Anantnag district
Template:Infobox India district
Anantnag is a district of Kashmir Division in Jammu and Kashmir, a region administered by India as a state, and constituting the southern and southeastern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947, and between India and China from somewhat later.[1] It is one of ten districts which make up the Kashmir Valley. The district headquarters is Anantnag city. As of 2011, it was the third most populous district of Jammu and Kashmir (out of 22), after Jammu and Srinagar.[2]
Administration
Anantnag district comprises Kokernag, Shangus, Anantnag (town), Bijbehara, Doru Shahabad, Pahalgam and Qazigund tehsils. The district consists of seven blocks: Breng, Shangus, Achabal, Dachnipora, Qazigund, Khoveripora and Shahabad.[3] Each block consists of a number of panchayats such as Akingam, Dialgam, Vailoo etc. Jaipal Singh Law has been the head of the Anantnag district administration twice.
Politics
Anantnag District has 6 assembly constituencies: Anantnag, Doru Shahabad, Kokernag, Shangus, Bijbehara and Pahalgam.[4]
Demographics
According to the 2011 census Anantnag district had a population of 1,070,144,[2] roughly equal to the nation of Cyprus[5] or the US state of Rhode Island.[6] This gives it a ranking of 425th in India (out of a total of 640).[2] The district has a population density of 375 inhabitants per square kilometre (970/sq mi).[2] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 37.48%.[2] Anantnag had a sex ratio of 937 females for every 1,000 males[2] and a literacy rate of 64.32%[2] in 2011.
Anantnag city with population of 108,505 was the largest city in the district. Anantnag Urban Agglomeration had a population of 158,785.
Tourism
 | This article is written like a manual or guide. (March 2019) |
The district consists of a number of tourist places, including Verinag, Achabal, Kokernag, Daksum, Pahalgam, Dandipora (under process), Chatabal, Martand and Sinthan top. Of these places, Pahalgam and Kokernag are just 50 km from Anantnag Town.
Amarnath Temple, a Hindu shrine dedicated to Shiva, is located in Phalgam. It is the site of an annual pilgrimage, Amarnath Yatra.
Historic sites and remains
Anantnag, like the rest of the Kashmir Valley, has witnessed many vicissitudes and experienced many upheavals from time to time. Charles von Hügel found here some monuments of the Mughal period in ruins when he visited Jammu and Kashmir in 1835. Also what must have once been magnificent architectural show pieces like the Martand complex of temples, or the temples of Lalitaditya, the Emperor of Kashmir, and King Awantivarman at Awantipora (which lie midway between Srinagar and Anantnag), are now in grand ruins.
Martand Sun Temple
The Martand temple is one of the important archaeological sites of the country.[7] Its architecture reveals the glorious past of the area.[citation needed] After Independence, the government invested in the district.[citation needed] This temple has the typical Hindu structure as was present in Vedic Kashmir.
The Martand temple (coordinates 33°44′44″N 75°13′13″E / 33.7456817°N 75.2203792°E) is situated at Rambirpora Kehribal, nine kilometres east-north-east of Anantnag city.
This hill station is 45 km from the Anantnag and located on the banks of river Lidder at an altitude of 7200 ft. from sea level. Pahalgam is one among the five tehsils of Anantnag district and tehsil headquarters are located in the main town of Pahalgam. Once a great tourist puller and favourite place for shooting of Bollywood films is perhaps the best health resort in the country. Pahalgam also serves as base camp for the Amarnath Ji Yatra. The Pahalgam Valley presents glamorous look due to its pine forests, snow clad mountains, healthy climate and vast meadows and pastures. Pahalgam skirts Lidder river and torrential flow of water in Lidder river. Besides tourist huts, several hotels in private sector have come up here and these hotels provide modern facilities to their guests. A number of treks in this region also begin from Pahalgam, as the 35 km trail traverses through pinewoods to the spectacular Kolahoi Glacier.
