Mangla (منگلا) is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
situated in District Mirpur within the region of
Azad Kashmir. The village is located in the west of the foothills of Mangla's fort (which also derived its name from the same village). It is surrounded on three sides by the semicurvature of river Jhelum flowing North to South. It is bordered with
Jhelum district and with the right bank of Mangla between the State of
Jammu Kashmir and
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
province of Pakistan.
Etymology
The town of Mangla was named after Mangla Devi, Khokhar Rajput tribe lady. Mangla Devi was the daughter of Khokhar Kshatriya Raja Porus. It has been narrated to be the site of the crossing of the Jhelum river by the forces of
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
facing
King Porus
Porus or Poros ( grc, Πῶρος ; 326–321 BC) was an ancient Indian king whose territory spanned the region between the Jhelum River (Hydaspes) and Chenab River (Acesines), in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. He is only men ...
.
History
At the time of construction of the
Mangla Dam, the villages of Sultanpure,
Thill
Thill, also known as Thill Sharif or Thil, is a village in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located at 32°42'0N' 73°20'0E with an altitude of 279 metres (918 feet). It is situated between the Jhelum River and Pind Dadan Khan Teh ...
, Baral and Baruti across the river in Jhelum District were developed as residential colonies and offices for foreign workers and officials.
Prior to the construction of Mangla Dam, in March 1962, almost all the inhabitants of the ancient Mangla village moved to Mangla Hamlet, therefore this town represents Mangla in a true sense. Mangla is located from the city of
Mirpur, at the mouth of the Mangla Dam. The dam reservoir has a perimeter of 400 km, and is a place of interest. It hosts the Mangla Power Station, which is the second largest in Pakistan.
Mangla Fort
Mangla is the site of the historic Mangla Fort.
The fort is situated on a high hill overlooking the Jhelum river, dividing the Mirpur and Jhelum districts. A part of Mangla fort was razed during the construction of the Mangla Dam, however, a large part remains and serves as a public recreation place.
Mangla Cantonment
After the completion of Mangla Dam, most of the Baral and Sultanpure Thill area was taken over by
Pak Army and
converted into a
Cantonment whereas a small section within the compound walls of Pakistan Army's officers residences, known as Baral Colony, was allotted to
WAPDA
The Pakistan Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA; ur, ) is a government-owned public utility maintaining power and water in Pakistan, although it does not manage thermal power. WAPDA includes Tarbela and Mangla dams among its resources ...
named as WAPDA Officers Colony.
References
External links
More information about mangla* Guide t
Kashmir
{{Coord, 33.1167, N, 73.6500, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:PK, display=title
Populated places in Mirpur District