With the sweltering summer heat and the mighty Cholistan desert encompassing it, the city of Bahawalpur is beautiful. No ice-capped mountains or lush green forests here, but the town and its surroundings are special in its own way.
The best way to spend your days in the city are to take a trip to the Bahawalpur Zoo, Noor Mahal, Uch Sharif, Derawar Fort or an outing on the banks of the Panjnad Canal. Round up the summer evenings with a trip to the roadside hotels offering sajji, followed by thick, sweet tea and enjoy the bliss. – Text and photos by Madeeha Syed
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Comments (14) Closed
Hasnain Ahmed
Jul 06, 2011 04:16pm
Hey Madeeha !! Thanks alott for covering my home city ! Really appreciate it !! Love you Dawn ! May You Live Long !!
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Rao in Canada
Jul 06, 2011 05:28pm
I can understand your feelings Hasnain. It is full of memories of childhood perhaps. May your memories be happy forever.
BTW, the people ,the scene and the smell at your place look like one among many in one of the Northern provinces in India too. say in Madhya Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan etc. Is this really from Pakistan? Are you sure?
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Arun
Jul 06, 2011 05:37pm
Bahawalpur..Birth place of my parents... They came in India after partition.. dream to visit there sometime in my life....Live long PAK and Live Long INDIA..
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M. Asghar
Jul 06, 2011 05:59pm
Rao, it must be so, but the distance and the passage of time often create strange loosening of memories. All the best from me who never visited this area!
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teluka65
Jul 06, 2011 06:58pm
I have watched this and also'in the fields of fairy land'. It surprises me that what we hear about the killing, shooting,murders in karachi and the way the women are treated and the mayham occuring in your country.Such wonders you have. The problem is how do you rid yourselves of this problem?It is up to you people. After all it is your country.IF YOU CAN DO THAT i bet you there will be thousands of tourists flocking into your country.It is the easiest way to get foreign exchange. Thousands of jobs will be created Belive me , my country makes a few billion a year just with our beaches and shopping.Of course it is very safe here.The problem is how do you convince your powers to be that your nation comes and not their aspirations.
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Maqsood Ahmed
Jul 06, 2011 07:03pm
Nice to see recent images of my city since I am in France for the last two years. Feeling at home.
Maqsood Nancy, France
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Ahsan
Jul 06, 2011 08:27pm
I was Born and Raised in this magnificant city. A lovely place to live in. Only if it wasnt Madinah Munawarah (where i live now).....i would live and die in this place.
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Khurram Mansoor
Jul 06, 2011 10:11pm
A glimpse of my city though a lot is missing, including the university, the museum, Lal Suhara Lake, Du Piaza, Sadiq Public School and a lot more.
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Hari
Jul 07, 2011 02:34am
this place, people looks so much like any rural place in Rajasthan. There are too many changes for over a decade or so in urban Rajasthan, few pics of the city would have given a complete picture of the city.
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raymond
Jul 07, 2011 09:34am
No women in the city?
What about schools and colleges?
I don't think I would visit a place that takes me a thousand years back.
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waqas
Jul 07, 2011 09:47am
Ohhhhhh. You have missed everything. Where is bahawalpur? These people exist all over the the country
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Sarki Abbasi
Jul 07, 2011 10:03am
Nice.. words cant explain what im thinking havent been to Bahawalpur in 11 years since i moved to Australia i left pakistan when i was 8 and still remember everything i did in Bahawalpur.Hopefully one day i want to come an visit my home land were i belong. inshallah
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Hasnain Ahmed
Jul 07, 2011 03:10pm
I agree with the people who said a lot is missed to cover Bahawalpur ! You really need plenty of time & dedication to cover the historical monuments & sights of Bahawalpur. May be the first time when i saw the pictures, i did'nt think about the perception of someone stranger to Bahawalpur ! Now i really think that this much was really not enough & it really portrayed the rural view of my home city ! Actually, Bahawalpur is really not at all same as being viewed here ! Its one of the most Peaceful cities in Pakistan. Having the state of the art education facilities, from Kindergarten till Doctorate. We have a Quaid-e-Azam Medical College(Medical Studies), The Islamia University of Bahawalpur & Sadiq Public School to name a few renowned ones. We have one the best medical facilities in Pakistan provided in Victoria Hospital (Inaugurated in late 18th century by her highness Queen Victoria during Statehood of Bahawalpur & Abbasi Rule) & Combined Military Hospital in Bahawalpur Cantonment. Bahawalpur is also home to hundreds of Tourist attractions including Palaces made by the Abbasi Rulers during the 17th & 18th Century, Derawar Fort (Made by the Rajpoots) also a historical monument, Cholistan desert (Bordering with Rajhasthan desert) where every year there is a Desert Jeep Rally attended by hundreds of participants from all over Pakistan & also from Middle Eastern countries. The historical shrines of muslim Sufis in the outskirts of the city, portray a beautiful image of Muslim artistry. We also have Lal Sohanra National Park, a huge park located on the canal bank, comprising of a small zoo, Safari & an artificial lake. Black bucks are taken care in a huge farm close to the national park, also a good sight seeing.
There are very nice restaurants & eating places (we dont have any five star hotels but they are great to visit), to name a few good are Four Seasons, Tandoori, La Taska, Panda etc. The city has a lot of make shift eating facilities including some of them only the evening specialties.
@Raymond! I can understand it really makes you think a thousand years back, but it really isnt the case. We have one of the best literacy rates in the country & i may amaze you by saying that most of the higher studies studens are females. Girls are the toppers in the annual or semester end results in Schools, Colleges & Universities !!
@Arun! I really pray to Allah that you come to Bahawalpur some day with your parents, trust me you will realize how hospitable we really are!
@Hari! Bahawalpur city is a Division, neatly developed roads, an international Airport & everything you may expect in a modern city. You are most welcome!
I wish i was there in Bahawalpur at the time of writing all this, or i would have expresses my millions of word in form of Photographs & Videos if at all possible. I really wish to go back to Pakistan in my coming vacations asap & do something special this time.
Love you all...!
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Hasnain Ahmed
Jul 07, 2011 04:26pm
MORE ON BAHAWALPUR !!
LOOK AT THE MARVELOUS NOOR MAHAL OF BAHAWALPUR. GREAT PICTURES BY MADEEHA ! COURTESY: DAWN.COM
http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/15/noor-mahal-%E2%80%...
again... LOVE YOU DAWN !!
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