The Pothohar Plateau

[Kabira]

You've obviously never been to India then. We've got a wide spectrum of races, ethnicities, languages etc.

I know enough about Indian ethnic groups, if one can't find nord-indid in Indian punjabis then what hope is left for rest of India? Remember when i say Indian punjabis i am ignoring punjabis who migrared there from Pakistan who may still have some nord-indids from time to time.

 

[Marwari]

I know enough about Indian ethnic groups, if one can't find nord-indid in Indian punjabis then what hope is left for rest of India? Remember when i say Indian punjabis i am ignoring punjabis who migrared there from Pakistan who may still have some nord-indids from time to time.

You can find Nord-Indids among Punjabis, Himachalis, Haryanvis, Rajasthanis, UP, Gujaratis as well as Indo-Brachids including everything in between

 

[Kabira]

You can find Nord-Indids among Punjabis, Himachalis, Haryanvis, Rajasthanis, UP, Gujaratis as well as Indo-Brachids including everything in between

Seem like we do not agree on this nord-indid thing. True nord-indids do not exist in India because they look too much Indian everywhere. We need new classification word for Pakistanis.

 

[Marwari]

Seem like we do not agree on this nord-indid thing. True nord-indids do not exist in India because they look too much Indian everywhere. We need new classification word for Pakistanis.

It'd be stupid to say that most pakistanis are Nord-Indid as well. I would think only Pashtuns would be the closest thing to "true Nord-Indids". And you're wrong. There are no "true Nord-Indids"

There are mixtures of mostly Indo-Brachids, Iranids as well as Dravidians. Mountain-Indids are also a branch related to Nord-Indids, which are found throughout scattered areas of Central Asia, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal and areas of Afghanistan and northern pakistan

 

[Kabira]

It'd be stupid to say that most pakistanis are Nord-Indid as well. I would think only Pashtuns would be the closest thing to "true Nord-Indids". And you're wrong. There are no "true Nord-Indids"

There are mixtures of mostly Indo-Brachids, Iranids as well as Dravidians. Mountain-Indids are also a branch related to Nord-Indids.

Pashtuns are Irano-Afghans (actually we need new word here also because pashtuns don't look like Iranis but more closer to non-mongloid Tajiks). True nord-indid only exist in west punjab, i didnt say all of them are nord-indids. We need new classifications for Pakistani punjabi types if all these people you mentioned can also have nord-indid. Its clear nord-indids from different areas look different, thats why we need to invent new word.

 

[cloud_9]

Genetics in a Tourism thread,only on pdf.

 

[Kabira]

You've obviously never been to India then. We've got a wide spectrum of races, ethnicities, languages etc.

Btw i was trolling. There is not that much of difference between both set of punjabis, the reason? Both punjabs saw migrations in each other of different tribes, people. So usual punjabi tribes like khatris, jatts, rajputs, gujjars are similar. The big difference start when we talk about Indians who are not punjabis or now have mixed with other Indians in cities like Delhi, Mumbai etc

Also since west punjab is bigger, more people and different tribes. Plus closer to western part of asia, so there will be few differences.

Edit: Also you guys have abused this nord-indid word to much, proper nord-indid only exist in Pakistan punjab or some portion in Indian punjabis. And not in majority of populatio either.

Nord-indid one condition is proper fair skin which is not met by 99.99% Indians. Then we move on to other parts of nord-indid requirements.

 

[Proudpakistaniguy]

The havelis of Potohar: Pakistan's opportunity to promote heritage tourism

In the year 2000, I was invited by a fellow anthropologist to see the Katas Raj. The visit left me so mesmerised that I decided to explore the entire Potohar region. So over the past decade-and-a-half, I have kept travelling back to the region, documenting historic buildings and indigenous tribes, and returning from every visit even more amazed at the specimens of the architectural beauty in this region.

Every time I had a break from studies or official work, I rushed to Gujar Khan, Kallar Syedan, Sagri, Daultala, Sukho, Dora Badhal, Beval, Doberan Kallan, Hazro, Kot Fateh Khan, Qutbal, Harnal or Haryal to visit the wondrous temples, gurdwaras and havelis.

Haveli of Bakhshi Ram Singh at Kontrilla.

Havelis in Narali village.

A View of Atam Singh haveli at Daultala.
The distinctive features of Potohar's havelis have always attracted me.

