Last month, I visited (Mirpur, Azad Kashmir) and went to see historical Mangla Fort, which is declared to be closed for public on the ground of "sensitive area", further due to "Mangla Uprising Plan", a part of Mangla Fort will be damaged or vanished, which can be saved and preserved otherwise, by adopting modifications and other measures it will not block the uprising plan.
My appeal is to open the historical heritage of Mangla Fort for common public, rather it will be converted into a "picnic spot".
Further, the part of Mangla Fort be saved which will be dismantled and scraped in the name of "Mangla Uprising Project."
Mangla, a place on the name of Mangal Devi, an old Devmalya's character, the daughter of King Porus, who after the defeat of his father Porus and death of his brother from the Alexander's Greek forces left her family in grief and sorrow and used to live at the place now called Mangla, as Mangal Devi used to give her "Durshan" on Tuesday (Mangel) situated on the bank sides of Jhelum River, famous for it's old historical fort, 100 square miles men made lake, dam, head works, hydroelectrically power station and army garrison as well as fresh fish from fresh water of Mangla Lake and Jhelum River (especially Mahasher), Mangla is known as "Gate-Way to Kashmir", the place where the natural boundaries of Jhelum river divides Punjab and Kashmir (the paradise on earth).
Mangla itself also known as "Paradise of Anglers". "Alexander, the Macedonian" crossed the River Jhelum (old name Hydaspes) in A.D from the place Mangla and he fought with the forces of King Porus at the place Khari.
A historical place from where "Alexander, the Macedonian" crossed the Jhelum River, and 10 miles away at the place "Khari" the forces of Alexander, the Macedonian and Raja Porus had finally fought, in which the Alexander's forces succeeded from "Khari". "Khari" is situated at left bank upper Jhelum canal also known due to shrines of Hazrat Baba Per-e-Shah Ghazi also known as "Dameirian Wali Sarkar" and Hazrat Mian Mohammad Sahib, the author of folk "Saif-ul-Maluuk".
Maharaja Gulab Singh, the first Dogra Ruler of Jummu and Kashmir State started his career in Sikh Army as Soldier at Mangla Fort against the salary of Nanakshahi Rupees Two only. The Jhelum city is situated 25 K.M. from Mangla situated at bank side of the Jhelum River.
The Mangla fort was built on the hilly side of the Jehlum River, as the water of river comes from the Himalaya "Vari Nag" fountain and the Wular Lake from the mountains of Kashmir. According to Indus pact, a dam was constructed at Mangla.
The Mangla Powerhouse generates 1.2 million K.V electricity which meets 35 percent demand of the national consumption. The Rohtas Fort is 15 km from Mangla and five kilometers from G.T Road.
The Rohtas Fort was built by Sher Shah Suri in the 16th century and was used as a garrison and Sher Shah Suri had appointed his close companion General Khawas Khan to eliminate the Ghakhar tribe.
The headquarters of the Ghakhars was the Sultanpur Fort situated eight kilometers from the Mangla Fort. Sher Shah Suri's companion, general Khawas Khan, died at Rohtas and his tomb is adjacent to the main gate of the Rohtas Fort known as "Khawas Khani Gate".
JEHLUM IS DRIVED FROM TWO SINSIKERIT WORDS: "Jul" and "Hum". The former meaning "water" and the latter "Cool" which makes "cold water".
Another version is that Jhelum was the name of a horse owned by the most celebrated of all classical warrior king, "Alexander of Macedonia". Jhelum was either killed in battle or died of natural death on the site where the city of Jhelum now situated, "Alexander", immortalised the steed by giving it's name to the city where it died.
Lastly, Alexander did not ever own a horse called Jhelum and it boggles the mind how the fiction was ever invented. Alexander's favourite charger was the dark stallion that he called Bucephalus.
The only clue to the trivial significance of Jhelum in the 13th century is the one-line notice in the Tabakat-i-Nasiri of Ulugh Khan's sacking of it. Indeed, at the time of annexation in 1849 by the British, the town contained only 500 houses.
That is, its population was not much above 3,000 souls. A far cry from a rich and prosperous town. Maps from as later as the 17th century fail to show a town on the ferry at the geographical co-ordinates where Jehlum now situated. But the truth is that meaning or origin of the name is not known at this point in time. All the fables concerning the horse, its hoof mark or refreshingly cool water are just that : fables.
After the set claimed victory "Alexander the Macedonian" held athletic and gymnastic games at the site of his crossings of Hydaspes (the old name of Jhelum River) and planned two new foundations, one at the site of victory, duly named Nicaea, and the other at the base camp named Bucephala in honour of his great horse which was killed during the battle.
It is the need of hour that "Mangla Fort" be declared as "International Historical Heritage" and an independent "Mangla Fort Improvement Authority" be established to rebuild and/or to promote the "Mangla Fort" as an "International Tourists Spot", as well as "Historical Heritage".
The Mangla Fort be open for general public and any restrictions of entry on the absurd term of "sensitive place" and/or "strategic point" be removed. Special/Tourist Coaches Service from Lahore and Rawalpindi Railway's Station as well as Lahore and Islamabad Airports be organised.
Further a well managed guest house, restaurant, hotel souvenir shop and cinema be built at Mangla Fort as well as a momentum on the style of "The Lion's Mound (Butte Du Lion)" at Waterloo be built at "Khari" on the same place, where the troops of "Alexander, the Macedonian" and King Porus had fought, although there was a defeat faced by the Raja Porus but the history will remember him as "defender of the land" and/or "son of the soil" because after the instant battle the Alexander's forces withdrew their advancements/aggressive positions and instead of going ahead they reiterate to their home land, "Greece".
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