Sharaqpur Sharif is a town of Sheikhupura District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 31°27′48″N 74°6′0″E[1] and lies on the Jaranwala road 32 km from Lahore,and 20km from first exit of M2. It is very beautiful and flourishing town with different flowers, greenery, meadows and gardens of different fruits. Sharaqpur Sharif is known as the city of Saints, and is popular due to the presence of the shrine of HazratMian Sher Muhammad Sharaqpuri born in 1282 AH., or 1865 AD., in Sharaqpur (District Sheikhupura, Punjab). His father's name was Mian Azizuddin. Mian Sher Muhammad was strict observer and preacher of Quran and the Sunnah. He led a very simple life and blessed numerous people including Allama Muhammad Iqbal. He died on Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1347 AH., or August 20, 1928 and was laid to rest in Sharaqpur. His shrine is also present in the city's vicinity.

History

Sharaqpur is a tehsil-level town on Jaranwala Road 32 km from Lahore.
Many years ago, the river Ravi flowed here and due to the river's presence this area was cultivated. The tribes of Gujranwala saw this place and settled here, followed by the forefathers of the Aarain tribe from Sahiwal. The founder of Sharaqpur who built the first home in the area was the grandfather of Hafiz Muhammad Jamal. In this period Hazrat Hafiz Muhammad Qadri and religious scholars came here from Hujra Shah Muqueem and built a mosque. Hazrat Syed Abdul-Qadar Sani (Almaroof Kimia-ul-nazar) stayed here.

Origins of the name

Different opinions exist about the origins of Sharaqpur's name. Miyan Mohammad Ashiq writes in his book History of Sharaqpur that the name of Sharaqpur was kept by the numbers. If one counts the numbers of Sharaqpur then it will be 808 and this is the year of foundation of Sharaqpur. Another opinion is that Sultan Muhammad Shah Sarqi used to meet famous personalities of Sharaqpur and give special attention in this area. Therefore, people began to call this area "Sharqipur", which evolved into "Sharaqpur". Another possibility is that Malik Sharq, the son of Malik Faheem, came to meet the religious scholars of Sharaqpur and paid much attention to Sharaqpur. Therefore, after negotiation among the people, they called the area Sharaqpur.

Culture and economy

Sharaqpur is known as the home of the Shrine of SAINT MIAN SHER MUHAMMAD, also known as Sher-E-Rabbani & MIAN GHULAM ULLAHknown as Sani SB. Mian Sher Muhammad Sharaqpuri was born in 1282 AH, or 1865 AD, in Sharaqpur. His father's name was Mian Azizuddin. Mian Sher Muhammad was a strict observer and preacher of Quran and the Sunnah. He led a simple life and blessed numerous people. He died on Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1347 AH, or August 20, 1928 and his tomb(darbar sharif) is in Sharaqpur sharif.a sweet dish gulab jamn is the most famous dish of sharqpur sharif,

A special kind of shoes called Khusah is manufactured here and is popular throughout the Punjab province. These Khusahs are made by hand; no machines are used in their creation. Nowadays, these are specially designed for bridegrooms at wedding ceremonies. Leather and silver or golden thread are used for their manufacturing. The Khusah is a part of Punjabi culture.
Sharaqpur has a decorated food street, which is the main bazaar of the old city. It extends from Nalkay Wala Chowk to Malkana Gate. It is open around the clock, 24/7. One can find all kind of foods here, including the popular local dessert, gulab jamun

Gulab jamun

Gulab jamun is a popular dessert in countries of the Indian Subcontinent such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. It is made of a dough consisting mainly of milk solids, traditionally, khoya, an Indian milk product is rolled into a ball together with some flour and then deep fried...

.

The area's main crops include rice, wheat, guava, sugar cane, and maize. Cultivated fruits include guava

Guava

Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...

s, watermelon

Watermelon

Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. Its fruit, which is also called watermelon, is a special kind referred to by botanists as a pepo, a berry which has a thick rind and fleshy center...

, alichee, strawberries, and falsa. Vegetables include potatoes, peas, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, and radishes, among many others.