Saidpur, Islamabad

Saidpur
Temple at Saidpur Village
Saidpur
Coordinates:
Country  Pakistan
Province Punjab
Elevation 620 m (2,034 ft)
Time zone PST (UTC+5)

Saidpur is a 400 or 500 year old Pakistani village in built on the slopes of the Margalla Hills which overlook Islamabad, Pakistan.[1] It is a popular tourist attraction and is frequented by locals and outsiders alike.

Contents

History

Saidpur is named after Said Khan, one of the sons of Sultan Sarang, the Gakhar chief of the Pothohar region (who ruled from Attock to Jehlum) during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Babur. The Emperor Jahangir's memoir, Tuzke Jahangiri, mentions him halting at a place “beyond Rawalpindi”, on his way to Kabul, which is assumed to be Saidpur. Said Khan gifted Saidpur village to his daughter who was married to son of Mughal emperor Akbar.

The village was converted into the a place of Hindu worship by a Mughal commander, Raja Man Singh. He constructed a number of small ponds: Rama kunda, Sita kunda, Lakshaman kunda, and Hanuman kunda. The region is home to many Hindu temples that are preserved, showing the history of Hindu civilisation and architecture in the region.

This to do in Saidpur

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) of Islamabad has developed Saidpur into a tourist attraction by giving it the look and feel of a quaint village. The initial cost of the project was about 400 million rupees.[2]

Saidpur is good for:

See also

Picture gallery

Images of Saidpur
Renovated walkways along the old stream  
Looking down from a high point at the village sprawl  
Restaurants are a favourite tourist attraction  
The building in red is an old school building ... and right next to it are two, Sikh and Hindu, temples  

References

  1. ^ http://pakistaniat.com/2008/03/24/siadpur-islamabad-khizer/
  2. ^ http://www.opfblog.com/3034/islamabad-another-attraction-added-for-visitors-of-saidpur-village/

Trivia

A funny Ufone advertisement has been filmed in this village. [1]

External Links