Geography

JEHANGIRA is a town divided in two parts and Union council of Sawabi and Nowshera District in Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°57'46N 72°13'17E with an altitude of 281 Meters (925 ft). The town is situated on the bank of River Kabul before its convergence with Indus River near Attock. Presently, river Kabul divides Jehangira into two districts "Sawabi" and "Nowshera".

Climate

The climate of Jehangira town is similar to Islamabad but some time more humid due to the streams of Kabul and Indus Rivers. In the summer days, chain of Rocky Mountains and desolate area in the northwest brings hot dusty winds in the area.

History

According to the British record of 1871 for land information management in Indo-Pak, Jehangir Khan Awan founded this town in 1680 with the support of Afzal Khan Khattak (chieftain of Khattak tribe and Nephew of Khushal Khan Khattak). In the beginning it was known as Jehangir village but gradually became famous as JEHANGIRA.

In 1818 during Ranjit Singh invasion on Peshawar valley, Sikhs badly ruined Jehangira. But soon after, the Chieftain Abbas Khan Khattak, succeeded in reconciliation with Sikhs, as a result, Khattaks and Awans stopped resistance against Sikhism and returned to their homes with peace. Sikhs built an army post inside Jehangira to control the area and launched boats service across the river to connect the area with Peshawar.

During British colonialism, as like their predecessors, they built a check post and police station at the bank of river Kabul and fabricate a floating bridge over the river.

Since the Partition (1947), the local government of Pakistan has been using the British's post as "Jehangira Police Station" but in 1970 an enforced hollow-core concrete bridge was constructed over the River, known as Jehangira bridge. The bridge first time came under water for few hours on 30th July during 2010 floods.

As the time passed, the village became more populated, most of the adjacent areas overlapped edge to edge, as a result many new markets and industries emerged in the area and Jehangira arose as Jehangira town.

People and Cultures

Inhabitants of Jehangira town is a mixture of Pashtoon clans migrated from different parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Awans and Khattacks both are the fundamental communities of Jehangira town. But most of the natives have lost their ethnic identities unlike other Pushtoon tribes. Khattak are known by their sub tribe like Khan-khel, Akor-khel, Kaka-khel, Faqir-khel, Fateh-khani, chacha-khel, Akhund-zad and many more. Moreover a non-pushtoon community is also playing a major role in local societies of both union councils. Recently migrated families are Gujars, Mohmands and Khattacks; resided on agricultural lands at the east of town.

Boundaries

Wide boundaries of Jehangira town touch the mountains of Khawri behind Jehangira Railway station in the west. The southern shore of Indus river sets the border with Pujab (Attock district). Tordhair town & Ala Dher Village on the east and village Mian Isa and Jalbai are located in the North of Jehangira.

Population Units

As mentioned above, several hamlets were incorporated with Jehangira, their names with brief introductions are as follow:

Jehangira village (Dist. Swabi): Also known as Pushtoons Village, this is the fundamental population of the town since 1680 .

Manrdgan village(Dist. Swabi): Secondary population resided by Sikh-Raj in 1818 for the purpose of boating services in Kabul River. The majority of this village is Hindco speak.

New hamlets (Dist. Swabi): There are some newly populated areas like Mera, Kodray, Hayatabad, New-Nehr, Marab, Budai-Kamar, Garha, Karkhana, Zorh Nehr, Shekh baba and Miasa road etc.

Dubandi Bazaar (Dist. Nowshera): Located near the junction of Swabi road with historical highway Jurnaily
Road. In the beginning, there were few temporary shelters for foodstuffs and tea sellers at bus stand and Railway station of Jehangira. Gradually, as the population grew-up, Dubandi became a real Bazaar and a famous shopping center in the area.

Dherri Khattak (Dist. Nowshera): Located in the north near Jehangira railway station, famous for Volleyball game. The majority of Dehri Khattak is Hindco speak.

Places of public interests

1. The enduring streams of two famous rivers enhance the natural beauty of surrounding area which attracts tourists from all over the Country.
2. A green triangle emerges between two rivers precisely before the convergent point, known as KUND Park. Pakistan tourism gratified the beauty of this park by constructing Hurts, Hotels, Gardens, Toyland for tourists; moreover, awarded a look of zoological garden to the Park by identifying various kinds of wild animals to the park.
3. The expanse field of Indus River over thousands of acres and hasty flow of water, trenches the bed of river to many deeper channels that elevates in between islands called "BELA". These BELAs are full of thick shrub trees and other wild plants. Native been using the BELA as a grazing field for hundreds years, but visitors come here for hunting, swimming, photography, picnics and entertainments.
4. A Fuji Corn Complex (Fuji foundation) is located on Swabi road east Jehangira, and a chain of marble industries located beyond Kabul River along the GT Road Jehangira (Dist. Nowshera). The industrial zone is about 5 kilometer long and reached to Kherabad. Consequently, freights of heavy transport flows toward industrial zone that improves the productivities of workshops, fuel stations and hotels in the area but the most famous is KABAB (a familiar food). Furthermore, markets, bus stands, railway station and arms markets are notable places of the western part.

Educational Institutes

Dozens of government and private schools for boys and girls are running under each Union council and some technical & vocational training institutes and Intermediate colleges are running in Western Jehangira.

Schools

• Govt. High School Jehangira (Swabi) for boys.
• Govt. High School Jehangira (Swabi) for girls.
• Govt. Middle School Jehangira (Swabi) for boys.
• Govt. Middle School Jehangira (Swabi) for girls.
• Govt. High School Jehangira (Nowshera) for boys.
• Govt. High School Jehangira (Nowshera) for girls.
• Iqraa Cadet Schools Jehangira (Nowshera) for boys and girls.
• Pakistan Public Higher Secondary School Jehangira (Nowshera)

Colleges

• Iqraa Colleges Jehangira (Nowshera) for boys.
• Iqraa College Jehangira (Nowshera) for girls
• Pakistan School & College Jehangira For boys & Girls.

Vocational Centers

• Computer Academy Jehangira (Swabi)
• Government Technical and Vocational Center Station Road Jehangira

Hospitals & Health Care Centers

A Health Care unit is working under each union council but there are many private clinics and medical centers that serve for the sake of human health in the area.

Private Clinics

• Rashid Medical Center Jehangira (Nowshera).
• Khanadin Medical Center Jehangira (Nowshera).
• Dr. Agha Iqbal Gohar Station Road Jehangira
• Dr. Zahid Khattak Station Road Jehangira

Mausoleums and Cemeteries

About 250 acres (1 km²) of area consists of graveyards in various locations at eastern town. Tomb of Badu Baba is in the north-east and Lakai bebyane are in the south of the town. Tomb of Sheikh baba is located on the eastern bank of Kabul river. A Hindu "Baniya" was converted to Islam In 1834 and preached Isalm for the rest of his life. An urs

Urs

Urs is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint in South Asia, usually held at the saint's dargah . South Asian Sufis being mainly Chishtiyya, refer to their saints as lovers and God as beloved...

is celebrated annually on 12th of Rabi Alawal on his Mazzar.

Further reading

• Geography of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Govt: of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Department of Geography & History ( 2008 ) Mahekma e Auqaf.