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 ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. Its largest settlement is the town of Naushera. The valley extends from the village of Padhrar to
Sakesar
Sakesar ( Punjabi, ur, ), is the highest mountain in the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its height is 1,522m. It lies on the outer fringes of the Soon Valley in Khushab District in the Punjab Province. Uchhali Lake is just below it. It is a ...
, the highest peak in the
Salt Range
The Salt Range ( pnb, ) is a mountain range in the north of Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends along the south of the Potohar Plateau and the north of the Jhelum River. The ...
. The valley is long and has an average width of . It covers a area. Soon Valley has an abundance of scenic beauty, with
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
s,
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...
s,
jungle
A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century.
Etymology
The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅ ...
, natural pools and
pond
A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...
s. The valley has been settled since ancient times, most recently by the
Awan tribe
Awan (Punjabi and ur, ) is a tribe living predominantly in the northern, central, and western parts of Pakistani Punjab, with significant numbers also present in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, and to a lesser extent in Sindh and Balochistan ...
, which still resides in the valley.
The peak of
Mount Sakesar
Sakesar ( Punjabi, ur, ), is the highest mountain in the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its height is 1,522m. It lies on the outer fringes of the Soon Valley in Khushab District in the Punjab Province. Uchhali Lake is just below it. It is a ...
is at above sea level. It was once the summer headquarters of the Deputy Commissioners of three districts – Campbellpur (now
Attock
Attock ( Punjabi and Urdu: ), formerly known as Campbellpur (), is a historical city located in the north of Pakistan's Punjab Province, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 61st larg ...
),
Mianwali
Mianwali ( Punjabi/ ur, ) is the capital city of Mianwali District in Punjab, Pakistan. The 81st largest city of Pakistan, it is known for its diverse population of, Punjabi and Pashtun ethnicities.
History
Mianwali District was an agricu ...
Sargodha
Sargodha ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as ...
). It is the only mountain in this part of the Punjab which receives snowfall in winter. In the late 1950s the
Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = ...
placed a radar station on Sarkesar to monitor airspace over north-eastern Pakistan. Also on the mountain is a television transmission center with which the
Pakistan Television Corporation
Pakistan Television Corporation ( ur, ; reporting name: PTV) is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster. Pakistan entered the television broadcasting age in 1964, with a pilot television station established at Lahore.
Background
Historical co ...
relays its transmissions to the surrounding area.
Geography
Location
*Distance from
Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...
: 230 km
*Distance from
Sargodha
Sargodha ( Punjabi and ur, ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as ...
: 120 km
*Distance from
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
: 320 km
*Distance from
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
Ghaznavid dynasty
The Ghaznavid dynasty ( fa, غزنویان ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a culturally Persianate, Sunni Muslim dynasty of Turkic ''mamluk'' origin, ruling, at its greatest extent, large parts of Persia, Khorasan, much of Transoxiana and the northwest ...
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
and followed it by conquests within the
Punjab region
Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...
. The
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).
and later
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
ruled the region.
The
Awans
Awans (; wa, Awan) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Awans had a total population of 8,696. The total area is 27.16 km² which gives a population density of 320 inhabitants per k ...
of the Soon Valley were also amongst those the British considered to be "
martial race
Martial race was a designation which was created by army officials in British India after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, in which they classified each caste as belonging to one of two categories, the 'martial' caste and the 'non-martial' caste. T ...
". The British recruited army heavily from Soon Valley for service in the colonial army, and as such, the Awans of this area also formed an important part of the British Indian Army, serving with distinction during World Wars I and II. Of all the Muslim groups recruited by the British, proportionally, the Awans produced the greatest number of recruits during the First and Second World Wars. Contemporary historians Professor Ian Talbot and Professor Tan Tai Yong have asserted that the Awans (amongst other tribes) are viewed as a martial race by not only the British, but neighbouring tribes as well. Awans occupy the highest ranks of the Pakistani Army. A village by the name of Manawan (formerly ''Man Awan'' – The heart of the Awans) is also among the notable historical villages of the valley.
Gateway to Soon Sakesar
The Government of Punjab constructed the road from Nurewala to Naushehra in recognition of services rendered by the
Awans
Awans (; wa, Awan) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Awans had a total population of 8,696. The total area is 27.16 km² which gives a population density of 320 inhabitants per k ...
of Soon Valley during the First World War. Sir W.M. Hailey, the Governor of Punjab formally opened the road on April 1, 1928 – as commemorated on plaques between
Khushab
Khushab ( punjabi: خُوشاب) is a town as well as a district of Sargodha Division, located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The word ''Khushab'' means "sweet water." Khushab city also serves as the headquarters of Khushab Tehsil, an admini ...
and Sakesar as the road enters the hills.
