Fun Facts About KPK

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, also known as KPK (formerly known as North-West Frontier Province), is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the northwestern region of the country. The capital and largest city in KPK is Peshawar, followed by Mardan. KPK shares an international border with Afghanistan, and is connected via the Khyber Pass.

Some interesting facts about KPK

The second highest mountain peak in the world, K2, is located in these Northern Area.

The Karakoram Highway is the bridge between China and Pakistan, and has been constructed at a height of 15,397 ft. making it the highest paved international road in the world.

The highest polo ground in the World is located in Gilgit, Baltistan on the Shandur Top commonly referred to as the roof of the world.

The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa converse in a variety of languages such as Khowar, Hindko, Kohistani, Shina, Torwali, Kashmiri, Kalasha, Farsi and Kaghani.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is spread over 74,521 sq. km, and has a population of over 22 million!

The province is divided into three parts, one is composed of settled areas, the second is called FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), the third is PATA (Provincially Administered Tribal Areas).

The province originally known as the North-West Frontier Province but was renamedKhyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2010.

The literacy rate of this region was recorded in 2012 to be 60.9%

Due to the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviets, Peshawar provided 3 million Afghan refugees with shelter.

The Perfect Selfie

To take your selfie game to the next level, here are a few of our favorite tips on how to make your selfie an unforgettable one!

Choosing an App

App developers have caught onto the selfie trend, and have created many great apps that render the selfie process more enjoyable. From the Apple Store to Google Play, you will be able to find a variety of applications that will help you perfect your selfie. The mos tpopular apps of 2015 are Snapchat, Retrica, YouCam, Frontback, Groopic and many more!

The Breathtaking Background

The key to taking a phenomenal selfie is to have an unparalleled backdrop. Be it the snow kissed mountains of Nathia Gali, the majestic waters of the Kaghan Valley or the scenic greenery ofAzad Kashmir, your selfie will be like no other!

Capturing the Selfie!

One selfie is usually never enough, and when you start it’s difficult to stop. To help make the process easier, invest in a selfie stick! This invention is a lifesaver and a game changer. Whether you’re alone or in a group, you’ll be able to capture it all!

A Journey to Bhit

Recently I had to attend a wedding near Hyderabad, and since there was a gap between the different events; I decided to take that opportunity to explore some nearby areas. A recent addition to my bucket list is to explore Sindh and learn about their specialties.

The first place I went to was Bhit Shah, also called “Bhit”, a small town located inMatiari district of Sindh, 34.7 miles away from Hyderabad. The place is very popular and is named after the famous Sindhi poet and Sufi, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. It hardly took us an hour to reach there. The  town’s entrance is made of up two huge blue arches, and as soon as you go past that, in five minutes you are near the resting place of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai who is considered to be the best poet of the Sindhi language.

Outside the main shrine area are multitudes of shops selling a variety of things. We got a chadar or paarh, as called in Sindhi (sheet of cloth placed on the grave by the local people) and some niaz (sweet and savory food items to be distributed among the people inside). The niaz available ranged from dry fruits like cashews, almonds, raisins etc. to popcorn, sugar balls (khaand bhoogran, in sindhi) and dates.

The shops there not only sell food items, but also Sindhi traditional attire, jewelry, caps, local hand painted pottery, limestone toys, hand held fans and dhaabkis (flat plate-like pieces of dinnerware used for keeping bread). People usually buy souvenirs for their family and friends when they visit. Two things caught my eye in the colorful marketplace, a beautiful hand held fan and a very bright bread holder.

Finally we reached the gate where shoes were collected for safe keeping at a charge of 50 Pakistani rupees. Shoes off, we entered the shrine. Before we could got inside it, we had to buy some flowers as well for keeping at the burial site. Moving ahead we walked on the cool white marble to keep our feet from burning.

The mausoleum of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai is a magnificent structure with a single white central dome surrounded by many small minarets with intricate patterns in blue, white, green and yellow. Even in the scorching heat we had to stop and admire its beauty.

