Kasur (
UrduUrdu is a Central Indo-Aryan language of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. It is one of the two official languages of Pakistan. It is also one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of five Indian states...
/
PunjabiPunjabi or Panjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region ....
: ), the city of
Bulleh ShahBulleh Shah , whose real name was Abdullah Shah , was a Punjabi Muslim Sufi poet, a humanist and philosopher.-Early life and background:...
and the capital of
Kasur DistrictKasur District or Qasur District is one of the districts in the province of Punjab, Pakistan It came into existence on 1 July 1976. Earlier it was part of Lahore District....
, is located 55 km southeast of
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
. It is one of the oldest cities in
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
. Kasur is adjacent to the disputed border of Ferozepur between Pakistan and the India and is a tourist attraction because of the guard changing ceremony.
It is known for its very spicy fish, a sweet dish called Andrassay,
FaloodaFalooda or Faluda is a popular beverage in the Indian subcontinent made primarily by mixing rose syrup with vermicelli and tapioca seeds along with either milk or water. Falooda is an adaptation of the Persian dessert Faloodeh and was brought to the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal period....
and Kasuri methi. It is also the birthplace of
Noor JehanNoor Jehan was the adopted stage name for Allah Wasai who was a singer and actress in British India and Pakistan...
, the Pakistani singer and actress who gained popularity in the 1950s.
There are different traditions about the name of Kasur. One is that the town was founded by Kasur/
KasuKusha may refer to:* Kusha , one of six schools of Japanese Buddhism in the Nara period* Kusha , in Hindu mythology, was one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita* Kusha, tall tufted perennial grass...
the son of
King RamRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
and named after him as Kasurpur. (One of Kasu's brothers was
LohLava and his twin brother Kusha , were the children of the Lord Rama and his wife Sita, whose story is recounted in the Ramayana. Per that text, he is known as the founder of Lavapuri, that is the modern day city of Lahore, which is named after him...
and the City of
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
was named after him.) According to another tradition the town was founded by Pashtun families from
KabulKabul , is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of over 2.5 million, and is located in the province of Greater Kabul...
(today the capital of
AfghanistanThe Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia, South Asia, or the Middle East...
) during the period of
MughalThe Mughal Empire was an Islamic and Persianate imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, invaded and ruled most of Hindustan by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century...
emperor Akbar. The Pashtuns constructed 12 small forts known as Kot. There were about twelve Kots named after the heads of various families.
Early history
Historically the city of Kasur was named by ancient
AryanAryan is an English language loanword denoting variously*in historical or dated usage,**the Indo-Iranian languages and their speakers, viz. the Iranian and Indo-Aryan peoples**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers,...
tribe of
KambojasThe Kambojas were a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. The earliest mention of the name Kamboja is in the Vamsa Brahmana...
who migrated from Mittani and
KussaraKussara was a city of Bronze Age south-eastern Anatolia. The rulers of Kuššara extended their authority over central Anatolia, conquering Hittite-speaking Kanesh, destroying the future Hittite capital of Hattusa, and subjugating territories as far north as the Black Sea.A man named Pithana is the...
and belonged to Ancient King
PithanaPithana was a Hittite Bronze Age king of the Anatolian city Kussara. He reigned ca. the 17th century BC . During his reign he conquered the city of Kanesh, heart of the Assyrian trading colonies network in Anatolia and core of the Hittite speaking territories.He was succeeded by his son, Anitta,...
of
MesopotamiaMesopotamia "land between the rivers" is a name for the Tigris–Euphrates region in the eastern Mediterranean, largely corresponding to Iraq, as well as northeastern Syria, some parts of southeastern Turkey, and some parts of the Khūzestān Province of southwestern...
n
KussaraKussara was a city of Bronze Age south-eastern Anatolia. The rulers of Kuššara extended their authority over central Anatolia, conquering Hittite-speaking Kanesh, destroying the future Hittite capital of Hattusa, and subjugating territories as far north as the Black Sea.A man named Pithana is the...
. This fact is also endorsed by renowned folk
Baba Bulay Shah that all Pathans of Kasur would be become Weavers very soon.
The town of
KhudianKhudian is a town and Union Council of Kasur District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of Kasur Tehsil and is located at with an altitude of 177 metres ....
was built by ancient Aryan Iranian
KambojasThe Kambojas were a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. The earliest mention of the name Kamboja is in the Vamsa Brahmana...
of Kasur who claims descent from
Saman KhudaSaman Khuda is the founder of the Samanid dynasty – The House of Saman. He was a landowner from the village of Saman in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, who arrived in the early 8th century in Merv to the court of the Caliphal governor of Khorasan, Asad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Qasri , adopted...
