Okara District

Okara District (Urdu: ضلع اوکاڑہ) is a district of Punjab, Pakistan. It is located on Multan Road some 110km from Lahore. According to the 1998 census, the district has a population of 2,232,992 of which 22.84% are/were urban^[1]. The name Okara was originally Okanwala from the name of wild plant^{[citation needed]}.

Okara District is famous for its fertile lands, peaceful natural environment and green fields of potato, sugarcane, wheat, rice and maize crops. Oranges and Mangoes orchards are famous. The area of district Okara is the gold mine for history seekers, spiritual and curious travellers. One can find archaeological remains of different dynasties of prehistory, Indus civilization, Persians, Sultanates, the Mugal Empire, the Sikh Confederacy and the British Raj.

Nearby cities are Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Depal Pur and Haveli Lakha. The biggest military farms group and the second biggest cantonment of Pakistan Army are in Okara. In the west of Okara city, the Ravi goes winding along the borders of Faisalabad and Sheikhupura districts.

The Gole Chowk (Jamia Mosque) is one of its kinds in the world which is round in its shape. It is the busiest shopping centre of the city.

Its tehsil Depal Pur is the ancient living city in the south Asia and known for the traces of an ancient castle which is said to have been built in the times of renowned monarch Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-1388). The castle was surrounded by a protective wall and a khandaq (trench), both of which are partially safe to date. The prominent features of the castle are a beautiful Shahi Mosque, a miles long tunnel, four big gates, narrow streets and houses built on old style with the smaller bricks, all of which reflect the past glory of the Muslim era in the field of architecture. In the south of Depal Pur, there flowed the river Biyas in past and is now just a small stream and serves as the outlet, unfortunately, for the poisonous waste coming from different factories. Traces are also found of a long range of ruins, called dhaya in local language, which, according to popular myth, are the remains of some unknown ancient city which may have been engulfed by the river 'Biyas'. These ruins give a mysterious look ------ something like a blend of desert and tiny hills, and also serve as the hideout for thieves and robbers.

Tehsil Renala Khurd is mainly known for a famous fruit products company Mitchell's and its farms. At Renala Khurd, one may visit still functional Ganga Hydroelectric Station installed by the famous philanthropist and engineer Sir Ganga Ram. A part of Renala Khurd is naturally deprived of the underground sweet water. People in this part rely on canals as the main source of irrigation, as tube -wells, unlike other parts of the district, only pour out salty water which nothing but spoils the land.

A few kilometres from Okara on the Okara-Faisalabad road there is a village Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka. For going too the village you pass through Gogera -- a place where Rai Ahmed Khan Kharral broke famous jail during War of Independence of 1857 and British Extra Assistant Commissioner (Lord) Berkley was defeated and killed by the resilient locals.

The unique claim of the village to international fame is the dolls and toys made by village women that are collectors delight all over the world. Dolls made in the village have travelled to International Dolls Museum in Amsterdam and also have been put on display in the "Theme-park" at EXPO 2000 in Hanover (Germany) as one of the 767 worldwide projects - an example of thinking for 21st century. Earlier, the dolls participated in International Toy Fair in Nuremberg. These dolls show how culture goes beyond simple work of art and becomes collaboration among applied and natural sciences as well as other forces that affect our lives. MAUZA AKBAR is after the name Akbar the great (Mugal). SATGHARA remained the capital during the period of Great Baluch SARDAR MIR CHAKER RIND.

Pre 1947 composite population

The present main city was developed by the British Raj in six blocks and all the houses in blocks were designed in a same shape and sizes, this beautifully organized town planning is even never been seen today's life. Okara had a significant Punjabi Hindu and Sikh population apart from the Muslim before the partition of India in August 1947. The Hindus and Sikhs of Okara had to leave their ancestral homes and move to BHARAT on eve of partition of India and Muslims from east Punjab migrated to this area.

People

The District has always been politically significant as it has produced people of such high stature as Dr. Dost Ali Ph.D Scholar IIUI (Dr. Azhar Mahmood Central President ATI Pakistan),Maj General Rao Farman Ali Khan , [[Mian Yaseen Wattoo]] (former Minister of Education), Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo (former CM of Punjab),Mian Muhammad Zaman (ex-federal minister), Ashraf Khan Sohna (MPA), Rao Sikandar Iqbal (Minister of Defence), Rao Yasir Iqbal (Secretary Information PPP Patriots),and Haji Saeed-ur-Rahman Khan (former member of Majlis-e-Shura),Rao Qaiser Ali Khan a member of the National Assembly .General Secretary District Bar Association Okara Rana Khalid Hussain Advocate High Court, is also a member of American Bar Association and International Bar Association London. Other prominent leaders include Chaudhry Zia-ud-din (Ex-MPA), Malik Abbas Khokhar, Syed Sajjad Haider Kirmani (ex-District Nazim), Syed Afzaal Shah (Ex-Provincial Minister), Syed Raza Ali Gillani (Minister of Housing Punjab). It is also known for the wide variety of culture reflecting the traditions and customs of the area. Melas (fairs) in the month of 'Saawan' are notable among these traditions where different types of games are played on the drum-beat and shops of sweets and toys etc are decorated. The population mostly relies on agriculture as their main source of livelihood, although a number of people work in factories and offices as well. Dairy and Fruit products are the identical mark of the area. Jatt,Kamboh,Rao, Syed, Pashtun, Rajput,Punjabi Shaikh, Bhutta, Wattu and Arain are the main castes of people of the district.Molana Ghulam Ali Okarvi, the famous religious scholar of Pakistan and Muslim Ummah laid to rest here in Ashraf-ul-Madarass (Madrassa on GT Road) his thousand of MURREEDs all around world. Few famous scholar are his students i.e. Molana Shafi Okarvi, Molana Khushi Muhammad Alazhari, Molana Kokab Norani Okarvi and former President Zia-ul-haq was also take lessons from him. he died in year 2002

Tehsils of Okara

• Depalpur
• Renala Khurd
• Okara town

The current Government has added extra benefits to Okara District by establishing Cadet College, Education University, Zoo and many more opportunities for general public.

See also

Hindu and Buddhist architectural heritage of Pakistan

Administrative divisions of Punjab (Pakistan)
Capital	Lahore
Districts	Attock | Bahawalnagar | Bahawalpur | Bhakkar | Chakwal | Dera Ghazi Khan | Faisalabad | Gujranwala | Gujrat | Hafizabad | Jhang | Jhelum | Kasur | Khanewal | Khushab | Lahore | Layyah | Lodhran | Mandi Bahauddin | Mianwali | Multan | Muzaffargarh | Nankana Sahib | Narowal | Okara | Pakpattan | Rahimyar Khan | Rajanpur | Rawalpindi | Sahiwal | Sargodha | Sheikhupura | Sialkot | Toba Tek Singh | Vehari

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