Inside the main burial room we paid our respects and distributed the niaz among people. As we were exiting the burial site, we could hear the local singers with their musical instruments singing folk pieces of music. Their voices and tunes were mesmerizing. We found a place near them in the shade, and sat down for half an hour and listened to their songs. This whole experience was immensely enjoyable. In all my previous visits to the place I had never heard the locals singing in their soothing voices.

With that, we started driving back to the city as we had another appointment there. The trip although short, was a very pleasurable experience for me.

The Making Of An Ajrak

Sindh and the Sindhi culture are known for the ajrak. This is a not just a simple garment or a shawl draped around one’s shoulders, it is a mark of respect. It is worn by people in villages of Sindh in their daily lives, on important social occasions like weddings etc.; and it doesn’t end there, the ajrak is also presented to people as a sign of honor and hospitality.

It is a block printed fabric available in a variety of colors including red, blue, black and green. The dyes used in its production are natural. Since textiles in general, and the ajrak specifically fascinate me, I decided to pay a visit to a place where ajraks are made.

I didn’t have to look far for it, I found a place in Bhit Shah in the district of Matiari, 130 miles away from the city of Karachi. The owner was very courteous and hospitable and offered us not only water but food as well. Despite being busy, he was kind enough to walk us through the ongoing process of ajrak printing in his workshop. The whole process of making a complete batch of ajraks takes around 40-41 days.

First of all, wooden blocks which have the specific pattern etched on them are dipped in dye and, a design is created on a plain white fabric which could range from cotton to lawn or even silk. The block print can be in 2 or 3 different colors.

Once the design is completed, blocks are dipped in a straw colored fluid and those designs are made wet. After that, chaff or bhoosa as it is locally called, is dusted over it. It is left to dry so that it sticks to the design to be preserved.

Lastly, the ajrak is dyed into its base color. The chaff protects the block printed part. For dyeing purposes, there was a mud oven with a metal basin on the top. This step wasn’t taking place in the shop at the time I was visiting.

My visit ended with buying a few ajraks, which came as no surprise.

Here is a pictorial journey of making of an Ajrak:

       

Destination of the week – Jhelum – The city of soldiers

Jhelum is located in the Jhelum district of Punjab province, on the right of River Jhelum. The city is famous for providing a large number of soldiers to Pakistan armed forces, and is therefore known as City of Soldiers or Land of Martyrs and Warriors. It is an ancient metropolis of rulers, well-known for its archeological digs and the tranquil river that originates in the Himalayas. Jhelum has subtropical climate –scorching heat in the summers and cold and dry in the winter season.

During the last few years, the city has experienced a huge growth, and has expanded and developed due to several emerging industries (tobacco, wood, marble, glass, flour mills) which have set up factories and their base in Jhelum. Due to its significance, Jhelum is connected to several cities through National Highway, including Islamabad that is just 1-hour and 30 minutes’ drive.

Jovago’s top 3

1. Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Masjid Jhelum

CMH Masjidis a beautiful mosque situated in Jhelum Cantt. The white marbled, beautiful mosque is designed in a manner that captures the legacy of Islamic art. Its foundation was laid by General Muhammad Ayub Khan on March 21, 1950 and opening ceremony was headed by Governor of Punjab Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar. The mosque is enormous has the capacity to accommodate more than 25,000 people at a time.

2. Rohtas Fort

Rohtas Fort is a historical brigade Fort, located near the city of Jhelum. It was built in the 16^th century by Raja Todar Mal, to defeat the rebellious tribes of northern Punjab. The fort is a gigantic structure comprised of huge sand stone brick walls, terraces, staircases and 12 gates – built in ashlar stone. It is a glorious landmark that is definitely worth a visit.

3. Major Akram Shaheed Memorial Park

Major Akram Shaheed Memorial Park is a memorial botanical garden for Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed, located in the center of Jhelum city. The Park has dazzling floral arrangements and lush green forestry. Major Muhammad Akram Memorial Library is also a part of this park, and consists of a wide collection of literature.

Tips

RestaurantsA number of local and branded eateries can be found in Jhelum for your flavor. Restaurants serve traditional and continental food that, made by experienced chefs.

