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Gujrat Information

Gujrat (Punjabi, Urdu: گجرات) is a city in Pakistan. It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province.[1] People living in Gujrat refer to themselves as Gujratis, which sometimes leads to confusion with people from the Indian state of Gujarat which adjoins Pakistan. The major sources of livelihood among the Gujrat populace are agriculture and small industries. Gujrat is also known as the city of King Porus.

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Location

Gujrat is situated on the bank of Chenab River, situated about 120 kilometres (75 mi) north of Lahore, the capital city of Punjab province, and 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Prominent nearby locations include Jalalpur Jattan, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Lalamusa and Bhimber-Azad Kashmir. The city is surrounded by many villages and towns, which supply significant labour to the local market.

History

Gujrat was founded by Raja Bachhan Pal Gurjar in 460 BC, according to General Cunningham, the British historian. Historical consensus is that it existed in the time of Alexander the Great, and that the city's Raja Porus put up a fierce challenge to Alexander's invasion at the bank of the Jehlum River. The establishment of Gujrat City was realised early in the 19th century after the British Empire and in support of regional landlords (e.g., Daswandi Khan of Daswandi Pura).

During the Mughal period, Mughal royalty frequently travelled through the district en-route to Kashmir. When King Jahangir died while he was returning from Kashmir, the news of his death was suppressed to avoid any chaos in the empire. His abdominal organs were taken out and buried in Gujrat. To this day, an annual festival is held commemorating this event, commonly known as the "Festival of Jahangir".

Shah Daula is the Saint of the City He Was famous throughout the area when Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji (1595–1644) Sixth Prophet of the Sikhs was passing though Gujrat City Shah Daula had a glimpse of Guru Sahib.

The Sikh army under Sardar Gujjar Singh Bhangi in 1765 defeated the Gakhar ruler of Gujrat and annexed it to the Sikh Territories. From 1765-1846 Gujrat was controlled by the Sikhs.

Two main battles between British and Sikh armies were fought in this district: the Battle of Chillianwala and the Battle of Gujrat. Only after winning the battle of Gujrat on 22 February 1849 did the British declare victory in Punjab. During the Partition of the Punjab in 1947 there was a large Sikh population in Gujrat District and a sizable Hindu Population as well. During the partition chaos some fled their native homes and villages to seek refuge on the other side of the border. Muslims from East Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir started arriving and crossed the border in to Pakistan; many were given land in Gujrat District to settle.

There are many historical buildings and ruins in and around Gujrat. The Grand Trunk Road, commonly abbreviated as G.T. Road, built by emperor Sher Shah Suri, also passes through Gujrat. The road still exists today, along with its period stone wall. Historical buildings and ruins can be found in nearby towns throughout the area.

Geography

Gujrat is an ancient city of Pakistan located between two famous rivers, Jhelum River and Chenab River. Because of its proximity to the rivers, the land is good for cultivation of rice and sugarcane as main crops. It is bounded to the northeast by Jammu and Kashmir, to the northwest by the Jhelum River, to the east and southeast by the Chenab River, separating it from the districts of Gujranwala and Sialkot; and to the west by Mandi Bahauddin District.

Climate

The city has a moderate climate. During the peak of summer, the daytime temperature shoots up to 45 °C (113 °F), but the hot spells are relatively short due to the proximity of the Azad Kashmir Mountains. During the winter, the minimum temperature may fall below 2 °C (36 °F). The average rainfall at Gujrat is 67 centimetres (26 in).

Culture

Terracotta vases of Gujrat

Gujrat produces low-temperature pottery and ceramic goods, hukkas,or water pipe ,artistic handicrafts, flower pots, changairian (made from the leaves of palm and date trees), cotton mates and woolen shawls. Sohni Mahiwal is a famous folk tale of the Punjab region. The heroine of the story, named "Sohni" (a Punjabi word meaning "beautiful"), came from the Gujrat region. She used to meet her lover, Mahinwal, by crossing the Chenab river, sitting on a pitcher. The tale is still told to this day and is an essential part of Punjabi culture. The anniversary of Kanwan-Wali Sarkar near Karuan Wala Gujrat is celebrated with a fair in August every year. He is known as one of the greatest saints that ever lived. A famous miracle was when water in a well actually turned to milk for a period of time. The well is still there. The locals have a myth that it rains heavily at the time of fair (but actually the rain falls because of monsoon) and "Wengi Wali Sarkar" anniversary in 5 January every year at village Haji Wala near Karianwala Tehsil and District Gujrat.the shrine of hazrat shahdola(a famous saint in punjab) is also in gujrat near shahdola choki. the anniversary of (hazrat shahdola sarkar)is celebrated in June every year.