The Village of nomad is un-spoilt by the ravages of progress. This place is an angler's delight and even an amateur can catch a rainbow trout from the rushing streams. The large brown bear is a natural inhabitant of the thick Pine and Cedar forests. Pahalgam has a golf course at 2400 meters above the sea level. Camping equipment, ponies and skiing equipment is available. Kolahoi is a destination via Aru.[citation needed] Around Pahalgam are many places of interest, and because the resort is set between fairly steep hills, it is worth hiring a pony rather than walking. Pony fares are posted at prominent locations.
One of these is the huge, undulating meadow of Baisaran, surrounded by thickly wooded forests of pine.[citation needed] Hajan, on the way to Chandanwadi, is a picnic spot.[citation needed] Filmgoers will recognise it as the location of several movie scenes.[original research?] Pahalgam has within it eight tiny villages, one of which is Mamal. There is a Shiva temple here, generally considered to be Kashmir's oldest existing temple, dating to the 5th century.[citation needed]
Pahalgam is also associated with the annual Amarnath Yatra. Chandanwari (2,895 m), 16 km from Pahalgam, is the starting point of the yatra that takes place every year in the month of Sawan (July to August). The road from Pahalgam to Chandanwari is on fairly flat terrain and can be undertaken by car. From Chandanwari onwards the track becomes much steeper, and is accessible on foot or by pony. About 11 km from Chandanwari is the mountain lake of Sheshnag (3,574 m), after which, 13 km away is the last stop, Panchtarni. The Amarnath cave is 6 km from there. During the month of Sawan, an ice stalagmite forms a natural Shivling in the Amarnath cave, which waxes and wanes with the moon.
Pahalgam
This hill station is 45 km. from the District Headquarters at Anantnag and located on the banks of river Lidder at an altitude of 7200 ft. from sea level.
Pahalgam is one among the five tehsils of Anantnag district and tehsil headquarters are located in the main town of Pahalgam. Once a great tourist puller and favourite place for shooting of Bollywood films is perhaps the best health resort in the entire India. Pahalgam also serves as base camp for the Amarnath Ji Yatra. The Pahalgam Valley presents glamorous look due to its pine forests, snow clad mountains, healthy climate and vast meadows and pastures. Besides tourist huts, several hotels in private sector have come up here and these hotels provide modern facilities to their guests. A number of treks in this region also begin from Pahalgam, as the 35 km trail traverses through pinewoods to the spectacular Kolahoi Glacier.
Achabal
Achabal is an important tourist place about 8 kilometres away from Anantnag. The place has an ancient spring surrounded by a garden terraced and developed by the Mughals. The place has got some historical background also. The upper portion of the garden is called 'Bag-e-Begum Abad' developed by Malika Noor Jehan Begum in 1620 AD and renowned as Sahib Abad in which there was a Hamam (treasure of water) getting heat from a logical lamp (Tosng).
Kokernag
It is known for its trout streams and the largest fresh water spring in Kashmir, Trout hatchery department which has constructed pools in series where in trout is reared. Different pools have got trout with different weights and ages. Departments sells it to the tourists who find it a delicious dish and enjoy it. Kokernag is eight miles form Achabal and known for the curative properties of its springs.[citation needed] The total area of Kokernag is 300 Kanals of which 129 kanals is for the purpose of gardens and the rest is forest area. Kokernag has some historical importance also. Kokernag has been mentioned in Ain Akbari, where in it has been mentioned that the water of Kokernag satisfies both hunger and thirst and it is also a remedy for indigestion. The author of Ain Akbari notices that touch-stone is found in Kokernag.
Verinag
Verinag spring issues deep blue water from the bottom of a high scrap of a mountain spur and here also Emperor Jehangir built a garden and pleasure house. The Verinag spring is about 26 kilometres away from Anantnag and is considered as the original source of river Jehlum. The spring is situated at the bottom of hill covered by pine trees and evergreen plants. The wonderful and charming construction of the spring as well as its adjacent garden compel the visitors to see it again and again. The construction of the banks of spring as well as its surroundings is of rare shape.