Culture
Many inhabitants of the valley descend from tribes of Arab origin (unauthenticated information). Islamic culture and traditions are the norm. Practices include arranged marriages according to the Islamic traditions, where the wedding ceremony takes place at a mosque. The
Nikah
In Islam, nikah is a contract between two people. Both the groom and the bride are to consent to the marriage of their own free wills. A formal, binding contract – verbal or on paper – is considered integral to a religiously valid Islami ...
is attended by close family members, relatives, and friends of the bride and groom. Usually men and women are separated, either sitting in separate rooms or with a ''
purdah
Pardah or purdah (from Hindi-Urdu , , meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of female seclusion prevalent among some Muslim and Hindu communities. It takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes and the requirement that wom ...
'' (curtain) separating them.
Luddi
Luddi is a traditional folk dance of Punjab. It is performed in cirles by both men and women while clicking their fingers and clapping hands, jumps and half-turns. Luddi is performed on weddings and sports to celebrate victory, it is performed by a ...
is a folk dance for celebratory occasions, when the music is often played on the
dhol
Dhol (IPA: ) can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan primarily includes nort ...
drum and
shehnai
The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end.
Uchhali Lake
Uchhali ( ur, اوچھالی) is a saltwater lake in Soan Sakaser Valley in the southern Salt Range area in Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range.
Sakaser, the highest mountain in the Salt Range at , looms over ...
is a picturesque
salt water
Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish water, ...
lake in the southern
Salt Range
The Salt Range ( pnb, ) is a mountain range in the north of Punjab province of Pakistan, deriving its name from its extensive deposits of rock salt. The range extends along the south of the Potohar Plateau and the north of the Jhelum River. The ...
overlooked by mount Sakaser, the highest mountain in the Salt Range. Its brackish water means that its waters are lifeless.
Khabikki Lake
Khabikki Lake ( ur, کھبکی جھیل) is a salt water lake, in the Soan Sakaser Valley in the southern Salt Range area in Khushab District, Punjab, Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range. It is part of Uch ...
is also a salt water lake in the southern Salt Range. It is one kilometer wide and two kilometres long. Khabikki is also the name of a neighbouring village. These lakes attract thousands of migratory birds each year including rare white-headed ducks (Oxyura leucocephala) from
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
. Jahlar Lake is another serene lake in the valley, it is accessible from Nowshehra as well as from Sargodha.
Historical places
* Akrand Fort of Janjua's (Road way & Tracking Way from Kanhati Garden).
* Lakes:
Uchhali Lake
Uchhali ( ur, اوچھالی) is a saltwater lake in Soan Sakaser Valley in the southern Salt Range area in Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range.
Sakaser, the highest mountain in the Salt Range at , looms over ...
,
Khabikki Lake
Khabikki Lake ( ur, کھبکی جھیل) is a salt water lake, in the Soan Sakaser Valley in the southern Salt Range area in Khushab District, Punjab, Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range. It is part of Uch ...
and Jahlar Lake.
* Waterfalls at Kufri.
* Amb Sharif is a historical place in
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
.
* Kanahti Garden, Sodhi Garden, Khabakki Jheel, Ugalisharif & Uchali Jheel, Sakesar and Daip Shareef and the hiking experiences of hills
* Angah, an important village.
* Sodhi village has waterfalls, a Rest House, and wild animals like
Cheetah
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
,
Rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...
,
Deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
, Teetar (Urdu name of a bird).
* Koradhi is famous for its Historical Madrissa, where Qari Qamar Din used to teach
Amb Shareef Hindu temple
The ancient pre-Islamic ancient
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
temple, is near the Amb Shareef village, on the
Sakesar
Sakesar ( Punjabi, ur, ), is the highest mountain in the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its height is 1,522m. It lies on the outer fringes of the Soon Valley in Khushab District in the Punjab Province. Uchhali Lake is just below it. It is a ...
mountain in the Soon Valley. The temple complex, built in brick and mortar, is complex of two temples facing each other. The main temple is several story high, roughly 15 to 20 meter tall. To the west about 75 meters lies another smaller temple, which is 2 story or 7 to 8 meters high. It is located on the
Sakesar
Sakesar ( Punjabi, ur, ), is the highest mountain in the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its height is 1,522m. It lies on the outer fringes of the Soon Valley in Khushab District in the Punjab Province. Uchhali Lake is just below it. It is a ...
Amb Temples
The Amb Temples ( ur, ), locally known as Amb Sharif ( ur, ; ''"Noble Amb"''), are part of an abandoned Hindu temple complex on the Sakesar mountain, located at the western edge of the Salt Range in Pakistan's Punjab province. Although foundat ...
*
Hinduism in Pakistan
Hinduism is the second largest religious affiliation in Pakistan after Islam. While Hinduism was one of the dominant faiths in the region a few centuries back, today Hindus account for 2.14% of Pakistan's population or 4.4 million people accor ...
*
Rohtas Fort
Rohtas Fort or Rotas Ghur ( Punjabi, ur, ; ''Qila Rohtas'') is a 16th-century fortress located near the city of Dina in Jhelum district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. An Afghan warlord turned Padishah, Sher Shah Suri built the fort, w ...
*
Rawat Fort
Rawat Fort ( ur, ) is an early 16th century fort in the Pothohar plateau of Pakistan, near the city of Rawalpindi in the province of Punjab. The fort was built to defend the Pothohar plateau from the forces of the Pashtun king Sher Shah Suri.
