Haripur, Pakistan

Haripur (Urdu: ہری پور‎) is the main city of the Haripur District in the Hazara Division inPakistan, some 65 km (40 mi) north of Islamabad and 35 km (22 mi) south ofAbbottabad. It is located in a hilly plain area at an altitude of 520 m (1,706 ft).^[1] The city lies on the Karakoram Highway (N35).

History [edit]

Haripur was founded by the Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa in 1822 and became the headquarters of Hazara until 1853. Hari Singh Nalwa was appointed by the bravest and legendary Sikh King Maharaja Ranjit Singh as the second Nazim of Hazara after the first Nazim Amar Singh Majithia was killed by the local populace at Nara.

Haripur was built as a fortress surrounded by a wall which was 4 yards (3.7 m) thick and 16 yards (15 m) high and had only four openings. That fort later became the city police station.

Drinking water was provided by digging a tank. Many small drainages were dug to carry sullage water. A small river, the river Dore, passes through the city, feeding the Tarbela Dam.

Baron Hugel visited the town on 23 December 1835, and he found it humming with activity. The municipality was constituted in 1867.

An obelisk marks the grave of Colonel Canara, a European officer of the Sikh Artillery, who fell in 1848 defending his guns single-handed against the insurgents under Chattar Singh.

The 4th Hazara Mountain Battery

In 1851 the 4th (Hazara) Mountain Battery was raised at Haripur from Hazara gunners, who were trained by Major Abbott, a British officer and first deputy commissioner of Hazara, in order to defend the district. The Hazaras embarked on many campaigns throughout the province.

The population in 1901 was 5,578 and the income and expenditure during the ten years ending 1902–3 averaged Rs. 17,800. In 1903-4 the income and expenditure were Rs. 19,100 and Rs. 20,000 respectively.

Languages [edit]

Languages of Kyber Pakhtunkha.jpg

Hindko (A Punjabi Variant) is main language spoken. Urdu being National language is also spoken and understood.

Geographical features [edit]

Haripur is a green valley, rich in fruits and vegetables, and serves as the base market for the mountainous cities of Abbottabad and Mansehra and the rest of Hazara Division. The main language spoken in Haripur is Hindko, which is related to languages like Punjabi, Potohari, Gojri, and Urdu. Haripur is famous for its guavas (Urdu: امرود). Khanpur, one of the main areas of Haripur, is known for its red blood oranges.

Several miles to the south of Haripur lies the ancient Buddhist university town of Taxila. To the north is the world's largest rock-filled dam, the Tarbela Dam, the bulwark of Pakistan's power generation and irrigation system. Also to the south lies the picturesque Khanpur Dam, which supplies drinking water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The industrial area of Hattar lies close to Haripur. Another major industrial complex lying at the outskirts of the city is the Telephone Industries of Pakistan (TIP), the biggest telephone factory in Asia.^{[citation needed]} Located next to TIP is the National Radio Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC).

Haripur has a campus of Allama Iqbal Open University, and a campus of the Hazara University, Dhodial Mansehra.

Geography [edit]

Climate [edit]

characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. This climate type is found on the eastern sides of the continents between 20° and 35° N and S latitude. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa". (Humid Subtropical Climate).

[hide]Climate data for Haripur, Pakistan
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	17 (62)	18 (64)	23 (73)	28 (82)	34 (93)	39 (102)	37 (98)	34 (93)	33 (91)	30 (86)	24 (75)	19 (66)	28 (82.1)
Average low °C (°F)	3 (37)	5 (41)	10 (50)	14 (57)	18 (64)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	20 (68)	14 (57)	9 (48)	4 (39)	14 (57)
Precipitation mm (inches)	74 (2.9)	104 (4.1)	124 (4.9)	104 (4.1)	74 (2.9)	80 (3)	246 (9.7)	244 (9.6)	97 (3.8)	50 (2)	30 (1.2)	48 (1.9)	1,275 (50.1)