Саргода: История и современность

Sargodha (Punjabi and ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as the City of Eagles.

Sargodha was established by the British as a canal colony in 1903, and was initially spelled Sargoda. Sargodha was badly affected by an outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1903, and experienced a milder outbreak in 1904. Although it was a small town in the beginning, the British Royal Air Force built an airport here due to its strategic location. The term "Sargodha" has its origin in the words "Sar" (from "sarowar") meaning "pond" and "Godha" meaning "Sadhu", which means "Pond of Godha". This city was founded by Lady Trooper by the supervision of Sir Charles Montgomery Rivaz KCSI (1845 – 7 October 1926), a colonial administrator in British India and Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab from 1902 to 1907.

The city has a climate of extreme heat in the summers and moderate cold in the winters. The maximum temperature reaches in the summer while the minimum temperature recorded is as low as freezing point in the winter.

The total population of the city was 458,440 according to the 1998 census. The majority of the people in the city speak Punjabi with Shahpuri dialect. The population of Sargodha Division was recorded as 8,181,499 by the 2017 Census of Pakistan. 1911 1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Sargodha, which included Sargodha Municipality.1921193119412017Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage)Pop. (Population)% (percentage) Islam 4,064 45.93 6,967 39.30 9,146 34.18 12,060 33.11 623,293 94.70 Hinduism 3,563 40.26 8,189 46.19 11,709 43.75 17,413 47.81 22 0.00 Sikhism 964 10.89 2,168 12.23 5,201 19.43 5,920 16.25 Christianity 232 2.62 403 2.27 704 2.63 998 2.74 34,053 5.17 Jainism 5 0.06 0 0.00 1 0.00 7 0.02 Zoroastrianism 1 0.01 0 0.00 0 0.00 Buddhism 0 0.00 1 0.01 0 0.00 Ahmadiyya 817 0.12 Others 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 22 0.06 23 0.00 Total population 8,849 100.00 17,728 100.00 26,761 100.00 36,420 100.00 658,208 100.00

Sargodha was announced as one of six cities in Punjab whose security would be improved by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority. 5.5 billion Rupees have been allocated for the project, which will be modeled along the lines of the Lahore Safe City project in which 8,000 CCTV cameras were installed throughout the city at a cost of 12 billion rupees to record and send images to Integrated Command and Control Centres.

According to the census of 1998, the literacy rate of Sargodha was 67.8%, while in 2017 the literacy rate was recorded as 80.5%. The city is considered the educational hub of Sargodha Division, handling a population of about 8.1 million. handles the whole Sargodha Division. It was established in 1968 under the West Pakistan Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (Multan and Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Sargodha) Ordinance No. VII of 1968, with the jurisdiction of Sargodha and Rawalpindi Civil Divisions.

Sargodha lies about from the M 2 Motorway, which connects Lahore and Islamabad. The N 60 National Highway runs from Sargodha to Lahore through Pindi Bhattian and Sheikhupura. It is also connected to Faisalabad by a highway.

General Bus Stand is located on Fatima Jinnah Road that provides bus service from Sargodha to almost every part of the country. Daewoo Bus Service drives regular routes from Sargodha to the rest of the country. Others include Niazi Express, Faisal Movers, Bilal Travels, Islamabad Express and Skyways etc.

The online cab services Uber and Careem are available in the city. Many auto rickshaws are also available throughout the city, which are often used by those who cannot afford the cab services.

Sargodha is also connected by the rest of the country through the rail. Sargodha Junction railway station is located on Shorkot Lala Musa branch railway line. Hazara Express, Millat Express, Sandal Express and Sargodha Express provide daily transport to Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Karachi and other major cities.

Pakistan's largest airbase, PAF Base Mushaf (formerly PAF Base Sargodha), is situated in Sargodha and hosts the headquarters of the Pakistan Air Force's Central Air Command. The airbase is also home to the Combat Commanders School (CCS), formerly the Fighter Leader's School.

The Kirana Hills are a small and extensive rocky mountain range located in Sargodha. They are a commonly visited tourist attraction in Sargodha City. Locally known as the Black Mountains due to their brownish landscape, their highest peak is about 980 feet (299 m).

Jinnah Hall is a historical landmark in Sargodha. Jinnah Hall was built in 1949. It was named for Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah Hall was originally built as a town hall and library in Company Bagh, Sargodha; now it is currently used as an exhibition hall, event space, and library.

Sargodha is home to the Sargodha Cricket Stadium. Sargodha's cricket team was a first class cricket team that represented Sargodha Division. They competed in Pakistan's first class tournaments in 1961–62 and 2002–03. There's a sports complex adjacent to the stadium that includes gym as well as basketball, badminton and table tennis courts. Moreover, karate classes also take place regularly at the complex. Mela Mandi Ground is a multi use historic stadium in Sargodha. It is mostly used for cricket and football. The Mela Mandi Ground was constructed to provide a vast ground for outdoor sports and activities. During March, every year (the country's spring season), several competitions are held here. Almost all Pakistani people watch these annual games. Sargodha is also home to Sargodha Astroturf Hockey Stadium, located near Mela Mandi Ground. It is home to the Sargodha District Hockey Team, and provides a reliable platform for the city's youth. Galaxy Sports Complex is a renowned Sports Academy of the city. A flood lit football ground is under construction in Company Bagh, Sargodha.

The cuisine of Sargodha is similar to that of other regions of South Asia, with some of it originating from the royal kitchens of 16th century Mughal emperors. Most of those dishes have their roots in British, Indian, Central Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Pakistani cooking uses large quantities of spices, herbs, and seasoning. Garlic, ginger, turmeric, red chili, and garam masala are used in most dishes, and home cooking regularly includes curry. Roti, a thin flatbread made from wheat, is a staple food, usually served with curry, meat, vegetables, and lentils. Rice is also common; it is served plain, fried with spices, and in sweet dishes. Lassi is a traditional drink in Punjab, including Sargodha. Black tea with milk and sugar is also popular throughout the city and is consumed daily by most of the population.

Fast food is also very popular across the city. Along with local fast food restaurants, there are also several international fast food outlets in the city, including KFC, McDonald's, Subway and Domino's. The world's biggest Gloria Jean's store is also located in Sargodha.

In 1966, the Government of Pakistan awarded a special flag, the Hilal e Istaqlal to Sargodha (also to Lahore and Sialkot) for showing severe resistance to the enemy during the Indo Pakistani War of 1965 as these cities were targets of the Indian advance. Every year on Defence Day (6 September), this flag is hoisted in these cities in recognition of the will, courage and perseverance of their people.