point on the LoC between Tetrinote on the Pakistani side and Chakan Da Bagh near Poonch on the Indian side.

• 2005. After the earthquake of 8 October 2005, India and Pakistan agreed to open crossing points on the LoC so relief and families could cross. Chakan Da Bagh, in Poonch, was the first of these that India opened.
• 20 June 2006. The Poonch to Rawalakot bus began running through Tatrinote and Chakan Da Bagh. On the first day 87 people crossed the point on foot after arriving by bus. Travel needed entry permits and was mainly for divided families.
• 2008 onwards. Cross-LoC trade began between the two sides in October 2008, and this crossing became one of the main routes for it.
• Flag meetings. Wikipedia notes that most flag meetings between Indian and Pakistani security forces are held at this crossing.
• August 2019. After India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan suspended its bus links with India, including the Poonch to Rawalakot bus, and suspended most trade.

We found no report of the bus or trade resuming since, and relations were at a low again after the May 2025 hostilities. There is no crossing for tourists here, and there never was: even when the bus ran, it was for permit holders.

What can a visitor actually see?

Honestly, not much, and that is the main thing to understand before going.

• The valley and the river. The setting is a narrow green valley with the Poonch river beside it and views towards the Pir Panjal.
• The village. An ordinary farming community, with the houses and mosques you would see anywhere in Poonch.
• The frontier, from a distance. The crossing point and the LoC are military areas. You cannot walk up to the crossing, and you should not try to find a viewpoint over it.

There are no tourist facilities in Tatrinote that we could find: no hotel, no viewpoint and no visitor information. The nearest real choice of places to stay and eat is in Rawalakot; see our hotels in Rawalakot guide.

Is it safe to go to Tatrinote?

Tatrinote is on the LoC itself, so treat a visit seriously.

The UK government (advice updated 22 September 2026) advises against all travel to Azad Kashmir within 10 miles of the Line of Control. Tatrinote is inside that zone. During the May 2025 India and Pakistan hostilities, Pakistani reports said Indian shelling targeted civilian areas including Hajira, the town on the road to Tatrinote. Azad Kashmir as a whole also went through the deadliest unrest there in years from June 2026, when Joint Awami Action Committee protests left at least 24 dead in the first two weeks and more than 50 by rights groups' later counts, with long internet and phone shutdowns.

People with family in Tatrinote travel there all the time. If you have a reason to go:

1. Check local news and ask someone in Hajira or Rawalakot about the LoC situation that week.
2. Carry your original CNIC and stop at every checkpoint.
3. Don't photograph army posts, the crossing, checkpoints or bridges.
4. Turn back if police or soldiers tell you to.
5. If you hold a foreign passport, check your own government's advice. Travelling against it can void insurance.

Our Azad Kashmir safety guide has the wider picture.

Should you go?

If you have family there, or a real interest in the history of the divided Poonch region and have checked the current situation, a careful daytime visit from Rawalakot is possible.

For an ordinary sightseeing trip, no. You will see a quiet valley, and the thing that makes Tatrinote known, the crossing, is closed and off limits. Rawalakot, Banjosa Lake and Toli Pir give you the same Poonch hills without the front-line risk. Start with our places to visit in Rawalakot, our Islamabad to Rawalakot road guide, or the Kashmir destination page.

Frequently asked questions