Dadyal

Dadyal
ڈڈيال
Town
Motto: "Freedom for All"
Country  Pakistan
Territory Azad Kashmir
Time zone PST (UTC+5)

Dadyal is a small town situated north of the Mangla Dam in the Mirpur district of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The town consists of more than 70 smaller villages. Like much of the Mirpur District, Dadyal has descendants of inhabitants that emigrated to the United Kingdom between the 1950s and 1980s. It is the central business centre in the area of Anderhaal and is used by the of the 70 villages surrounding it. The name Anderhaal (ander meaning "inside" and haal meaning hills) was given to denote the area between the valleys of Jhelum and Poonch surrounding Dadyal.

History

Mangla Dam

The history of Dadyal dates back to many years before the construction of the Mangla Dam. The old town existed between the Jhelum and Poonch rivers. The confluence of the two rivers became the exact location of the Mangla Dam, situated near a village called Chaana.

Migration and settlement

Most people from this region of Azad Kashmir migrated to the United Kingdom after the construction of the Mangla Dam. People from all families joined the army and helped in the war. After the war, these people helped build Britain and so it was decided that they were allowed to stay there. In the 1960s and 1970s families migrated and settled into the United Kingdom. A large proportion of the emigration took place due to the construction of Mangla Dam that flooded certain parts of the area. Most of the families worked on ships and planes. When immigrants were needed to work in Britain they submitted their papers and migrated, subsequently bringing their families too. Since the 1970s, a large number of people have been earning their livelihood there. Due to this, they are today the major foreign exchange earning resource for Pakistan.

Mangla Dam Raising

Mangla Dam was raised from 1210 to 1250 level and built accordingly. In 2013, the dam was filled from its erstwhile level of 1202 to 1239.70 level and numerous village were submerged including Mohra Malkan, Chapraan and Thanpal. However, the those affected were suitably compensated and given plots in New Town Dadyal and Siakh Town. New Town Dadyal is a new locality which is being populated at a fast pace. It has three sectors: A, B and C. The town is located on main Dadyal Mirpur Road and has been developed by a Chinese company. Presently, families from Mohra Malkan, Thanpal, Mora Kanyaal and other villages are living there.

Villages

Bharotha.

Darbars in Azad Kashmir

Many Sufi Saints came to the town of Dadyal to propagate the message of Islam to the masses. Notable Darbars/Shrines in the town include:

See also