Punjab
Its name meaning
'Land of Five Rivers', is the richest, most
fertile and most heavily populated province of
Pakistan. (Originally the five rivers referred
to the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas -
but the last is now in Indian Punjab only, so
the Indus is now included as Pakistan's fifth
river). In Punjab, live over 70 million people -
more than half the population of the entire
country. Geographically, it is a land of
contrasts, from the alluvial plain of the Indus
River and its tributaries to the sand-dunes of
the Cholistan Desert, from the verdant beauty of
the pine-covered foothills of the Himalaya to
the strangely convoluted lunar landscape of the
Potwar Plateau and the Salt Range.
In the 17th century, Lahore became one of the
greatest Mughal cities in the subcontinent. A
town near Lahore was the birthplace of Guru
Nanak, the 15th century founder of the Sikh
religion, and Lahore was the capital from which
Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled his 19th century
Sikh Empire. The British coveted this fertile
region, and overthrew the Sikhs in 1849,
annexing Punjab to their Indian dominions, with
Lahore as its provincial capital. Finally, it
was in Lahore that the All India Muslim League
passed, on 23 March 1940, its Resolution for the
Creation of Pakistan.
The best time to visit northern Punjab is in
the spring, from February to April, and in the
autumn, from September to November. Southern
Punjab is extremely hot in summer, so Multan is
at its best in winter, from November to
February.
Bahawalpur is 889 km from Karachi. The
founder of the state of Bahawalpur was Nawab
Bahawal Khan Abbasi I. The Abbasi family ruled
over the State for more than 200 years (1748 to
1954). during the rule of the last Nawab Sir
Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V, Bahawalpur State
was merged with Pakistan in 1954. Bahawalpur was
formerly the capital of the state and now is the
District and Divisional Headquarters of
Bahawalpur Division.
It is an important marketing centre for the
surrounding areas and is located on the cross
roads between Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta and
Karachi. Saraiki is the local language of the
area.
Urdu, Punjabi and English are also spoken and
understood by most the people. There are three
palaces, the main one Noor Mehal. Bahawalpur is
also known for its distinctly embroidered
slippers and shoes and the filigree pottery
which is made here. It has a marble mosque in
the Fawara Chowk and a few British buildings
like the Science College. Bahawalpur has a
modest museum having a fine collection of coins,
medals, postage stamps of former State of
Bahawalpur, manuscripts, documents,
inscriptions, wood carvings, camel skin
paintings, historical models and stone carving
etc. of Islamic and pre-Islamic period.
 See Also:
Pictures of Bahawalpur
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East of Bahawalpur is the Cholistan Desert
which covers an area of about 15,000 square km
and extends into the Thar Desert of India. The
region was once watered by the Hakra River,
known as the Saravati in Vedic times. At one
time there were 400 forts in the area and
archaeological finds around the Darawar Fort,
the only place with a perennial waterhole,
indicate that it was contemporaneous with the
Indus Valley Civilization.
The average annual rainfall is only 12 cm,
and the little cultivation there is, is made
possible by underground wells, drawn up by the
camels. The water is stored in troughs, built by
the tribes, between sand hills and din
waterholes called tobas.The people are racially
similar to those in Rajasthan - tall, with sharp
features. They live in large, round, mud and
grass huts, usually built on the top of sand
hills.
On the whole, they are pastoral and nomadic.
The main tribes are the Chachar, Mehr, Lar,
Paryar, Channar, Chandani and Bohar. The forts
here were built at 29 km intervals, which
probably served as guard posts for the camel
caravan routes. There were three rows of these
forts. the first line of forts began from Phulra
and ended in Lera, the second from Rukhanpur to
Islamgarh, and the third from Bilcaner to Kapoo.
They are all in ruins now, and you can see that
they were built with double walls of gypsum
blocks and mud. Some of them date back to 1000
BC, and were destroyed and rebuilt many times.