L ...
*
Pharwala
Pharwala Fort ( ur, ) is a 15th-century fort located about 40 km from Rawalpindi in Punjab, Pakistan. The fort is naturally defended by one side by a small Himalayan range and the other by the Swaan River.
History
The fort was originally ...
*
Sar Jalal
Sar Jalal (formerly Jalal Khurd) was a caravanserai located along an old stretch of the Grand Trunk Road in Pakistan. The caravanserai contains:
* a Mughal Empire, Mughal era water tank, descended with stairs in it, constructed basically as ''far ...
*
Mankiala stupa
The Manikyala Stupa ( ur, ) is a Buddhist stupa near the village of Tope Mankiala, in Pakistan's Punjab province. The stupa was built to commemorate the spot, where according to the Jataka tales, an incarnation of the Buddha called Prince Satt ...
*
Hinglaj Mata
Hinglaj Mata (Hindi: हिंगलाज माता, bal, هنگلاج ماتا, ), also known as Hinglaj Devi, Hingula Devi and Nani Mandir, is a Hindu temple in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, a ...
*
Kalat Kali Temple
Kalāt or Qalāt ( Brahui/ Balochi: قلات), historically known as Qīqān, is a historic town located in Kalat District, Balochistan, Pakistan. Kalat is the capital of Kalat District and is known locally as Kalat-e-Brahui and Kalat-e-Sewa.
Q ...
*
Malot
Malot is a village of Chakwal District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. It is part of Kalarkahar and is located at 32°41'0N 72°48'E lying to the west of Kallar Kahar
Kallar Kahar ( ur, ) is a town and subdivision (Tehsil) of Chakwal Di ...
*
Multan Sun Temple
The Sun Temple of Multan was a temple dedicated to Surya, the Hindu Sun God, in the city of Multan. It commanded significant fame in the subcontinent as a place of pilgrimage and wealth under Hindu as well as Islamic rule before being destroyed ...
*
Prahladpuri Temple
Prahladpuri Temple ( ur, ) was a Hindu temple located in Multan city of Punjab province in Pakistan, adjacent to the Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya. Named after Prahlada, it is dedicated to the Hindu deity Narasimha. The temple is in ruins, since ...
*
Nandana
Nandana or Nandna ( pnb, ) was a fort built at strategic location on a hilly range on the eastern flanks of the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its ruins, including those of a town and a temple, are present. It was ruled by the Hindu Shahi king ...
*
Sakesar
Sakesar ( Punjabi, ur, ), is the highest mountain in the Salt Range in Punjab Pakistan. Its height is 1,522m. It lies on the outer fringes of the Soon Valley in Khushab District in the Punjab Province. Uchhali Lake is just below it. It is a ...
*
Sadh Belo
Sadh Belo ( sd, ساڌ ٻيلو, ), or Sat, is an island in the Indus River near Sukkur, Sindh, Pakistan that is famous for its highly revered Hindu temples. The temples are associated with the syncretic ''Udasi'' movement. The island is famous fo ...
*
Shivaharkaray
Shivaharkaray or Karavipur is a Shakti Peeth dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Durga, located near Parkai railway station, near Karachi, Pakistan. It is one of the two Shakti Peethas in Pakistan, other being Hinglaj Mata mandir Puranas describe that ...
*
Shiv Mandir, Umerkot
Umarkot Shiv Mandir (), also known as Amarkot Shiv Mandir, is a Hindu temple situated in Umerkot District, near Rana Jaageer Goth, in Sindh Province of Pakistan. This temple is perhaps the oldest in Sindh. The temple is one of the most sacred H ...
*
Shri Varun Dev Mandir
Shri Varun Dev Mandir ( sd, شْرِيْ وَرُڻَ ديوَ مَنْدِرَ ,श्री वरुण देव मंदिर, ) is a Hindu temple located in Manora Island in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The temple is devoted to Lord Jhule ...
*
Tilla Jogian
Tilla Jogian ( Punjabi and ur, ) is an abandoned Hindu temple and monastic complex located on the summit of the ''Tilla Jogian'' mountain in the Salt Range of Pakistan's Punjab province.
The complex was the most important centre for Hindu '' j ...
*
Khabikki Lake
Khabikki Lake ( ur, کھبکی جھیل) is a salt water lake, in the Soan Sakaser Valley in the southern Salt Range area in Khushab District, Punjab, Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range. It is part of Uch ...
*
Namal Lake
Namal Lake ( ur, نمل جھیل) is located near Rikhi, a village on one corner of the Namal valley in Mianwali District, Punjab, Pakistan. It was formed following the construction of Namal Dam in . Namal Dam is situated some from Mianwali city. ...
Uchhali Lake
Uchhali ( ur, اوچھالی) is a saltwater lake in Soan Sakaser Valley in the southern Salt Range area in Pakistan. This lake is formed due to the absence of drainage in the range.
Sakaser, the highest mountain in the Salt Range at , looms over ...
The News International
''The News International'', published in broadsheet size, is one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan. It is published daily from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad. An overseas edition is published from London that cater ...