. A village
KhodaKhoda is the senior student honor society of the Stevens Institute of Technology. Khoda represents the entire student body and members are involved with and assist many student organizations at Stevens....
near
KhudianKhudian is a town and Union Council of Kasur District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of Kasur Tehsil and is located at with an altitude of 177 metres ....
is also inhabited by Kambojah Clan.
The same clan
KambojasThe Kambojas were a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. The earliest mention of the name Kamboja is in the Vamsa Brahmana...
also claims to be offsprings of Kumbakarna and
RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
. Ancient town of
RajowalRajowal is a village in Nurmahal. Nurmahal is a sub tehsil in the city Jalandhar of Indian state of Punjab.-About:Rajowal is almost 9 km from Nurmahal. The nearest railway station to Rajowal is Nurmahal Railway station...
of
KambojasThe Kambojas were a Kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. The earliest mention of the name Kamboja is in the Vamsa Brahmana...
is also related to Kambojas of
KhemkaranKhem Karan is a town and a nagar panchayat in Tarn Taran district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was the site of a major tank battle in 1965 resulting it also being known as the graveyard of tanks....
.
According to traditional belief, Kasur was founded by Prince
KushaKusha , in Hindu mythology, was one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita . Born in the Forest after Sita had been banished from Ayodhya, they were educated and trained in military skills and were under the care of Sage Valmiki....
, the son of Lord
RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
, while
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
, called
Lavapuri in ancient times, was founded by his brother Prince
LavaLava is molten rock expelled by a volcano during eruption. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at temperatures from 700 °C to 1,200 °C...
.
Kasur had been allotted by the
MughalsThe Mughal Empire was an Islamic and Persianate imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, invaded and ruled most of Hindustan by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century...
to Pashtuns or
AfghansThe Demographics of Afghanistan are a mix of ethnic and linguistic groups. The population of Afg28,150,000
...
of
KabulKabul , is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of over 2.5 million, and is located in the province of Greater Kabul...
and still contains a colony of Pashtuns. However the site was occupied by a
RajputA Rajput is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups of India. They enjoy a reputation as formidable soldiers and it is common to find many of them serving in the Indian Armed Forces. The British Government also accepted them and recruited them heavily into their armies...
town long before the period of
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
rule.
Modern history
On July 1, 1976 the city of Kasur became the capital of
Kasur DistrictKasur District or Qasur District is one of the districts in the province of Punjab, Pakistan It came into existence on 1 July 1976. Earlier it was part of Lahore District....
after the area was detached from
Lahore DistrictLahore District is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan, that contains the city of Lahore - the district and provincial capital. According to the 1998 census of population the population was 6,318,745 of which 81.17% were urban. It is the most advanced district in Punjab...
.
Kasur as a district headquarters town is the most important after Lahore. It is built upon the high bank which marks the termination of the
MajhaMajha is a historical region of the Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran in the Indian State of Punjab and the districts of Lahore and Kasur in the Pakistani Province of Punjab...
and looks down upon the lowlands of the Satluj Hither. It is a place of great antiquity and is identified by the historians as one of the place visited by the
ChineseChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
pilgrim, Howang Tsang in the 7th century CE but it does no appear in history until late in the
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
period when it was settled as a Pashtun colony from east of the Indus. These migrants entered the town either in the reign of Baber or in that of his grandson Akbar and founded a considerable principality with territory on both sides of the Satluj. When the Sikhs rose to power, they met great opposition from the Pashtuns of Kasur. The chiefs of the Bhangi confederacy stormed the town in the 1763 and again in 1770 and although they succeeded in holding the entire principality for a while, the Pashtun leaders re-established their independence in 1794 and resisted many subsequent attacks. The town of Kasur was incorporated in the Kingdom of
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
by
Ranjit SinghMaharaja Ranjit Singh was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire and was also known as Sher-e-Punjab .-Early life:...
in 1807 and had been a municipality since 1885.
Customs and traditions
Kasur past has been nurtured by Sufi Saints like Baba
Bulleh ShahBulleh Shah , whose real name was Abdullah Shah , was a Punjabi Muslim Sufi poet, a humanist and philosopher.-Early life and background:...
, Baba Kamal Chishti,Imam Shah Bukhari, on one hand and by musicians, singers like
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali KhanUstad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was an Indian classical singer. Khan is considered to be an important representative of the Hindustani music tradition in the early and mid 20th century...
, Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Ustad
Amanat Ali KhanUstad Amanat Ali Khan was a Pakistani classical singer, from the Patiala gharana. He was honoured with the 'Pride of Performance' award by the government of Pakistan...
, Malka-e-Tarrannam
Noor JehanNoor Jehan was the adopted stage name for Allah Wasai who was a singer and actress in British India and Pakistan...
etc. on the other hand. The important cultural events in the district are the Urs of Baba Bulleh Shah and Urs of Baba Imam Shah Bukhari as well as the Urs of Baba Sheikh Bhago. Kasur is also known in folklore for its slippers. A famous Punjabi folk song is :"Jutti Kasuri, Paire na puri, hai rabba ve sahnu turna paya." (The slippers of Kasur don't fit me, Oh God, I had to walk!)
Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah
Bulleh Shah was a Punjabi Sufi poet, believed to have lived from 1680 to 1758.As is a common practice in South Asian poetry, his poems include a signature line which contains his name. Bulleh Shah was settled in Kasur, now in Pakistan. His spiritual master was Shah Inayat Qadiri of Lahore. The ancestral village of Bulleh Shah was Uch Gilaniyan in Bahawalpur, now a part of Pakistan, though his ancestors had migrated from Bukhara in modern day Uzbekistan. From there his family first shifted to Malakwal (Multan District, Pakistan) and then to Pandoke, which is about 14 miles southeast of Kasur, Pakistan. Bulleh's real name was Abdullah Shah, but Bulleh was his nickname at home, and that is the name he chose to use as a poet.
His family background was religious, his father being a highly religious person. Bulleh wrote primarily in Punjabi, but also in the locally spoken language, Siraiki, which is often considered a dialect of Punjabi. His style of poetry is called Kafi, which was already an established style with Sufis who preceded him. Several of his songs are regarded as an integral part of the traditional repertoire of Qawwali, the musical genre which represents the devotional music of the Sufis. The tomb of Bulleh Shah is in Kasur, and he is held in reverence by all Sufis of India and Pakistan.
Kots (residential areas)
The city of Kasur is an aggregation of fortified hamlets, called kots, small in themselves, but together forming a considerable town. In 1592 12 principal residential colonies were built by Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar. The names of 12 kots are:
- Kot Pacca Qila
- Kot Nawan Qila
- Kot Azam Khan
- Kot Ghulam Mohammad Mohayyudin Khan
- Kot Murad Khan
- Kot Haleem Khan
- Kot Peeraan Mohammad Khan
- Kot Fateh Din Khan
- Kot Usman Khan
- Kot Badar-ud-Din Khan
- Kot Ruken Din Khan
- Kot Nawab Hussain Khan
These residential areas were built later on.
- Tariq Bin Ziad Road
- Khara
Khara can refer to* Khara, Punjab - town in Punjab, Pakistan.* Khara, Surname - Surname or clan - Alternate transliterations are Khaara, Khaira, Khahra, Khera, Khehra - in Northern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan* Khara, Nepal...
Road
- Pakeeza Colony
- Bhatta Gorian Wala
- Munir Shaheed Colony
- kot Muhammad Ishaque Khan,Atari Karam Singh,Adda Talwandi
- Kot Ghulam Muhammad Khan
- Kot Mir Baz Khan
- Kot Sherbaz Khan
- Kot Abdul Qadir
- Rod Kot
- Dhoor Kot
- Jinnah Colony
- Baghdadia Colony
- Bulley Shah Colony
- Mushtaq Colony
- Ghosia Colony
- Gulberg Colony
- Sanwat Colony,Qadiwind
- Gora Nagar
- Fazal Colony
- Roshan Colony
- Shakoor Colony
- Bhasar Pura
- Sheikh Bhago
- Rukan Pura
- Mohala Peer bulanda
- Salamat Pura
- Din Garh
- Ali Garh
- Niaz Nagar
Mushtaq Nagar
- Wylie Pur
- Jamat Pura
- Kirshna Nagar
- Syed Chiragh Shah Town
- Basti Venayekan Wali
- Basti Sabir Wali
- Basti Barat Shah
- Basti Qadir Abad
- Basti Babian Wali
- Basti Noor Shah Wali
- Garden View Housing Scheme Steel Bagh
Weather
The city has extremes of climate; the summer season begins from April and continues till September. June is the hottest month. The mean maximum and minimum temperature for this month are about 40 and 27 degree Celsius respectively. The winter seasons lasts from November to March. January is the coldest month. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures for the coldest month are 20 and 6 degree Celsius respectively.
