Description

Introduction:

Mattan is a town that is situated in Anantnag district of Jammu & Kashmir. It is sited at a distance of 10 km away from its district Headquarters Anantnag and 62 km away from the state capital Srinagar.The name Mattan came from "Macch – Bhawan" in which "Macch" is a name of a fish. The town has a long spiritual history. Urdu, Hindi and Kashmiri are the most spoken languages of Mattan.

As per 2011 population census the town has a total population of 9246 people out of which male constitutes 5101 and female constitutes 4145. The town homes nearly 1384 families within its borders. The sex ratio of the town is 813 female out of 1000 male. Out of the total Mattan population 14.63 % i.e. 1353 belongs to children population in the town between the age group of 0 to 6 years. Out of the total child population nearly 691 constitute boys and the rest of 662 constitute girls. The child sex ratio in the town is recorded as 958 girls out of 1000 boys. This ratio is very much higher than the average Jammu and Kashmir state average ratio of 862.

The literacy rate in Mattan is recorded as 73.33 % which means nearly 5788 people of the total town population are literates. The Mattan literacy rate is higher than the average state value of 67.16 %. The male literacy rate constitutes 82.77 % i.e. 3650 males and the female literacy rate constitutes 61.38 % i.e. 2138 females. Out of the total Mattan population nearly 3458 people are recorded as illiterates.

The total number of people employed in the town is recorded as 3710 out of which male constitutes 2827 and female constitutes 883. Out of the total working population nearly 71.18 % i.e. 2678 people are engaged in main work and 27.82 % i.e. 1032 people are engaged in marginal work. Out of the total Mattan population nearly 1.16 % of people belong to Schedule caste and 0.49 % of people belong to Schedule tribe.

Administration in Mattan

Mattan town constitutes a municipal committee or a notified area committee which forms the local government in the town. The Mattan municipal committee comprises of 12 wards for which elections are held one in 5 years and 12 ward members are elected to the Mattan municipal committee. Mattan town comes under Anantnag Tehsil of its state sub division of district that is the sub districts.

Mattan operates under Kashmir valley administrative division of state administration. Mattan belongs to Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency.Also the town comes under Anantnag Vidhan Sabha constituency.

Main Attractions

Mattan town has various attractions that highlight its beauty and historical significance and these are as under :

Mattan Spring:

The spring is a major attraction for tourists, and is said to have crystal clear water and many fish. The people living in mattan also drink the water of the spring as its the main source of drinking water in Mattan.Visitors are not allowed to catch the fishes, but can buy fish-food to feed them.

Historical and Ancient Religious places:

The Mattan town is sacred to Sikhs, as Ist Guru of Sikhs , Guru Nanak Dev Ji is said to have stayed here for 13 days. A Gurudwara Sahib has been built about 200-300 years ago and is named as "Pehli Patshahi" and Gurudwara Guru Nanak Dev Ji Mattan Sahib

Mattan is known for its historical temples , which includes a modern Surya Temple also called as Surya Mandir, temples for Lord Vishnu, Hanuman Ji, and Shani. During Amarnath Ji Yatra , yatris also pay visit here.

Mattan town is also know for its beautiful and wonderful Masjid Shareef , named as Markazi Jamia Masjid where the local Muslim brothers of Mattan town do their prayers.

Mattan town is also famous for its market called SADAR BAZAAR. The market has various and famous textile stores famously known as Bodha Textiles. The market also consists of various retail and wholesale stores and various food points .There are various medical stores also. The Market is surrounded by the ancient trees about thousands years old called as Chinars. Mattan is also known for being a place of religious harmony, where people of different sects live in peace and brotherhood.

Best time to visit

As we all know Kashmir is called as "THE PARADISE ON EARTH" and Mattan town is the small area situated in Kashmir ,thus all the seasons are best to visit

The high-quality time to visit the town depends on your opinion and what you want to experience.

1. If Summer (April to June) then:

- Summer is the peak traveller season in town and kashmkr when the weather is nice and temperatures range from 15°C to 30°C.

- This is the precise time for out of doors sports including sightseeing, trekking, rafting, and playing the beautiful gardens and lakes.

