The district Anantnag is far famed for its rich cultural heritage and hospitality. It is also popular for its age-old traditions of secularism and sipirit of tolerence, which have been since times immemorial binding the people together. All the sects of society live in complete harmony, free from any prejudice. They are credited to have unity in diversity.

Language : 
Kashmiri is the most popular language of the district. Though the official language is Urdu, but Kashmiri is mostly spoken. Gojri is another language which is used by the Jujjar and Bakerwal tribes who are mostly living in the rural and upper reaches of the district. Pahari is also used by a small population. Most of the people can speak Kashmiri and Urdu languages. English is spoken by educated section of the society.

Folk Dances & Songs :
Ru, Bandpather and Dambali  are the folk dances. In Ru women stand in rows advancing and retreating,  singing the Ru song. The song is pretty and dance is graceful. Some people consider Dambali or Zikr as a religious exercise. It serves the same purpose as the dancee of Darwesh. The mind is thrown into whirl, and the dancers fall into  a religious ecstasy. Generally the Dambali is held at the annual fairs held at the various shrines. Bhand Pather  is a traditional folk theatre style combination of play and dance in a satirical style where social traditions , evils are depicted and performed in various social and cultural functions. Bhand Jashan is performed by a group of 10 to 15 artists in their traditional style accompanied by light music for the entertainment of people.

Chakri:
It is most popular form of Kashmiri folk music. It has some resemblance with chakra of mountainous regions of Uttar Pradesh. Normally Garaha, Sarangi , Rabab were the musical instruments used in the past. But now the harmonium too has made its way in its presentation.  

Fairs: 
The annual fairs held at various shrines are red letter days in the lives of the people. Thousands crowd together and spend the day eating and buying fairings

Religion:
Islam is the dominant religion and the Muslims form the majority of the population.  Next comes the Hindu   population and in some villages there is a good number of Sikhs also.  In spite of the existence of many religions people are quite liberal and possess and adopt a progressive way of life. Almost everywhere in the towns and villages Mosques, Shrines of Saints and Sofis (Reshis) and temples are found.  

Food:                                                                       
People are fond of eating. The chief staples of food being rice, vegetables, oil, salt and pepper and milk.  Poultry products are also used in abundance. The meat (mutton and beef)  is also eaten very often.  Fish is also eaten but not so commonly. Most of the people are fond of tea with salt and milk (Nun Chai). Tea with sugar is also finding its way into the homes.  Kahwa (tea without milk mixed with other 11 ingredients) is also common. Both tea (Nun Chai) nad Kahwa are made in Russian Samovar, which is a popular institution is Kashmir . Tea is said to have been introduced in Kashmir by Mirza Haider from Yarkand.

Kashmiri Wazawan: ( Kashmiri Cuisine)
The history of modern Kashmiri cuisine can be traced back to the fifteenth century invasion of India by Timur, and the migration of 1700 skilled woodcarvers, weavers, architects, calligraphers and cooks from Samarkand to the valley of Kashmir. The descendants of these cooks, the Wazas, are the master chefs of Kashmir . The ultimate formal banquet in Kashmir is the royal Wazwan. Of its thirty-six courses, between fifteen and thirty can be preparations of meat, cooked overnight by the master chef, Vasta Waza, and his retinue of wazas. Guests are seated in groups of four and share the meal out of a large metal plate called the trami. The meal begins with a ritual washing of hands at a basin called the tash-t-nari, which is taken around by attendants. Then the tramis arrive, heaped with rice, quartered by four seekh kababs and contains four pieces of methi korma, one tabak maaz, one safed murg, one zafrani murg, and the first few courses. Curd and chutney are served seperately in small earthen pots. Seven dishes are a must for these occassions-- Rista, Rogan Josh, Tabak Maaz, Daniwal Korma, Aab Gosht, Marchwangan Korma and Gushtaba. The meal ends with the Gushtab a. Most commonly served are ristas or meat balls of finely pounded mutton and cooked in a gravy; seekh kababs ; tabak maz or flat pieces of meat cut from the ribs and fried till they acquire a crisp crackling texture; rogan josh owes its rich red colour to the generous use of Kashmiri chilies. Chicken yakhni ows its cream colour and delicate flavour to the use of curd as a base. Dam aloo and chaman are the commonly served vegetarian dishes. Almost all the hotels serve the wazawan dishes on their menus.

Kashmiri Breads:
All the local bakery shops serve Kashmiri breads like ' sheermal' and ' baqerkhani ', without which no Kashmiri breakfast is complete. Kashmiris use a variety of breads seldom seen elsewhere. Tsot and t sochvoru are small round breads, topped with poppy and sesame seeds and traditionally washed down with salt tea. Lavas is a cream coloured unleavened bread; baqerkhani is the Kashmiri equivalent of rough puff pastry and kulcha is a melt-in-the mouth variety of short-bread, sweet or savoury, topped with poppy seeds.               

Dress:  
Besides other usual dresses, Pheran is the unique dress used by every Kashmiri. This garment somewhere between a coat and a cloak, is eminently suited to the Kashmiri way of life, being loose enough to admit the inevitable brazier of live coals which is carried around in much the same way as a hot water  bottle. Men's Pherans are always made of tweed or coarse wool; women's pherans , somewhat more stylized are most commonly made of raffel, splashes of ari or hook embroidery at the throat, cuffs and edges. The quality of embroidery and thickness of the raffel determines the price.       

Kanger:
The useful Kangar , which forms so important part of the Kashmiri's life, must not be left unnoticed. There is a proverb 'What Laila was on Majnun's bosom so is the Kangar to a Kashmiri.' The Kanga r is a small earthenware bowl of a quaint shape, held in a frame of wicker work. In the winter and even in the summer when the rains chill the air, hot embers are put into the Kangar and is slipped under the voluminous   gown ( Pheran ) which all the Kashmiris wear. The Kangar has been stated to have been introduced from Italy , but as there is mention of it in Raj Tarangni it seems probable that it is indigenous.  

Customs of Birth, Death & Marriage:
The customs and ceremonies connected with birth marriage and death in Anantnag ( Kashmir ) are of some interest  it may be of use to enumerate them at some length. It must be explained that the customs vary according to the position and wealth of families, and that there is some difference between the observances of the city people and the villagers, But the chief incidents in birth, marriage and death are the same, and in the following description is given of the practices of the average Hindu and the average Musalman. And inasmuch as the Musalman villagers and the Kashmiri Pandit are the most important and numerous classes in the valley,  their customs and ceremonies have been set forth and  attempt has not been made  to give the special observances of the Hanji, Watal and other tribes. Though these tribes have their special customs , the main ideas and ceremonies are practically the same as those which are found among the villagers. If a comparison be made between the customs of the Hindus and the Musalmans, it will be seen that there are many points of resemblance , and the curious prominence of the walnut and salt, and the use of the mendhi dye, will be noticed. Besides the mehnzsrat, or use of the mendhi dye, in both religions  there is the laganchir or fixing of the marriage day; Phirsal, the visit paid by the bridegroom to the bride's house after marriage ; gulimiut, the giving of money and jewels; the dress and the title of the bridegroom as maharaja and of the bride as maharani; chudsu, the giving of presents on the fourth day after death, and the wehrrwari and barsi, the celebration respectively of the birthday and day of death. The vernacular words must be given in the text, instead of relegating them to the glossary, for they have no English synonyms . they are words which one hears in daily intercourse with the people, and any one who has work in the valley will find that a knowledge of these words and customs will give him a hold over the Kashmiris.