In This Post:
– Map of River Jhelum
– Barrages and Dams
– Canals of River Jhelum
– Facts about River Jhelum
– Tourist Attractions in Jhelum City
River Jhelum is one of the tributaries of the mighty River Indus. It starts from the mountains of the Pir Panjal Range, passing through the lush green plains and blooming meadows of the Kashmir Valley.
If you walk along the banks of River Jhelum, you will witness some of the best natural scenes and breathtaking views, with the gushing river flowing past. Just like River Chenab, River Jhelum is also a source of inspiration not only for poets and writers, but for gallant warriors of the soil. The river forcefully making its way through some of the most important cities of Punjab has instilled a love for the homeland in the hearts of warriors.
The city of Jhelum, which stands on the western bank of River Jhelum, is known for providing soldiers to the British Army before independence. After Pakistan was created, Jhelum continued producing noble patriots who fought valiantly for their homeland. That is why Jhelum is also referred to as the Land of Martyrs or a City of Soldiers. Let us take a look at some other lesser-known facts about River Jhelum that will surely astound you, but before that we should follow the trail and find out the course of River Jhelum.
Map of River Jhelum
River Jhelum takes its course from Verinag Spring situated at the foothills of the Pir Panjal in the southern part of the Kashmir Valley. The Jhelum River passes through Srinagar in Kashmir and the Wular Lake before entering Pakistan through a deep narrow ravine.
There the beautiful, mesmerising Neelum River, the largest tributary of River Jhelum, joins it, at Domel Muzaffarabad. Later, when River Jhelum passes through the Kaghan Valley, where it is met with the beautiful River Kunhar, which will leave you spell bound with its gushing fierce sounds and delicate change of hues. After taking River Neelum and Kunhar in its offing,
River Jhelum passes through Kohala Bridge in Kashmir, from where it is again joined by River Poonch, making its way to the world’s seventh largest earth filled water reservoir of Mangla Dam in the district of Mirpur. River Jhelum then enters Punjab in the Jhelum District and then continues its journey through the province of Punjab forming a boundary between Chaj and Sindh Sagar Doabs. It ends in a union with River Chenab at Trimmu in District Jhang. River Chenab then merges with River Sutlej to form the Panjnad River which cumulatively joins the Indus River at Mithankot.
Now, let us take a look at the various dams and barrages present on River Jhelum.
Dams and Barrages
According to the Indus Water Treaty signed between Pakistan and India in 1960, water control structures are being built on River Jhelum, details of which are as follows:
- Mangla Dam, built in 1967, is considered the 7th largest earth fill dam in the world, having a storage capacity of 5,900,000 acre feet
- Rasul Barrage was constructed in 1967. It is 3,000 feet long located between Jhelum and Mandi Bahauddin. It has a flow of 850,000 ft³/s (24,000 m³/s)
- Trimmu Barrage was built in 1939, some 90 km from Mari Shah Sakhira town. at the confluence with the Chenab, has maximum discharge capacity of 645,000 ft³/s (18,000 m³/s)
- Victoria Bridge also known as Haranpur Bridge was constructed in 1933. Its length is about 1 km long which is mainly used by Pakistan Railways
Canals
Here is a short description about the various canals emerging from Jhelum River
- The Upper Jhelum Canal runs from Mangla Dam to River Chenab
- The Rasul-Qadirabad Canal runs from Rasul Barrage to River Chenab
- The Chashma-Jhelum Canal runs 40 km from Mari Shah Sakhira Town. It flows from Chashma Barrage which is built on River Indus to River Jhelum downstream at Rasul Barrage. This is 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Mari Shah Sakhira town.
Quick Facts About River Jhelum
Here are some quick facts about River Jhelum that you should know about:
- Mangla Dam is the seventh-largest earth-filled water reservoir built on the Jhelum River. The water stored at the Mangla Dam is used to irrigate the western part of the province, Punjab
- It is a tributary of the River Indus and has a length of 725 kms
- It falls in River Chenab which then merges with River Indus
- It has many barrages and dams built on it
- The city of Jhelum is named after River Jhelum
Tourist Attractions in Jhelum City
There are quite many tourist attractions in Jhelum City. While we have covered a comprehensive blog on this topic, we will briefly share some of the best places to visit in Jhelum so that you don’t miss out on any of these when visiting the city.
- Rohtas Fort – An exceptional example of Muslim military architecture of Central and South Asia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Pakistan. Rohtas is considered the largest and one of the most visited fortresses in South Asia
- Khewra salt mine – One of the largest salt mines in the world, Khewra salt mine has numerous salt carvings of important landmarks such as replica of the Great Wall of China, Badshahi Mosque, Minar-e-Pakistan and a statue of Allama Iqbal, the national poet of Pakistan
- Mangla Dam – Your trip is incomplete without visiting Mangla Dam. The water reservoir is surrounded by natural beauty and scenic views. Tourists are spell bound by the serene blue waters of the Mangla Dam, while small settlements along the journey give an overall rich cultural feel. Once you reach the dam, which is 50 minutes away from the main city, you can go ride a boat or jet skiing.
- Tilla Jogian – An abandoned monastic complex, Tilla Jogian was considered one of the most important pilgrimage sites before the independence of Pakistan. After the fall of the Mughal Empire, the forces of Ahmed Shah Abdali plundered the site. It was later built in 1947, when the Hindu population migrated to India
So, this was our overview of one of the most beautiful rivers of Pakistan. If you are interested in tourism blogs, then do read our pieces on best tourist attractions in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab. We have also covered tourist places in major cities of Pakistan: Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad. Stay tuned to the best real estate blog in Pakistan for more latest updates and happenings in the Pakistani real estate market. Subscribe to our newsletter which you will find on the right hand side of this page. Don’t forget to write to us at blog@zameen.com and we will surely get back to you.