Economy and industry

A Clay artist working thrower to make terracotta vases.

Gujrat is also known for its clay, with which the locals have long produced quality pottery. The city also produces fine furniture. Over the last few decades, Gujrat has also attained a name in the manufacture and export of electric fans including GFC fan, pak fan, royal fan and metro fan. Gujrat is also home to one of the two largest shoe manufacturing companies in Pakistan, namely Service Industries, which runs a large shoe factory in the city.

There are about 1,059 cottage-level and small- to large-scale industrial units operating in the district. Rice production and export is another major product of Gujrat. There are many other factories engaged in manufacturing of electrical goods, electric motors and rice cleaning mills. Most are cottage industries, providing employment to a large number of people and accounting, in aggregate, for more than 90 percent of the domestic market.

Notable people

Education

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan named the region "Khita-e-Younan", or "territory resembling ancient Greece", in reference to the high number of educational institutes present in the area. The following universities and colleges are locate

Transport

Alexendria bridge in Chenab River Gujrat

The district is linked with Gujranwala, Jhelum, and Mandi Bahauddin districts with 1,019 kilometres (633 mi) of paved roads. The main Peshawar - Karachi railway line passes through the city and Gujrat is among the important railway stations of this route. The district is linked with Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha and Gujranwala districts through Pakistan Railway Network. Gujrat is located on the biggest highway of the country i.e. G.T Road which connects Karachi to Lahore and Peshawer via Hyderabad, Sukkhur, Bahawalpure, Multan, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Kharian, Jhelum, Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Attock and Nowshehra. It is also known as N-5. NHA has built a byepass over N-5 in Gujrat to avoid traffic problems on the highway.. There are three major roads which start from Gujrat i.e., Gujrat_Sargodha Highway, Gujrat-Bhimber Highway and Gujrat-Jalalpure Jattan-Chamb Highway. Daewoo Express has a terminal at GT Road Gujrat, opened on May 14, 2004, and connects Gujrat with Lahore.General Bus Stand and Municipal Wagon Stand are the biggest road transport terminal in Gujrat. Gujrat Railway Station is the major station on Karachi-Peshawer main railway line. Gujrat airport does not host any commercial flights, and people use the nearby Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore and Sialkot International Airport for domestic and international flights. There is a non-commercial airport in the near Model Town and Gujrat-Bhimber Highway, which Pakistan Air Force uses to train pilots.

Clubs

Beside some active political parties there are various social clubs in Gujrat which are actively working for the social well-being of the city some of them are mentioned as follows,

Gujrat Chenab Lions Club, Dr.Akram Mirza Lions Club, Progressive Lions Club, Young Fellows Lions Club, Friends Lion Club, AHM clubs

Zahoor Ellahi Cricket Stadium is the only one cricket stadium in Gujrat city. It is located in Kutchehary Chowk at the junction of Jalalpur Road and Bhimber Kotla Road. It was outwardly rebuild during the last government of Pervez Musharraf and Chaudharys’. Many shops are set up around its wall.Previously Zahoor Elahi Cricket Stadium was known as Horse Show Ground. The name was given to it because a horse show was performed at this place

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Tehsils & Unions in the District of Gujrat - Government of Pakistan". http://www.nrb.gov.pk/lg_election/union.asp?district=10&dn=Gujrat.
Major cities in Pakistan
Islamabad Capital Territory
Punjab
Sindh
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Balochistan
Azad Kashmir
Gilgit-Baltistan
*Federal capital **Provincial/Territorial capitals

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