Kot Baloch
Encyclopedia
Kot Balouch is a village in Mandi Bahauddin District
, Pakistan
, located eight kilometres north of Mandi Bahuddin. It was well known during British rule due to its organized bazaar
and local markets which were under the control of the Hindu
community.
The village is named after the Balouch tribes
who traditionally came here with their families and camels for summer grazing. They lived beside a bend in the River Jhelum which was a suitable, sheltered location. They spent six months in the area and then went back to their native areas for the winter season. Later Jatt Gondal families came from the Sohawa
area near Mandi Bahauddin
and started cultivating the land, building temporary houses. After some years the Balouch families stopped coming to the area but the name of the village remains Kot Baloch. Now there are no Balouch people left in the village.
also in some of these people known as jad baloch.
who preached to non-Muslims and spread Islam
in the area. Every farmer donates one day's milk from his buffalo
to the mazar (shrine) of Baba Noor Shah on the birth of a calf.
The main event in this mela
or fair is horse racing and horse shows. Also at this event there is free kabaddi
and local kushti
. Horse racing is very popular in the village and a village rider, Ashraf Gondal, is famous as the best jockey
in Pakistan. This fair is one of the best forms of entertainment for farmers, where many kind of household items are available so they do not need to go to the market frequently. Farmers can buy what they need at the fair and enjoy entertainments such as the cinema, the death wall and others shows.
and the Middle East
and send remittances home to their families. Also, many educated people are serving the nation and the area by working in government and private jobs after completing their higher education.
Mandi Bahauddin District
Mandi Bahauddin is a district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 32°34'60N 73°30'0E and is bounded on the northwest by the Jhelum River, on the South-East by the Chenab River which separates it from Gujranwala District and Gujrat District and on the southwest by Sargodha District...
, 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...
, located eight kilometres north of Mandi Bahuddin. It was well known during British rule due to its organized bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
and local markets which were under the control of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
community.
The village is named after the Balouch tribes
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....
who traditionally came here with their families and camels for summer grazing. They lived beside a bend in the River Jhelum which was a suitable, sheltered location. They spent six months in the area and then went back to their native areas for the winter season. Later Jatt Gondal families came from the Sohawa
Sohawa
Sohawa is an administrative sub-division of Jhelum District, situated in the Punjab province of Pakistan.. Sohawa has grown from a small village in 1947 to a large town in 2009, development in transportation , education and health has played a major role in the development of the town...
area near Mandi Bahauddin
Mandi Bahauddin
Mandi Bahauddin is the capital of Mandi Bahauddin District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The town is some 220 metres above the sea level and is situated in upper Punjab, between the rivers Jhelum and Chenab . Mandi Bahauddin city is situated some 50 km from the M2 - Motorway of...
and started cultivating the land, building temporary houses. After some years the Balouch families stopped coming to the area but the name of the village remains Kot Baloch. Now there are no Balouch people left in the village.
Demographics
The population of Kot Balouch is over 5000 people including Lokri, a small daira of Kot Balouch. The literacy rate is over 75%.also in some of these people known as jad baloch.
Mela Baba Noor Shah
Baba Noor Shah was a famous WaliWali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
who preached to non-Muslims and spread Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the area. Every farmer donates one day's milk from his buffalo
Water Buffalo
The water buffalo or domestic Asian water buffalo is a large bovine animal, frequently used as livestock in southern Asia, and also widely in South America, southern Europe, northern Africa, and elsewhere....
to the mazar (shrine) of Baba Noor Shah on the birth of a calf.
The main event in this mela
Mela
Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' or a Fair. It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gathering and can be religious, commercial, cultural or sports. In rural traditions melas or village fairs were of great importance...
or fair is horse racing and horse shows. Also at this event there is free kabaddi
Kabaddi
Kabaddi is a South Asian team sport...
and local kushti
Kushti
Kushti is the sacred girdle worn by Zoroastrians around their waists. Along with the Sedreh, the Kushti is part of the ritual dress of the Zoroastrians....
. Horse racing is very popular in the village and a village rider, Ashraf Gondal, is famous as the best jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
in Pakistan. This fair is one of the best forms of entertainment for farmers, where many kind of household items are available so they do not need to go to the market frequently. Farmers can buy what they need at the fair and enjoy entertainments such as the cinema, the death wall and others shows.
Economy
Before 1970 agriculture was the only source of income for people from the village but now many young men are working in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and send remittances home to their families. Also, many educated people are serving the nation and the area by working in government and private jobs after completing their higher education.