Daksum
Located in the dense forests, this scenic spot falls on the Anantnag-Sinthan Top-Kishtwar road. A gushing stream flows through Daksum which is rich in trout fish. It is a forest retreat girdled by mountains. The surrounding forests are rich in fauna and flora.[citation needed] This tourist sport is in the south east of Anantnag City and is about a distance of 40 kilometres from Anantnag city.
Shiva Bhagwati Temple Akingam
It is a temple in village Akingam of this district. It is located near the foot of a forest.
Sinthan top
Sinthen top is a hill station, a tourist destination located in South Kashmir’s Breng Valley (Sub-District Kokernag) in Anantnag district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Road facility
Anantnag has following roads connecting it to various assembly segments and with NH1A ( Major District Roads)
- NH1A Khanabal to Sangam via Bijbehara
- NH 1B Khanabal to Kishtwar via Achabal, Akingam, Kokernag
- Verinag Anantnag Road
- Kokernag via Dailgam via hakura
- Larkipora Fatehpora Road
- Sadura Kamad Road which Starts From Vessu On National Highway.
- Khanabal Pahalgam (KP) road.
Climate
Anantnag features a moderate climate (Köppen climate classification. Anantnag's climate is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Karokaram to its east and the Pirpanjal range to the south. It can be generally described as cool in the spring and autumn, mildin the summer, and cold in the winter. As a large city with a significant differences in Geo location among various districts, the weather is often cooler in the hilly Areas of east as compared to the flat northern part of anantnag.
Summer is usually mild and with a little rain, but relative humidity is generally high and the nights are cool. The precipitation occurs throughout the year but no one month is particularly dry. The hottest month is July (mean minimum temperature 6 °C, mean maximum temperature 32 °C) and the coldest are December–January (mean minimum temperature -15 °C, mean maximum temperature 0 °C).
Weather conditions are unpredictable. The record high temperature is 33 °C and the record low is -18 °C. On 5–6 January 2012, after years of relatively little snow, a wave of heavy snow and low temperatures shocked the city covering it in a thick layer of snow and ice, forcing them to officially declare a state of emergency and calling the following two days (6 and 7 January) off for the whole valley.
Anantnag has seen an increase in the relative humidity and annual precipitation in the last few years. This is most likely because of the commercial afforestation projects which also includes expanding parks and green cover. The suburb parts of Anantnag are more lush than the central part. Anantnag District possesses all the typical characteristics of the climate of Kashmir Valley as a whole. In his introduction to the Rajtarangini Kulan or Kakhana Pundit says about the climate of Valley: 'It is a country where the sun shines mildly, being the place created by Kashayapa as if for his glory. High school-houses, the saffron, iced water and grapes, which are rare even in heaven, are common here. Kailasa is the best place in the three worlds, Himalaya the best part of Kailasa, and Kashmir the best place in Himalaya'.