These havelis belonged to Muslim, Hindu and Sikh notables. The word 'haveli' is of Persian origin, meaning a great mansion associated with wealth, status and size. In architectural terms, the haveli was merely a very grand version of the modern urban house.

A small list of the havelis in the small and big towns of Potohar include the Khem Singh Bedi haveli in Kallar Syedan, Atam Singh Gujral and Jeevan Singh havelis in Daultana town, Sikh and Hindu havelis in Narali, a haveli of Bakhshi Ram in Kontrilla, a haveli of Ratan Singh in Sagri, and several others in Gulyana and Dora Badhal villages.

Inscription in haveli of Bakhshi Ram Singh, Kontrilla.

Front facade of Jeevan Singh haveli in Daultala.

Children looking out from a window in Jeevan Singh haveli.

Haveli of Bakhshi Ram singh at Kontrilla.
Some of the common elements which stood out in all havelis were the 'jharokas', carved wooden doors and wall paintings, reflecting the taste and aesthetics of the builder. One such ornately carved door can be seen in the haveli of Dr Zaman in Basali village, Rawalpindi district.

An old man of Kontrilla who narrated the story of the Bakhshi Ram Singh family.
The jharoka held an important place with both the artist and the owner. These small, enclosed balconies were generally built on the upper floors, and used by both males and females.

Locals, including the present occupant of the havelis told me that the central jharoka was always occupied by male members of the family, while the flanking jharoka was used by the women. Chaudhry Sajjad Hussian, an oral historian in Gujar Khan, explained that the number of windows and jharokas indicated the affluence of the owner.

A window in Atam Singh Gujral haveli in Daultala.

Jharoka in Jeevan Singh haveli in Daultala.

Jharoka in the haveli of Bakhshi Ram Singh.
Then, there are the towers; splendid towers surmounting the top of the havelis. The most beautiful ones I have seen are found in the havelis of Bakhshi Ram at Kontrilla and in a haveli in Wah town. They were designed to offer a panoramic view of the town or village.

Also read: Footprints: Soojhan Singh Haveli in ruins

Passing through the narrow alleys of Kallar Syedan, one gets to the imposing Khem Singh Bedi haveli, which was turned into a school after Partition. I appreciate that the school staff or students have taken care not to defaced any of the figures decorating the haveli's interior. Most of the haveli's rooms are adorned with paintings depicting the Sikh Gurus, saints, Baba Sri Chand (the eldest son of Guru Nanak and founder of Udasi Panth) and Hindu deities.

View of Khem Singh Bedi Haveli at Kallar Syedan.

A painting inside the Khem Singh Bedi Haveli.

Another painting.

A depiction of the Golden Temple of Amritsar in Khem Singh Bedi Haveli.

Depiction of a Sikh woman.

A Sikh woman looks herself up in the mirror.

Another painting of a Sikh woman.
I often wonder why the government of Punjab is not making serious efforts to promote tourism in the Potohar region; the only known tourist destination in Potohar is Katas Raj.

Like in Rajasthan, where the havelis have been turned into hotels to promote heritage tourism, the Punjab government too should follow the same model and declare all the havelis here as heritage sites. Not only will that promote heritage tourism, it will also create more job opportunities for the wonderful locals of Potohar.

 

[starbucks]

Wow, very interesting thread overall and last post by proud. My father went to high school at Khem Singh Bedi's Haveli in Kallar Syedan.

I am very interested in knowing how the Potohar was populated. There are a lot of different landowning tribes/clans in the area, and the history of how each came into possession of their land is wrapped in mystery to me. Is there anyone out there that is knowledagable about this?

 

[Flash_Ninja]

Wow, very interesting thread overall and last post by proud. My father went to high school at Khem Singh Bedi's Haveli in Kallar Syedan.

I am very interested in knowing how the Potohar was populated. There are a lot of different landowning tribes/clans in the area, and the history of how each came into possession of their land is wrapped in mystery to me. Is there anyone out there that is knowledagable about this?

Our clan (wont say which) has origins from Kashmir and my mothers side claims Rajput ancestry. There are many clans with roots out of Potohar (KPK, Kashmir, Punjab) but also many of those typical ones like Kiyanis, Gujjars, Janjuas, etc.

It is a melting pot so if anyone has figured out who owns what then I'd also like to know.