See Also:
Pictures of Cholistan
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 Uch
Sharif, 75 km from Bahawalpur is a very old
town. It is believed that it existed 500 BC.
Some historians believe that Uch was there even
before the advent of Bikramajit when Jains and
Buddhist ruled over the sub-continent. At the
time of the invasion by Alexander the Great, Uch
was under Hindu rule.
Certain historians say that Alexander came to
Uch after conquering northern parts of India and
spent over a fortnight in they city and renamed
it Alexandria. Some have mentioned Uch by the
name of Sikandara or Iskalanda.
They have described it as the most
flourishing and beautiful town perched upon the
plateau near the confluence of the Chenab and
Ravi rivers.
They have described it as the most flourishing
and beautiful town perched upon the plateau near
the confluence of the Chenab and Ravi rivers.
the famous shrines existing at Uch include those
of Hazrat Bahawal Haleem, Hazrat Jalaluddin
Surkh Bukhari, Makhdoom Jahanian Jahangasht,
Shaikh Saifuddin Ghazrooni and Bibi Jawanadi.
The shrine of Bibi Jawandi is a central asian
design, titled in the blue and white faience.
Uch is a small town today and divided into
three different quarters known as (i) Uch
Bukhari, after Hazrat Syed Jalaluddin Bukhari
Surkhposh, (ii) Uch Jilani, after the name of
Hazrat Shaikh Mohammad Ghaus Qadri Jilani (Bandagi),
who came from Halab in 887 AH, (iii) Uch Mughlan
after the Mughal rulers.
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 Mosque
at Bhong
Bhong is in the Rahim Yar Khan district and
is about 200 km from Bahawalpur. This mosque was
built by Rais Ghazi, a local landlord of Bhong.
Gold leaves have been used for the intricate
decorative work in the mosque which has made it
famous for its beauty and the stylish
calligraphic work.
This park is ideal for recreation, education
or research but shooting is forbidden. This
park, 36 km to the east of Bahawalpur is a
combination of a natural lake and forest on
77480 acres of land and spread over on the both
sides of Bahawalpur canal. It has watch-towers,
catching ground, tourist huts, rest house,
camping grounds, TDCP Resort with 6 A/C Bed
Rooms and treks for the visitors and lovers of
nature. Hog deer, ravine deer, black buck and
nilgai are common. Fox, jackals, hares,
porcupines, mongoose, larks, owls and hawks are
also found. Wild boars are in large number in
the forest areas. Lal Suhanra National Park
which is actually a wildlife sanctuary worth a
visit.
See Also:
Pictures of Lal Suhanra National Park - Bhong
Mosque
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About 966 km from Karachi and more or less
right in the centre of the country lies the
ancient city of Multan. Multan, the 'City of
Pirs and Shrines' is a prosperous city of
bazaars, mosques, shrines and superbly designed
tombs. It is also a city of dust, summer heat
and beggars. It has a long history. Alexander
the Great added it to his list of Indus
conquests. In 641 AD Xuang Tzang found it
'agreeable and prosperous' - Mohammad Bin Qasim
obviously agreed, he was the next to conqueror
Multan in 712 AD. Mahmud of Ghazni invaded in
1006, Timurlane in 1398. In the 16th century it
was the Moghuls turn, followed by the Sikhs in
1752 and the British in 1849. The old city has
narrow colorful bazaars full of local
handicrafts and narrow winding lanes. There are
many places of historical, cultural and
recreational interest in the city.
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The
Multan Fort
Multan fort was built on a mound separating
it from the city and the old bed of river Ravi.
The famous Qasim Bagh and a Stadium are located
within the walls of the fort. A panoramic view
of Multan city can be had from the highest point
in the fort.
Shrines
The devastation of Khorasan and Western Iran
was to the benefit of this part of Pakistan, for
it led to the
settling in this city of a large number of pious
and learned men and noble families like Gardezi
Syeds and Qureshis from Khawarizm, amongst whom
Sheikh Bahauddin Zakaria is a famous saint.
