Pakpattan
Pakistan · Asia
About Pakpattan
Pakpattan (Punjabi and Urdu: پاکپتّن), often referred to as Pākpattan Sharīf, is an ancient, historic city in the Pakistani province of Punjab, serving as the headquarters of the eponymous Pakpattan district. It is among the oldest cities in Asia and ranks as the 48th largest city in Pakistan by population, according to the 2017 census. Pakpattan is the seat of the Sufi Chisti order in Pakistan, and a major pilgrimage destination on account of the Shrine of Baba Farid, a renowned Punjabi poet and Sufi saint. The annual urs fair in his honour draws an estimated 2 million visitors to the town.
Pakpattan was originally known as Ajodhan (Hindi: अजोधन) until the 16th century. Ajodhan may be a Sanskrit term that can be interpreted as "eternal wealth" or "eternal prosperity," with Aja meaning "unborn" or "eternal" and Dhana meaning "wealth" or "prosperity." It is believed that the name of the city has changed over time, and anecdotally, it may have been known by various names prior to being called Ajodhan.
Pakpattan derives its current name from the combination of two Punjabi words: Pak, meaning "pure," and Pattan, meaning "dock"; this name...
Pakpattan travel guide
Understand
Punjabi is the native spoken language but Urdu is also widely understood. Haryanvi also called Rangari is spoken among Ranghar, Rajput. Meo have their own language which is called Mewati.
Getting there
It is 205 km from Multan, 40 km (25 mi) from the border with India, and 184 km (114 mi) by road southwest of Lahore.
See
1 Shrine of Baba Fareed. One of Pakistan's most revered shrines. Built in the town that was known in medieval times as Ajodhan, the old town's importance was eclipsed by that of the shrine, as evidenced by its renaming to "Pakpattan", meaning "Holy Ferry" - referencing a river crossing made by pilgrims to the shrine. The shrine has since been a key factor shaping Pakpattan's economy, and the city's politics. (updated May 2021) Other shrines in Pakpatan Darbar Hazrat Khawaja Aziz Makki Sarkar Khawaja Amoor ul Hasan
Eat
Tosha is a special sweet which was produced first in Pakpattan.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.