Sir Walter Lawrence writes in his book The Valley of Kashmir that in latitude Kashmir corresponds with Peshawar, Baghdad and Damascus in Asia: with Fez in Morocco: and South Carolina in America, but it presents none of the characteristics of those countries. People have linked the climate of Kashmir to that of Switzerland until the end of May, and of Southern France in July and August. But it is impossible to speak of Kashmir as possessing any one climate or group of characteristics. Every hundred feet of elevation brings some new phase of climate and of vegetation.[8]
| Climate data for Anantnag (1971–1986) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) |
8.2 (46.8) |
14.1 (57.4) |
20.5 (68.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
29.6 (85.3) |
30.1 (86.2) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.4 (81.3) |
22.4 (72.3) |
15.1 (59.2) |
8.2 (46.8) |
19.7 (67.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.0 (28.4) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
3.4 (38.1) |
7.9 (46.2) |
10.8 (51.4) |
14.9 (58.8) |
18.1 (64.6) |
17.5 (63.5) |
12.1 (53.8) |
5.8 (42.4) |
0.9 (33.6) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
7.3 (45.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 48 (1.9) |
68 (2.7) |
121 (4.8) |
85 (3.3) |
68 (2.7) |
39 (1.5) |
62 (2.4) |
76 (3.0) |
28 (1.1) |
33 (1.3) |
28 (1.1) |
54 (2.1) |
710 (27.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.6 | 7.3 | 10.2 | 8.8 | 8.1 | 5.7 | 7.9 | 6.8 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 5.1 | 75.6 |
| Source: HKO[9] | |||||||||||||
References
- ^ The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary sources (a) through (d), reflecting due weight in the coverage. Although "controlled" and "held" are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them, as evidenced in sources (e) through (g) below, "held" is also considered politicized usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (h) below):
(a) Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannia, Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 15 August 2019{{citation}}:|last1=has generic name (help) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent ... has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise three areas: Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, the last two being part of a territory called the Northern Areas. Administered by India are the southern and southeastern portions, which constitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to be split into two union territories.";
(b) Pletcher, Kenneth, Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 16 August 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "Aksai Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin, portion of the Kashmir region, at the northernmost extent of the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia. It constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese-administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India to be part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir state.";
(c) "Kashmir", Encyclopedia Americana, Scholastic Library Publishing, 2006, p. 328, ISBN 978-0-7172-0139-6 C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partlv by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947";
(d) Talbot, Ian (2016), A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas, Yale University Press, pp. 28–29, ISBN 978-0-300-19694-8 Quote: "We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law. The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.";
(e) Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannia, Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 15 August 2019{{citation}}:|last1=has generic name (help) (subscription required) Quote: "... China became active in the eastern area of Kashmir in the 1950s and has controlled the northeastern part of Ladakh (the easternmost portion of the region) since 1962.";
(f) Bose, Sumantra (2009), Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace, Harvard University Press, pp. 294, 291, 293, ISBN 978-0-674-02855-5 Quote: "J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute. Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. The larger and more populous part of the former princely state. It has a population of slightly over 10 million, and comprises three regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. The more populous part of Pakistani-controlled J&K, with a population of approximately 2.5 million. AJK has six districts: Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Bagh, Kodi, Rawalakot, and Poonch. Its capital is the town of Muzaffarabad. AJK has its own institutions, but its political life is heavily controlled by Pakistani authorities, especially the military), it includes the sparsely populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit and Baltistan, remote mountainous regions which are directly administered, unlike AJK, by the Pakistani central authorities, and some high-altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control."
(g) Fisher, Michael H. (2018), An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century, Cambridge University Press, p. 166, ISBN 978-1-107-11162-2 Quote: "Kashmir’s identity remains hotly disputed with a UN-supervised “Line of Control” still separating Pakistani-held Azad (“Free”) Kashmir from Indian-held Kashmir.";
(h) Snedden, Christopher (2015), Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris, Oxford University Press, p. 10, ISBN 978-1-84904-621-3 Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'." - ^ a b c d e f g "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ Statement showing the number of blocks in respect of 22 Districts of Jammu and Kashmir State including newly Created Districts Archived 2008-09-10 at the Wayback Machine dated 2008-03-13, accessed 2008-08-30
- ^ "ERO's and AERO's". Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu and Kashmir. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Retrieved 1 October 2011.
Cyprus 1,120,489 July 2011 est.
- ^ "2010 Resident Population Data". U. S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
Rhode Island 1,052,567
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ CONVERTED KASHMIR: Memorial of Mistakes Archived 18 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Kashmir-information.com.
- ^ "Anantnag district General information". India on a Page. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "Climatological Information for Srinigar, India". Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
External links
Places adjacent to Anantnag district | |
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