Written by: Sirat Gohar Daudpoto
Posted on: June 02, 2023 | 
| 中文
Phulgran village
Built as the new capital of Pakistan in the 1960s, Islamabad is a modern city that was planned by the Greek architect Constantinos A. Doxiadis as the Dynapolis, a dynamic city that can expand in any direction from its center. The name Islamabad is a combination of two words: “Islam”, the religion of the majority of Pakistani citizens, and “Abad” which means “the inhabited area”. Thus, Islamabad means “the city of Islam”. According to Muhammad Ismail Zabeeh, who writes in his books on Islamabad, this name for the new capital of the country was suggested by Abdur Rahman Amritsari, and for that, he was awarded 1000 rupees by Qandeel newspaper.
Façade of the haveli (locally called Dedhi Rajgan) in the Phulgran village
The area where Islamabad is located is watered by rivers and several streams, locally called kas, nalla and karang, flowing through the mountains of Murree and Margalla Hills, and a number of villages were formed along these rivers and watercourses. These villages surround the urban landscape of Islamabad, preserving the tangible and intangible rural heritage. Although they show some commonalities due to their close proximity and constant interaction of the people, each village is unique with its distinct inheritance. One can experience the rural life in Islamabad through the traditions, customs, structures and oral histories of these villages. It is intriguing that to date a traditional way of life exists in the vicinity of a highly developed city like Islamabad. The village of Phulgran is amongst those villages surrounding Islamabad, the cultural heritage of which is preserved in the form of monuments and the oral traditions of its inhabitants.
Korang River
Lying in the foothills of Margalla, Phulgran is the largest village situated on the Karang River, which flows to Rawal Lake. According to the late Raja Abdul Hameed Abbasi, an oral historian of the village who died recently, Phulgran is the last village of the Pothohar region [to the north-north-east], separating Pothohar and Murree. In other words, he said, when Murree starts, Pothohar ends.
Late Raja Abdul Hameed Abbasi, an oral historian of Phulgran Village
About the origin of the village, Raja Abdul Hameed Abbasi said that when their ancestors inhabited the area, the village was called “Thulgran”, which means “the village of boulders” because of its rocky terrain. The locals believe that a saint used the word Phul (flower) as a metaphor to call a newborn son of Islam Khan, who had six sons and was one of the early residents of the village, giving a new name to the village “Phulgran”, meaning “the village of flowers”. Thereafter Thulgran became Phulgran, as both of them are Pothohari language words: “Gran” means “the village” whereas “Thul” is used for “a boulder” and “Phul” means “a flower”.
Phulgran is one of the largest villages in Islamabad, and the most affluent one. It is surrounded by several small villages, locally called dhok, including Sakreela, Dawala, Chattor (Chanam), Dadiha (Satra Meel), Dhok Badhaam, Shahpur, Bobri Petha and Malach Syedan. According to the late Raja Abdul Hameed Abbasi, in the past, Phulgran was the main village and economic hub of the area, where people from far-flung areas came for commercial purposes, and, particularly, it was of immense importance in the everyday life of the residents of nearby villages who relied on its market. He also said that there were seven watermills in Phulgran, showing the industry of the village and its role in the economy of the area.
Sluice Gate (locally called Nava in the Pothohari language) of Phulgran Watermill
The watermills in Phulgran were built on the Karang River, and they are locally called Jandar in the Pothohari language. Among the seven mills of Phulgran, only one is functioning, whereas one is closed, a few are in ruins and the rest have disappeared. The only operating mill is located in the central village, and the one which has recently been closed is situated on the premises of Chattar Park, which is a popular tourist destination on the way to Murree. The operator of the Phulgran watermill, Muhammad Shakoor, informed that the mill is about two hundred years old and is owned by Raja Jibran, who is a member of a respected family of the village that owns a haveli. Shakoor said that not just from Phulgran, but the inhabitants of other villages also come here for getting their grains ground, because they believe that the flour from the watermill tastes better. It is a centuries-old industry that symbolizes the traditional ways of life of the local people.
Muhammad Shakoor, operator of Phulgran Watermill
Together with the structures of the watermills, Phulgran’s landscape is dotted with a number of monuments and past symbols which can be found in every nook and corner of the village, including a haveli, wells, worship places, graveyards, shrines and also ancient rock art and rock shelters. Not only these symbols of an old heritage remain, but the oral traditions of the inhabitants of the village and its neighboring areas are also the inseparable elements of the cultural landscape of Phulgran, showing the rich history and diverse cultural heritage of the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Wooden doors, window and roof of the haveli in Phulgran village
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