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Pakistan |
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Around PunjabPunjab is Pakistan's most fertile province, rich in both agriculture and ancient history. It's also one of the more stable of the country's regions, and travellers should have few of the problems that are faced further south and in the north. The prosperous and hospitable town of Bahawalpur is a gentle introduction to the area. From here you can journey into Cholistan - a sandy wasteland dotted with nomadic communities and wind-swept forts - or the Lal Suhanra National Park, an important wildlife reserve. Further north is Harappa which is, after Moenjodaro, the second most important site of the Indus Valley civilisation. Rawalpindi and the country's capital, Islamabad, are twin cities. The former is a patchwork of bustling bazaars while the latter is subdued, suburban and still being built (construction of the new capital didn't begin until 1961). From here you can visit Taxila, an archaeological repository, and Hasan Abdul, a place of holy pilgrimmage. Bahawalpur is the most southerly town in the Punjab. There are
dialy flights from Islamabad about 555km (344mi) away. Most of the
major destinations in the Punjab can be reached by bus, mini bus, and
train.
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 embroiderd 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. The Cholistan desert zone and the cultural life of this area, forts, monuments, palaces, museum, zoo, stadium and a fine cricket ground in and around Bahawalpur are main attractions. Lal Suhanra National ParkThe Lal Suhanra National Park is ideal for recreation, education or research but shooting is forbidden. This park, 36 kms to the east of Bahawalpur, is a combination of a natural lake and a beautiful forest on 77480 acres of land on both sides of the Bahawal canal having watchtowers, catching ground, tourist huts, rest-houses, camping grounds and treks for the visitors and lovers of adventure. 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 sancturary worth a visit. The Cholistan Desert
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 Civilisation. 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 sandhills 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 sandhills. 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. |
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