Anantnag is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. A centre of trading and business, Anantnag is considered the commercial as well as financial capital of the state.

Placed at a height of 5,300 feet above sea level, Anantnag is situated 53 km from Srinagar. It is spread over an area of 2,917 square km with a population of 108,505 people. The official language of the city is Kashmiri and the literacy rate here is 66.32% as per official data. Male literacy rate is 71% and female literacy rate is 61%.

Three major boroughs or towns - Anantnag, Khanabal and Mattan make up the entire city, along with several small townships. Majority of the city’s population is found in Anantnag borough. Anantnag is also centrally located and serves as a major manufacturing hub of shawl weaving, gabbah carpet and Namdah (hand-knotted Kashmir rug). Meanwhile, the city is also a home to several springs such as Nag Bal, Salak Nag and Malik Nag.

Old parts of Anantnag constitute of several main areas including Nagbal, Maliknag and Cheeni Chowk. Downtown Martand and Dangarpora are some of the other parts, along with villages such as Haji Danter and Mir Danter.

Newer Anantnag comprises Bakshiabad, Laizbal, Posh Bilal Colony along with Fasilabad and Moomin Abad. Additionally, Wanpoh, Dialgam, Nowgam, Seer and Fateh Garh University Town are some of its satellite areas.

Ancient mythological stories have revealed that this place is called Anantnag because Lord Shiva left here countless number of serpents that resided on his body during his journey to Amarnath cave. This is an ancient city, which was earlier a market town around 5,000 BCE. This makes it one of the oldest towns of the world.

Anantnag does not have any ancient building or archaeological site at present because most of their architectural monuments witnessed destruction during the era of Sultan Sikander.

The only saving grace is Martand Temple, which is considered as one of the major archaeological sites of India. The history of this temple dates back to nearly 500 AD and it truly represents the typical Aryan structure. It is located at Kehribal, which is 9 km east-northeast of Anantnag and south of Mattan. The temple demonstrates impressive architecture along with beautiful art and skill of builders.

Climate and Demography

Anantnag experiences moderate type of climate with weather remaining cool during spring and autumn. At the same time, it sees mild summers along with extreme cold winters. The region also witnesses cooler climate in the higher reaches towards the east. However, the flat northern part remains moderately cold.

July is considered as the hottest month of the year, experiencing mean minimum temperature of 6°C and mean maximum temperature of 32°C. The coldest months are December-January with mean minimum temperature of −15°C and mean maximum temperature of 0°C.

Over the last few years, this area has been witnessing higher relative humidity levels and rise in annual precipitation. This is majorly a result of afforestation projects going on in the region, which includes enhancing parks and green cover.

Anantnag Urban Agglomeration is home to more than 458,700 people, while Anantnag district is made up of a population of 11,70,144. The city’s population has 51.6% males and 48.4% females. Meanwhile, its sex ratio is 937 females per 1,000 males as against the national average of 940.

Economy and Tourism

Anantnag is a major economic hub of Kashmir Valley and has also been serving as a tourism hub attracting a huge pool of tourists from all around the world as a result of its history and breathtaking beauty.

The city is located on the main North South Corridor Road and has its place among the 100 fastest economically developing cities. This city witnessed heavy infrastructural losses because its roads, bridges and government institutions were destroyed during war times of 1990s. However, the city recovered quickly as a result of a cheap large foreign labour force post war times.

Anantnag is one of the most frequented cities of Kashmir valley because it has the largest number of tourist destinations in the region. Pahalgam, Kokernag, Verinag, Achabal, Aharbal, Sinthan Top and Daksum are some of the most popular destinations. Martand Sun Temple is one of the major attraction points of Anantnag. This city has a total of seven temple complexes.

Sports, Education and Arts

Anantnag is also famous for its sports activities. People come here to engage in a variety of sports. Some of the popular ones include canoeing, water skiing, water trekking as well as football and cricket. Aru and Pahalgam are the most famous spots among hikers, trekkers and fishermen. Anantnag is also a home to almost 12 colleges and a large university.

Islamia Hanfia Institute was established here in the mid-20th century. The city is also rich in performing arts and some of its forms are Bhand Pather, Chakri, Sufiana, Hafiz Nagma as well as drama and film making.

Anantnag - As a District

Anantnag is one of the major districts in Jammu and Kashmir. It is among the eight districts that constitute Kashmir Valley. As per 2011 census, Anantnag is the third most populous district of J&K. The district is made up of Kokernag, Shangus, Anantnag (town), Bijbehara, Doru, Pahalgam and Qazigund tehsils. It also has seven blocks—Breng, Shangus, Achabal, Dachnipora, Qazigund, Khoveripora and Shahabad. Each block comprises a number of panchayats.

Anantnag District is a major tourist spot with the presence of so many places including Verinag, Achabal, Kokernag, Daksum, Pahalgam, Dandipora, Chatabal, Martand and Sinthon Top. Pahalgam and Kokernag are the most famous among all of these.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Anantnag is between May and September as weather remains pleasant during this time and people can enjoy all events and activities here.

Amarnath Ji, Uma Devi of Uma Nagri, Martand Sun Temple, Ziarat Baba Hyder Reshi, Masjid Baba Dawood Khaki, Aishmuqam Shrine, Masjid Syed Shab and Kherbawani Asthapan (Devibal) can be best enjoyed during this period.

How to Reach

The nearest train station to Anantnag is Jammu, which is located at a distance of 118 km from here. New Delhi-Jammu Tawi, Rajdhani Express, Duronto Express, Uttar Sampark Kranti Express and Kathgodam-Jammu Garib Rath Express are some of the trains.

Anantnag can also be reached by buses or taxis from Chandigarh, Jammu, Ludhiana, Noida, Aligarh, Amritsar, Delhi, Dehradun, Gurgaon, Agra, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Jodhpur.

Accommodation

Anantnag is a major tourist spot in India and rental accommodation is also easily available. You can easily find a range of luxury and budget hotels as well as private accommodation and guest house at affordable prices. These accommodations are equipped with a lot of features and amenities including spacious rooms, beautiful interiors, modern appliances, wide TV screens, phones, attractive furniture and much more. However, it is advisable to make bookings in advance in order to avoid last minute hassle and inconvenience.

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