ShoppingJhelum has an endearing shopping experience. The city consists of plenty of shopping arenas such asMain Bazaar, Naya Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, Kinari Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar,Chowk-Ehl-e-Hadith and Soldier Arcade. Some of the main shopping malls located in Jhelum are Shabir Plaza, Saleem Center and Ladies’s Mart.

HotelsJovago Pakistan has many hotels and guest houses in Jhelum with different price ranges such as Zeelaf Hotel. Book now on the No.1 online hotel booking site of Pakistan and get the best prices.

Delicacies of Sindh

1. Seviyan (Vermicelli)

Seviyan is a sweet dessert similar to a rice pudding, and is usually milk based. It is served on special occasions such as Eid-ul-Fitr.

2. Taryal Patata

Taryal Patata is a thinly sliced potato, which is pan-fried and flavored with local spices. The dish is commonly enjoyed with white rice and daal (lentils).

3. Pallo Machi

Pallo Machi is prepared from Hilsha fish, and is a popular Sindhi dish. It is seasoned with spices and is either barbecued or deep-fried.

4. Mitho Lolo

Mitho Lolo is a sweet flatbread made from wheat flour, sugar and jaggery. It is also served with chilled buttermilk.

5. Sindhi Biryani

Sindhi Biryani is a combination of succulent meat and rice. The dish is infused with spices and additional potatoes.

6. Thadal

Thadal is a refreshing drink, made from almonds and milk.

Jovago Launches Mobile App

Pakistan’s N°1 Hotel Booking website, Jovago.com has released its first mobile application in order to facilitate the hotel booking process for its customers and push the ‘mobile first’ initiative of the Africa Internet Group.

KARACHI, Pakistan, September, 2 – 2015 — Pakistan’s leading hotel-booking website Jovago announced a new mobile application that allows customers access their vast inventory of 25,000 hotels around the world. The self-developed Jovago.com Hotels Booking, is a free mobile application for the customer-base, and is immediately available on the Google Play Store to the entire community of Android users. The app demonstrates the company’s commitment to focusing on mobile solutions and developing trendy mobile applications that help improve customer experience when searching for hotels to book.

“The launch of App is a great milestone for us in order to offer great flexibility for the customer-centric mobile experience.We have noticed the immense growth of mobile devices and 3G in Pakistan and have used gathered knowledge to develop the most convenient hotel booking app. With the Jovago.com Hotels Booking, customers can readily access our growing inventory of hotels on the go with little to no hassles as our customer service team caters to their needs” said Paul Midy, CEO of Jovago.

The App allows customers to find the best rates among 2,000 hotels in Pakistan and 200,000 hotels worldwide. Pages for the hotels have the pictures, description, locations, amenities and reviews. This allows travellers to search hotel around them on the map. In addition, they can find exclusive deals and offers from a large variety of hotels and have the best price guarantee. Users can access their current and former booking even when they are offline.

Jovago.com is an online hotel booking service with offices spread across Africa, Asia and Europe. Jovago.com Hotels Booking is another example of how much importance is placed on improving the user experience. The application is available for Android devices on the Google Play Store now. Versions would be shortly launched for the other mobile platforms and devices.

To learn more about Jovago.com Hotels Booking, visit here.

About AIG
Africa Internet Group introduces and accelerates the online shift in Africa – for its people and its culture. It is committed to running successful and vibrant internet companies which boost the evolution of African online culture. AIG is the parent group of nine successful and fast-growing companies in more than 26 African countries, accounting for over 3,500 staff. AIG cares about entrepreneurship and brings together all the key elements required to build great companies: team, concept, technology and capital. Its network of companies includes JUMIA, Kaymu, Hellofood, Lamudi, Carmudi, Zando, Jovago, Lendico and Easy Taxi.

About Jovago
Jovago.com is an online hotel booking service with offices in Lagos (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya), Dakar (Senegal) founded by Africa Internet Group and has MTN and Millicom as investors. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 booking portal, facilitates the booking process for its users to provide them with the best hotel booking experience with fast, transparent and easy-to-use services. Jovago.com has over 25,000 local hotel listings across Africa and over 200,000 hotels around the world.