Agra Taj Colony
Encyclopedia
Agra Taj Colony is one of the neighbourhoods of Lyari Town
in Karachi
, Sindh
, Pakistan
.
In 1947, after the partition of the British India, a large number of Muslims from different parts of India moved to Karachi which was larger than the residential space available.So the government established various camps in different areas of Karachi.Sardar Abdul Rabb Nishtar(one of Pakistan's founding fathers) who was beside other issues,also worried about the settlement of the migrated Muslims, wanted to make sure that everybody gets the shelter over their heads.Thus with other new colonies,the twin colonies of Agra Taj Colony and Bihar Colony were established on the eastern bank of Lyari River (the rainy river that gets flooded during Monsoon season) on the ground where the Hindu Communities used to burn the dead bodies known as 'Masan Ghat'. In the beginning the name was given as Masan Colony which was later changed to Agra Taj after the Indian city of Agra and the world famous building in Agra,the Taj Mahal as many Muslim migrated from Agra, Delhi and surrounding areas were settled here. Later on Agra Taj Colony changed from Tent camp into a proper residential Area. In 1970s,the government awarded the lease of the land to the residents.
Many dignities visited Agra Taj Colony including Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan,Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, General Azam Khan,Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto,Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari,Murtuza Bhutto,Air Marshal Asgher Khan,General A.K.Niazi.
Agra Taj Colony has two unique status; (1). It was the constituency of two presidents and two prime ministers of Pakistan including Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto & Asif Ali Zardari. (2). GHULAMAN-E-ABBAS SCHOOL is also situated in Agra Taj Colony on Mauripur Road & Lyari Expressway Junction, which got more positions than any other school in Karachi at Karachi Board of Secondary Education.It also won many titles in sports specially hockey and gymnastic.Its students can be found from Karachi Business institutions,companies,banks to Wall Street & around the world as bankers,engineers.doctors etc.
The pioneer PTV anouncer Ghazala Yasmeen,PTV,Film & Stage actor Anokha, legendary Sindhi/Saraiki singer Ustad Jumman, Musician Mehboob Ali(Composer of famous song 'Hwa Hwa Ay Hwa Khooshboo loota day),Nabi Ghulam Fikri (Urdu-Pushto Poet) used to live here. Haji Murwat & Manzoor Ahmed Butt were the famous local politicians.
The Lyari Railway Station of the Karachi Local Circular Railway is in Agra Taj Colony and Lyari Expressway passes through Agra Taj Colony. Mirza Adam Khan Road (Masan Road) & Lyari Expressway in the west,Atma Ram Preetumdas Road in the north and Mauripur Road in the east, connect Agra Taj Colony to the other parts of the city.
There are several ethnic groups including Muhajirs, Punjabis
, Sindhis
, Kashmiris
, Seraikis
, Pakhtuns
, Balochis
, Memons, Bohras Ismailis, etc. Over 99% of the population is Muslim
. The population of Lyari Town is estimated to be nearly one million.
In Agra Taj Colony many of the inhabitants belongs to Kutchi
community. The largest Kutchi sub-groups include the Hingora
, Sanghar
, Ghanchi
, Somra
, i.e. Chakee
, Maddi and Abrasawara Sommra, Khalifa, Turk, Mandra , Khehar, Shah
(bawa), Lungha
, Agaria
, Seru, Gherai
, Sodha
, and Sama.
Lyari Town
Lyari Town is one of the eighteen constituent towns of the city of Karachi, in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the smallest town by area in the city but also the most densely populated town...
in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
In 1947, after the partition of the British India, a large number of Muslims from different parts of India moved to Karachi which was larger than the residential space available.So the government established various camps in different areas of Karachi.Sardar Abdul Rabb Nishtar(one of Pakistan's founding fathers) who was beside other issues,also worried about the settlement of the migrated Muslims, wanted to make sure that everybody gets the shelter over their heads.Thus with other new colonies,the twin colonies of Agra Taj Colony and Bihar Colony were established on the eastern bank of Lyari River (the rainy river that gets flooded during Monsoon season) on the ground where the Hindu Communities used to burn the dead bodies known as 'Masan Ghat'. In the beginning the name was given as Masan Colony which was later changed to Agra Taj after the Indian city of Agra and the world famous building in Agra,the Taj Mahal as many Muslim migrated from Agra, Delhi and surrounding areas were settled here. Later on Agra Taj Colony changed from Tent camp into a proper residential Area. In 1970s,the government awarded the lease of the land to the residents.
