Chichawatni

Chichawatni (Urdu: چِيچہ وطنى‎) is a city in the Sahiwal District of the Pakistani province of Punjab. Situated near the Grand Trunk Road, it lies approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) from the district capital, Sahiwal In 2007, Chichawatni's population was estimated at approximately 120,000.

Etymology

There are two leading folk etymologies proposed for the name Chichawatni. The first asserts that the 7th century Raja Dahir named the town Chichawatni – meaning "City of Chach" – for his father, Maharaja Chach of Alor. According to the second etymology, the name is derived from a Hindu family who lived in the area in antiquity, with the father of the family being named Chicha and the mother Watni.

History

During the British Raj, Chichawatni was reputedly transformed from a small Punjabi village into a relatively modern city by infrastructure investment and planning decrees, starting in 1918.[citation needed] At the time of the India-Pakistan Partition of 1947, many aristocratic Indian Muslim families migrated from Punjabi towns like Ludhiana, Jallandhar, Amritsar and Firozpur, and settled in towns like Chichawatni, shaping the city's present-day Muslim elite. Another legacy of the Partition is a large Christian community, with Christianity being most prominent among poorer residents.
In November 2012, the Government of Pakistan banned Abdul Latif Khalid Cheema, leader of Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat and Secretary General of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam,[3] from delivering a speech in the Chichawatni area due to the security situation in Muharram.

Overview 

Chichawatni presently serves as the main city of Sahiwal Division, and is administratively subdivided into three City Union Councils and 34 rural Union Councils. It is also the headquarters of Chichawatni Tehsil. It lies approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the ancient Upper Indus site of Harappa, and is consequently a popular stop-over for tourists. It furthermore serves as the educational hub for many local villages, offering several colleges and institutions for higher education. Punjabi is the most-spoken language in Sahiwal, including Chichawatni, although Urdu is also commonly spoken.

Forest division 

Chichawatni is the headquarters of a Pakistani forest division, also named Chichawatni. Dating to 1923, the Chichawatni Plantation covers a total forested area of approximately 9,000 acres (36 km²), constituting the second-largest forest plantation in Pakistan,[citation needed] the largest being Changa Manga. The Peregrine Fund, a U.S.-based avian conservation organisation, conducted research in Chichawatni's forests in the early 2000s (decade).

Cattle market 

Chichawatni's cattle market, known as Mandi Muwaishiyan, is among the largest in Pakistan.[citation needed] Typically, the market runs from the 21st of each month to the end of the month, with its business peaking in three first days.

Kabbadi stadium 

Kabbadi – a team sport similar to wrestling – is popular in Chichawatni, which is home to one of the few floodlit Kabbadi stadiums in Pakistan. The town has played host to numerous Kabbadi championships

Educational institutions

Chichawatni is home to numerous institutions of secondary and tertiary education, including:

• Punjab Science School and College
• Government College of Commerce
• Darul Uloom Khatm-e-Nubuwwat (an Islamic institution)
• Dawn Cadet High School
• The Educators College
• Unique Public School
• Al-Falah Public School
• Punjab Group of Colleges (Chichawatni Campus)
• Government Crescent College (for girls)
• Government Crescent Girls High School
• Government Degree College (for boys)
• Government High School (for boys)
• Government M.C. High School (for boys)

Rail links

In 1918, Chichawatni's first railway station was constructed, but its position – in the largely impassable forest to the north of the town – made it difficult to reach, despite the expansion of the station in 1927. In July 2007, a new and more accessible railway station was constructed in Chichawatni, with the sanction of then-Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali.

Government investment

In recent years, the Government of Punjab has invested significantly into education in Chichawatni, leading to a rapid increase in the local literacy rate. In partnership with private interests, local authorities have also invested into ICT education, improving the computer skills of school and college students in Chichawatni.[11] Numerous municipal parks and museums have also been constructed with government aid.

Notable people from Chichawatni 

• Abdul Latif Khalid Cheema, religious leader and head of Chichawatni's Darul Uloom Khatm-e-Nubuwwat
• Mehdi Hassan, ghazal singer
• Esther John, notable Christian marty
• Rana Mohammad Hanif Khan, former Finance Minister of Pakistan
• Rai Hassan Nawaz, two-time nazim of the District of Sahiwal
• Azam Tariq, co-founder of the political organisation Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
• Syed Tanwir Hussain Naqvi, a notable educationist.