Namal-Mianwali

Namal (نمل) is  located on eastern border of Mianwali district (Punjab) Pakistan. Traveling on Talagang-Mianwali Road some 32 km away from Mianwali after crossing  Salt Range Dhak Mountains you will find this beautiful eye catching site of Namal. Often People  ask question, Namal stands for what? Namal is often confused with  Arabic word "Namal" which means Aunt but for this beautiful valley name Namal, same is not true and instead it is derived from word Anmool.             

Namal Valley

Namal is a combination of  two  Punjabi word "Na" mean No  and "Mul" mean price. So Namal means "The most valuable land" or "The land for which no one can pay the price". In Urdu it means "Anmool"(انمول). This name was given by old residents of here. No doubt this area was Anmool as there were 120 wells of drinking water in the valley some hundered years ago. Our old town Namal was situated exactly on the same place where now Namal Lake  spreads now a days. It was 1913 when during British Rule the Nammal Dam was constructed so the people of Namal left this area and some of them started living on western side of Namal Lake and others on eastern and Sothern side. So new villages came into existence.  

Namal Dam

NAMAL dam is situated some 32 KM from Mianwali city. This dam is very old. It was constructed by British Government. When Mianwali became District then the district government buildings were constructed using water stored in Namal lake from this Namal Dam.

MIANWALI district, a neglected area of the Punjab, is rich in natural resources hidden in the Salt Range mountains which start from the south-east side of the district and enter the NWFP on the north-west.

The natural resources include uranium, iron ore, salt, silica sand, gypsum and limestone. And this hidden treasure is waiting to be explored on a high scale with modern skill to earn a handsome foreign exchange. Besides, several beautiful places in the district are a great attraction for the tourists, which can be developed with the assistance of the tourism department.

In 1913, British engineers, to meet the scarcity of irrigation and drinking water, built a dam on this lake and from here they irrigated lands up to Mianwali city. But with the passage of time and construction of Thal Canal and installation of tubewells, its utility of water squeezed up to some limit. The gates of the dam are repaired by the irrigation department regularly but without enthusiasm. The hill torrents and rains fill the Namal Lake round the year. Due to a drought-like situation in the country, this lake dried up last year, which is the first incident of its kind during the last 100 years, said one of the senior inhabitants of this area.

Namal Lake

To view the historical lake, you had a drive of 32km from Mianwali on Rawalpindi-Mianwali Road. After passing through the Salt Range mountains, you can see a beautiful lake known as Namal Lake spread over 5.5 sq km, in Namal Valley. This is the central place of Namal Valley and our old town named Namal is on its eastern side which still has a century-old rest house standing on the banks of Namal Lake. Once a picnic spot for the British officers, it is now altogether neglected by the department concerned.

An engineer told this correspondent that the name of Namal Dam still exists on the list of dams in the world. Namal Lake is an ideal abode for the migratory birds in winter season when thousands of water fowls, including Russian ducks and Siberian cranes, land in the lake water. Due to the apathy of the wildlife department, these guest birds are ruthlessly killed by poachers. To save these birds, the wildlife department must declare this lake a sanctuary.

Historical Importance

Namal Valley consists of big villages like Namal, Rikhi, Kalri, Dhurnaka, Dhiba Karsial,Tahamiwali,Bun Hafiz Jee,Chagda,Dhoke Mustal and Wandhi. It is spread over 650 sq km, according to the revenue department. This is one of the oldest civilizations of the district, having centuries-old vaults on hills and the oldest path used by Mughal convoys known as Luni Road, inviting archaeologists for research. Despite such importance, this area is still neglected on one pretext or the other. There is a very historical Dak Bungalow Rest House in Namal which was constructed in 1908 during British Rule by Sardar Lehna Singh.

The valley has very fertile land, but irrigation by tubewells is very costly, due to 500 to 800 feet depth of underground water, and the cost of electricity is unbearable. Earlier the inhabitants of the area enjoyed flat rate by Wapda, but it has been withdrawn. Now again the people have urged the government to restore the flat rate for this area, which can play a vital role in bringing about a green revolution in this valley.

Last but not least, Namal Valley being one of the oldest civilizations and also the birth place of many military men needs greater attention of the government to turn it into a tourism heaven and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants.

Sulphur Water Spring

There is beautiful sulphur water fountain near the Namal dam site. People use this water for treatment of different diseases. This sulphur water fountain is very old but even then the flow rate of water is same .If government take care and give attention to this fountain then this can be a great source of sulphur. By drying the water you can get a good quality sulphur from here. 

Shrine Baba Hafiz G

There are two well-known shrines of Hafiz Muhammad Azeem alias Hafiz Jee(famous as Baba Hafiz Jee) and Peer Khaki Shah which attract thousands of spiritual followers from far and near annually. In the picture you can see the shrine of well known Baba Hafiz Jee Sahib.

Baba Hafiz Jee was a very a great peer of his age. During his time he made a place for storage of  rain water in the area. In local language people call this type of small storage of  rain water as Ban(بن).  After which now that area is called Ban Hafiz Jee. That Ban still exists but not in good condition. Ban Hafiz Jee is still a village in namal valley.

اے  وادیٔ نمل! تِرے دلکش ہیں نظارے

قدرت نے تِرے خوب خدوخال سنوارے

آباد   ہے   تو  دامنِ  کوہِ   نمک    میں

ان گنت نظارے ہیں تِری ایک جھلک میں

اِک سمت سکیسر ہے تِری شان بڑھائے

اِک سمت تری جھیل ،تِری آن بڑھائے

تِری صبح جواں ہے تو تِری شام حسیں ہے

روشن ترا دن ہے تو تِری رات رنگیں ہے

دربار حافظ جی کا ہے پہلو میں  تمھارے

دربار خاکی شاہ  ہے  دامن میں  تمھارے

عمران! دعا ہے مری اس پاک خدا سے

آباد رہے جگ میں تو سب کی دعا سے

Namal is a beautiful picnic point. Namal Lake, Namal Dam, Sulphur water Spring, Namal Gorge, Namal Rest House, Namal University Namal Knowledge City, Ziarat Baba Hafiz Jee, Namal Dak Bungalow, Gumtan Domes,  Ziarat Baba Khaki Shah and Remains of the Raja Sirkapp Fort are the places of great Importance.