Many dignities visited Agra Taj Colony including Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan,Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, General Azam Khan,Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto,Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari,Murtuza Bhutto,Air Marshal Asgher Khan,General A.K.Niazi.
Agra Taj Colony has two unique status; (1). It was the constituency of two presidents and two prime ministers of Pakistan including Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto & Asif Ali Zardari. (2). GHULAMAN-E-ABBAS SCHOOL is also situated in Agra Taj Colony on Mauripur Road & Lyari Expressway Junction, which got more positions than any other school in Karachi at Karachi Board of Secondary Education.It also won many titles in sports specially hockey and gymnastic.Its students can be found from Karachi Business institutions,companies,banks to Wall Street & around the world as bankers,engineers.doctors etc.
The pioneer PTV anouncer Ghazala Yasmeen,PTV,Film & Stage actor Anokha, legendary Sindhi/Saraiki singer Ustad Jumman, Musician Mehboob Ali(Composer of famous song 'Hwa Hwa Ay Hwa Khooshboo loota day),Nabi Ghulam Fikri (Urdu-Pushto Poet) used to live here. Haji Murwat & Manzoor Ahmed Butt were the famous local politicians.
The Lyari Railway Station of the Karachi Local Circular Railway is in Agra Taj Colony and Lyari Expressway passes through Agra Taj Colony. Mirza Adam Khan Road (Masan Road) & Lyari Expressway in the west,Atma Ram Preetumdas Road in the north and Mauripur Road in the east, connect Agra Taj Colony to the other parts of the city.
There are several ethnic groups including Muhajirs, Punjabis
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
, Sindhis
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
, Kashmiris
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
, Seraikis
Saraiki people
The Saraiki people or Multani people are an ethnic group from the central and south-eastern areas of Pakistan, especially the former princely state of Bahawalpur and the districts of Multan, Lodhran, Vehari, Khanewal, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh,...
, Pakhtuns
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
, Balochis
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
, Memons, Bohras Ismailis, etc. Over 99% of the population is Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. The population of Lyari Town is estimated to be nearly one million.
In Agra Taj Colony many of the inhabitants belongs to Kutchi
Kutchi people
The Kutchi people traditionally reside in the Kutch region of the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat and in the Sindh province of Pakistan...
community. The largest Kutchi sub-groups include the Hingora
Hingora
The Hingora are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India and a province of Sindh in Pakistan. They are one of a number of communities of Maldhari pastoral nomads found in the Banni region of Kutch.-History and origin:...
, Sanghar
Sanghar (tribe)
The Sanghar are a partly Hindu and partly Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India.-History and origin:According their traditions, the community are a branch of the Manka community. According to there tradition, the community was nomadic, until the came to an agreement with the...
, Ghanchi
Ghanchi (Muslim)
The Ghanchi are a Gujarati Muslim community found in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. A small number of Ghanchi are also found in the city of Karachi in Pakistan. - Origin :...
, Somra
Soomro
Soomro or Soomra is a Sindhi tribe in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan, Pakistan.- History and origin :The Soomra Dynasty was established by the Soomro tribe of Sindh. The Soomra ruled Sindh from 750-1351. Following the 985 CE expulsion of the Qarmatian Muslim sect from Iraq and Egypt, the...
, i.e. Chakee
Chakee
The Chakee are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India. A small number are also found in the city of Karachi in Pakistan.-History and origin:...
, Maddi and Abrasawara Sommra, Khalifa, Turk, Mandra , Khehar, Shah
Faqir (caste)
The Faqir are a Muslim ethnic group found in India. They are also known as Shah Alvi or Sain in North India, which is now their preferred self-designation and in West Bengal, they are known as Sahajia...
(bawa), Lungha
Langha (tribe)
The Langha or Langah are a Muslim community found in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. They are unrelated to the Langah tribe of southern Pakistan.- History and origin :...
, Agaria
Agaria (Muslim)
The Agaria are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India.- Origin :The Agaria derive their name from the city of Agra in North India. According to their traditions, they were substantial landowners and came to the attention of the local Muslim governor, who demanded women from the...
, Seru, Gherai
Gadhai
- Origin :The Gadhai claim to have immigrated from Rajasthan, about five hundred years ago. They were first settled in Kutch, where they were employed by the local Rajputs, and then brought to Saurashtra by the Kathi rulers. The Gadhai bred donkeys, which were the main beasts of burdens...
, Sodha
Sodha
Sodhar is a sindhi tribe found in Sindh, Pakistan and Gujarat, India. They claim to be a branch of the sodhar tribe.-History and origin:The Sodhar sindhis are said to be descended from Paramara Sodhar, are supposed to have come into this...
, and Sama.