2. Winter (November to February):

- Winter transforms town and all over Kashmir right into a iciness wonderland with snow-covered landscapes, making it perfect for snow lovers.

- Skiing, snowboarding, and snow trekking are famous sports in the course of this time, specifically in locations like Gulmarg(150 kms away from town) and Pahalgam (36 kms aways from town).

- The iconic Dal Lake (56 kms away) freezes over, supplying particular experiences like ice skating and ice fishing.

- However, road closures and transportation disruptions because of heavy snowfall may arise, so it's crucial to devise therefore.

All the times have their appeal, so the choice depends on whether or you opt for moderate weather and lush landscapes or snow-blanketed surroundings and iciness sports.

Accommodations

Mattan town provide various hotels ,guest house and restaurant facilities to the tourists .

Some of the famous Hotels and Restaurants are Evergeens Resorts , Holidays , Sheen , Sifar ,Qayam and many more.

Local Dishes

The Cuisine (Zaikaa) of Mattan town is not much different from other regions of Kashmir. Wazwan(It includes various varaites of meat,chicken,vegetables made in authentic Kashmiri traditional style)is the most famous in the area. Mattan town is very popular for its bakeries also .The locals in the town and the people in Kashmir love to drink tea with traditional tandoori rotis called as Lawas and Girda.These dishes show the traditional culture of the region as well as the culture of entire Kashmir.

Lifestyle

People of Mattan town are mostly fair complexioned and good in physique. They are humble, soft spoken, hospitable, and amicable. Locals tend to be resilient and temperate in nature.They are hard working and experts in hand crafts to create exquisite items. It can be said that people of Mattan represent the true flavor of Kashmir valley which is known for its artistic beauty and cultural heritage.

Community Living

Mattan has a Temple, Mosque, and Gurudwara, and people of different faiths have lived together there for generations. Locals say that religion has never caused a rift between the people of Mattan.

Mattan is considered a symbol of communal harmony between different sects.

Mattan has maintained its traditional values, even during difficult times, demonstrating that no religion is greater than humanity.

As, The Best Preacher of the Humanity in and out the whole Universe ,GURU NANAK DEV JI has visited the town and He says

"Befor becoming a Sikh ,Hindu or a Muslim ,become a Human first".

Health facilities

The mattan town is facilitated with a Government Hospital with well equipped instruments and machines and various private clinics also.

The municipal committee of Mattan homes numerous chemists in its grounds which operates all days in a week to provide essential drugs to its patients.

Sport facilities

Mattan town homes a National Cricket Ground known as Tick-bagh. In this stadium various Cricket matches are played at zonal, district and state level. It gives the platform for the youth of mattan and district to give their best in sports.

Transportation

Mattan has a very strong roadway transport system. The KP (Khanabal - Pahalgam) Road is the major road running through the town connecting it with its nearby localities. The other major roadways in the town are the Mattan-Gopalpura road, Anantnag-Mattan road, Central Jail road, Pranbawan road, Sadar Bazar Mattan road and many more.

The town doesn’t own an airport or a railway station. The airports that are sited close to the town are Srinagar International Airport at 66 km away from the town. The Anantnag r

Railway Station is the nearby major railway station from the town which is sited at a distance of 12 km away. The other railway stations close to Mattan are Brijbehera railway station at 30 km away and Panjgam railway station at 25 km away. The town has good local transportation facilities also.

Education

There are several educational institutions in Mattan town including colleges, schools, and other educational centers. These are listed below

Government Degree College Mattan: Established in 2019, this college offers Bachelor's degree programs in general courses like Bachelor in Arts ,B.com etc.

Government Higher Secondary School Mattan:

Established in 1979, this institute offers education in higher secondary levels from class 9th to 12th in all streams .

Government High School Mattan:

Established in 1950 , this institute offers education from mid level to high level that means from 8th class to 10th class.

Government Middle School Mattan Bala:

Established in 1948 and offers education from low level to high level that means from Nursery class to 8th class.

There are various private schools and colleges as well:

1) Ace International Public School.

2) Lyceum Public School.

3) Alif International School.

4) MapleVale International School.

5) Al-Ahad College of Education.