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Situated 55 Kms.of the south-east of Srinagar, Anantnag district is spread over an area of 3934 Sq.Kms.with a population of approx.8.50 lakhs. It is bounded by Srinagar district in the north,Pulwama districts in the north west and Kargil district in the north east. It is flanked by Doda and Udhampur districts in the east and south east and by district of Rajouri south west. The Anantnag district is called the Granary of the Kashmir Valley. It is the third highly populous district of the Valley after Srinagar and Baramulla. About 89 percent of the population lives in the rural areas and is mostly engaged in agriculture, the principal crops being rice and maize. The district is divided into 5 tehsils, 10 community development blocks, 8 towns, 149 panchayats and 645 villages. The tehsils include Anantnag, Doru, Kulgam, Pahalgam and Bijbehara. The blocks are Sahabad, Achabal, Shangus, Kulgam, Damhal Hajipora, Qaimoh, Breng, Qazigund, Khoverpora and Dachnipora. The population density per Sq.Kms.in the district is 165. Culturally, the district is no different from any other area of the Valley. Kashmiri and Urdu are the main languages of people while rice is their staple food.
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Mattan
The temples of Mattan are located midway between Anantnag and Pahalgam. There is a Shiva Temple in the centre of a deep pond.
Martand
This is a significant Archaelogical site. Its impressive Architecture reveals the glorious past of the area. All that remains of the temple is a central rectangular building surrounded by a court and rectangular colonnade.
Shrines
The most important shrine is of Amarnath cave situated about 48 KMs from Pahalgam which attracts devotees from all over the world. It is located in the upper reaches of the Distt at an altitude of about 13000ft. from the sea level. Shrine is believed to be an abode of lord Shiva.
There are famous temples at Anantnag, Deviangan,
Bijbehara, Akingam, Lukbhavan, and Goswami Gund, Nagdandi Ashram.
The famous shrines of Bab-Zain-Ud-Din Wali is existing at Aishmuqam.
The shrine of Baba-Hyder Rishi is located at Anantnag. He is the last giant of Rishi order of saints.
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