Bhimber

Bhimber
بھمبر
Door to Kashmir

Panoramic view of Bhimber
Bhimber
Coordinates: 32°58′50″N 74°04′10″E / 32.980645°N 74.06943°E / 32.980645; 74.06943Coordinates: 32°58′50″N 74°04′10″E / 32.980645°N 74.06943°E / 32.980645; 74.06943
Country Pakistan
Territory Azad Kashmir
District Bhimber District
Established 7th century AD
Government
  Nazim (Chairman City) Chaudhary, Zain
Population (2014)
  Total 461,000
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
Postal code 10040
Dialling code 0092-05828
Website Official Website

Bhimber (Urdu: بھمبر) is the chief town of Bhimber District, Azad Kashmir. The town is situated on the border between Azad Kashmir and Pakistan at a distance of about 50 km (31 mi) from Mirpur, about 48 kilometres (30 mi) from Gujrat, about 37 kilometres (23 mi) from Jhelum, about 166 kilometres (103 mi) from Islamabad and about 241 kilometres (150 mi) from Srinagar.[1]

History

Famous Chinese tourist Hune Sang has talked about Bhimber in his journeys in seventh century A.D. For centuries, Bhimber has remained as capital city of Chibhal.Chibhal is named after Raja Chib Chand the eldest son of Raja Partab chand Katoch who came to Bhimber and established the state after marrying local ruler`s daughter in 1400 A.D. Chibs are direct descendents of Raja Chib Chand Katoch.[2][3][4] In Chibs, the first who embraced Islam was Shadaab Khan who is famous as Hazrat Baba Shadi Shaheed. His Hindu name was Raja Dharm Chand Chib. The last ruler of Chibhal was Raja Sultan Khan (1800–1840). Bhimber has been important strategically. It lies on the route that was followed by the Mughal Emperors for their frequent visits to the Kashmir Valley. It is also known as "Baab-e-Kashmir" (Door to Kashmir) because of its importance and geographical location which was ideal for Mughal Emperors to enter Kashmir. Therefore, the Mughals used Bhimber as a staging point for journey to Srinagar. Mughal Emperor Jahangir discussed Bhimber in his book Tuzk-e-Jahangiri. There live different caste peoples, in which mostly are Jatt secondly Rajpoot and 3rd are Mughal and some Gujjar and others.[5]

Culture

Majority of people speak Punjabi and people migrated from Samahni Valley speak Pahari. Bhimber is situated at the border of Azad Kashmir and Punjab.

Geography and climate

Bhimber is a valley. Its hot, dry climate and other geographical conditions closely resemble with those of Gujrat, the adjoining district of Pakistan.

Tourism

Bhimber and its surrounding area is very rich in archaeological remains. There is a forest rest house in Bhimber. Famous historical and scenic sites in the town and surrounding area include:

Transportation

Road

Bhimber is connected with the rest of the country through well built road network. Common public transport is Hiace. Daily routes include Mirpur, Gujrat, Dina, Jhelum, Gujranwala and Kharian. The coaches and coasters travel to larger cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala.

Rail

There is no railways station in Bhimber, the nearest railways stations are that of Gujrat, Lala Musa Junction and Kharian City & Cantt.

Air

The nearest commercial airport was the Islamabad International Airport, which is approximately 166 km by road from Bhimber. Recently, Sialkot International Airport has become operational which is about 150 km from town. So, this is most suitable for the people. There is a small military air strip in the town.There is a military airport in APS Bhimber.

Educational institutes

Schools and colleges

Universities

See also

References

  1. Government of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Website. "Distance from other cities.". Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  2. Gulabnama of Diwan Kirpa Ram: A History of Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu & Kashmir, page 41
  3. History of the Punjab Hill States "by Hutchison and Vogel, reprinted edition, 2 volumes in 1 CHAPTER XX IV. 1933 AD
  4. The Ancient Geography of India by Alexander Cunningham page 134 1871
  5. Government of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Website. "Jahangir discussed Bhimber in his book Tuzk-e-Jahangiri.". Retrieved 8 December 2011.
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