About the same time Pir Shams Tabrez from
Sabzwar and Kazi Qutubuddin from Kashan came to
Multan. Baba Farid Shakar Ganj settled in
Pakpattan. Khawaja Qutubaddin Bakhatair Kaki
passed through to Delhi and Syed Jalal, the
spiritual leader of many family in Multan,
Muzafargarh and Bahawalpur, came to Uch, Sultan
Sakhi Sarwar's father also emigrated from
Bokhara to Sakot in Multan district. These
venerable men contributed greatly to spreading
Islam in this area. the saints and shrines of
Multan have been attracting a large number of
devotees all the year round.
The shrines of one of the foremost scholars of
Islam, Shaikh Bahauddin Zakaria is located in
the fort. The Mausoleum was built by the saint
himself. It has a unique style of architecture
of that period, the mausoleum of Shah
Rukn-e-Alam, the grandson of Shaikh Bahauddin
Zakaria, is also located near the main gate of
the Multan Fort. He was also a man of great
religious and political influence. Besides its
religious importance, the Mausoleum has a unique
architectural value.
Its dome is considered to be the second
largest in the world after "Gol Gumbad" of
Bijapur, India. The mausoleum has very rich
geometrical patterns, calligraphy and colorful
floral, mosaic and glazed tile work. The
mausoleum has recently been given the Agha Khan
Award for the best Muslim Architecture. The
shrine is visited by devotees all the year
round. The shrine of Hazrat Shams Sabzwari is
located near Aamkhas Garden.
Other shrines in Multan include that of
Muhammad Yusuf Fardezi near Bohar Gate, Musa
Pak. Shaheed inside the Pak. Gate, Total Mai
near Haram Gate, Shah Ali Akbar, a descendant of
Shah Shams Sabzwari, in Suramiani and Bab Sarfa
near Eidgah.
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Fort
Munro
From D.G. Khan, 85 km on the Quetta Road is
the only hill station in southern Punjab in
Sulaiman Mountain Ranges. Its altitude is 1800
meters, attracts many people for short stay
during the fiery summer. TDCP resort at Fort
Munro offers excellent boating on the Dames
Lake. the resort provides accommodation, a
restaurant and a snack bar.
See Also:
Pictures of Fort Munro
This was the first of the Indus Valley
Civilization sites to be discovered, but in size
and condition it is inferior to
Moenjodaro. Located 186 km south-west of Lahore,
Harappa is reached via the station at Sahiwal,
formerly known as Montgomery. Situated beside an
earlier course of the Ravi River, Harappa was
discovered in 1920/21, but through the ages the
site was quarried for bricks and most of the
buildings so far excavated are in poor
condition. Like Moenjodaro the excavations have
revealed a series of cities, stacked one upon
another. The site, with its citadel and great
granary, seems similar in many ways to
Moenjodaro and like its southern sister-city
appear to have thrived around 2000 to 1700 BC
with an economy based largely on agriculture and
trade. The Harappan society seems to have been
egalitarian, pursuing a rather simple way of
life.
The cemeteries discovered at Harappa confirm
that the Indus Valley people buried their bead,
many of them wearing finger rings, necklaces of
steatite beads, anklets of paste bead, earnings
and shell bangles. Copper mirrors, antimony
rods, sheer spoons and vessels and urns of
various shapes and size lay in the graves. Some
of the female skeletons had anklets of tiny
beads and girdles studded with some-precious
stones.
Excavations have recalled evidence of some
pre-Harappa material which shows strong affinity
with the Kot Diji finds.
On display at the Museum are excavated material,
including terracotta toys, gamesman, jewellery,
animal figurines, bronze utensils statuettes
etc.
See Also:
Pictures of Harappa
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Lahore - Badshahi Mosque
- Minar-e-Pakistan |
Islamabad -
Shah Faisal Mosque |
Taxila - Murree
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