Rainfall
Towards the end of June
monsoonA pennis is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by seasonal changes in precipitation, but now is used to describe seasonal changes atmospheric circulation and precipitation The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the African and Asia-Australian monsoons...
conditions appear and during the following two and a half months the rainy season alternates with sultry weather. The winter rain falls during January, February and March ranging from 23 to 31 millimetres.
Banks
Schools and colleges
- The Learning School, Kot Radha Kishen (Kasur)
- Allama Iqbal Cadet Public High School Kasur
- Allama iQbal Public Girls Higher Secondary School Riewind Road Kasur
- Pakistan English Model School, Kasur
- Pakistan Model High School, Kasur
- Government Islamia College, Kasur
- Moon Star Public High School Krishna Nager Kasur
- Saint Paul Joseph Christen School
- Reading Public School Terkhanawali, Mewat Kasur
- Kasur Model High School
- Govt. High School Kacha Pacca
- Kasur Public School, Kasur
- Bhatti International Public School
- Main Khara
Khara can refer to* Khara, Punjab - town in Punjab, Pakistan.* Khara, Surname - Surname or clan - Alternate transliterations are Khaara, Khaira, Khahra, Khera, Khehra - in Northern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan* Khara, Nepal...
Road, Kasur]
- Dhing Shah Model High School, Khudian
- Sadiq Memorial High School (boys and girls), Khudian
- Government Higher Secondary School, Khudian
- Government Model High School, Kasur
- Government Degree College for Women, Kasur
- Bank Model High School, Kasur
- Sharif Model High School (campuses in Bhatta Gorian Wala, Kot Rukin Din Khan Kasur, Muhalla Haji Shah Sharif, Near Khan Mehal Cinma Raiwind Road and Kot Usman Khan)
- Al-Madina Ideal High School Khara Road Kasur
- Pappa Educational Academy of Literature And Sciences Kasur
- Shamas Pilot High School sheikh Bhago near Bhasar pura Kasur
- Beaconhouse Educators, a franchise of the Beaconhouse group
- Khawaja Abdul Hayee Model High School Usman wala, Kasur
Famous & Special Product of Kasur
- Kasuri Methiis used as vegetable in various eatables. Fresh Methi herb does not contain any smell but after drying, it becomes fragrant and possesses a specific type low grade smell. Methi from Kasur / Qasoor in Punjab (Pakistan) is very famous in its fragrance throughout the country and known as Kasurii Methi
Kasuri Methi leaves are also used as a condiment for flavoring and giving special delicious taste. Steaming is considered the best method of cooking leaves; in this the vitamins are retained and the vegetable become palatable. The dried leaves can be composed to pulses for their protein content. They supplement the lysine-deficient cereal diets. They have an aromatic odor and agreeable spicy taste. Kasuri Methi leaves is an important ingredient of curry powder and juicy and fry vegetables.
Historically, fenugreek was used for a variety of health conditions, including menopausal symptoms and digestive problems. It was also used for inducing childbirth.
Today, it is used for diabetes and loss of appetite, and to stimulate milk production in breastfeeding women. It is also applied to the skin to treat inflammation.
More detail about Kasuri Methi
Health
Very few specialist doctors are available and most of the people resort to the adjacent city of Lahore for their health care needs.
Food industries
Kasur is well-knowned as the city of foods, there are so many foods industries are working with the best quality like:
Kasuri Methi,
Rice, Corn, Potatoes and many other vegetable & fruits products.
AL-NOOR FOODS one of the famous Food-company in Kasur.
Sui gas supply
In 2004 the work for laying a gas pipe line from
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
to Kasur was completed, allowing the residents of Kasur access to a gas supply for domestic purposes. However, most of the city area has not yet received the gas.
Kasur-Lahore Motorway
The Kasur-Lahore Motorway, a 6-lane highway inaugurated by President
Pervez MusharrafGeneral Pervez Musharraf , NI, TBt, was the 10th President of Pakistan and the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army,....
is under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2007. This is particularly important for Kasur as many people commute from Kasur to Lahore. Recently DCO, Abdul Jabbar Shaheen is doing a memorable tasks regarding Administration, Roads, and land encroachment. He has became the Hero and legend of Kasur City. He has done marvellous jobs and really done the impossibles. People of Kasur is saluting his extra-ordinary work in Kasur.
[citation needed].
External links