Okara

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Location of Okara
Location of Okara

Okara (Hindi: ओकरा, Punjabi, Urdu: اوکاڑہ) is a city and district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Okara is now also famous for a large cantonment of Pakistan's armed forces.

Location

It is located south-west to the city of Lahore. The nearest major city from Okara is Sahiwal (formerly known as Montgomery).

Origin

The name Okara is derived from Oka tree.

Jat Gootras Namesake

Tahsils in the District

The Main Towns of the district are: Depalpur, Okara, Renala Khurd

And some minor towns of the district are: Akhtarabad, Bama Bala, Bama Kohla, Basir Pur, Chuchaq, Gogera, Haveli Lakha, Karmanwala, Hujra Shah Muqeem, Jaboka, Mouza Meerak, Jandraka, Lasharian, Mandi Ahmedabad, Bheela Gulab Singh, Satghara, Shergarh, Rajowal, Moza nowl plot,

Jat Gotras

Click to see Jat Gotras in Okara

Main Tribes

  • Sayyid - There are many Syed clans settled in the district, who have been in the area for a long time, and have a great impact & history in the district. The main Syed families are the Kirmanis of Shergarh, the Gilanis of Hujra Shah Muqeem, Satghara, Shaikhu and Depalpur, & the Mashdis of Mustafabad. All these towns are in Depalpur Tehsil except Satghara Sharif and Shaikhu Sharif, these are in Okara Tehsil. Their ancestors were Sufis, all of whom migrated from Iran,and converted many tribes of the area to Islam. They are revered as saints by the people of the region, and thousands attend the respective shrines daily. The ancestor of the Saadat of Shergarh, Hazrat Daud Bandagi,a renowned follower of the Qadiri Order is revered by millions all around Punjab, and his urs is attended by many in March.
  • Sial - The Sial tribe is Also Present in the Area of tehsil Okara. Renala Khurd and Depalpur but in lesser amount.
  • Baloch - The Baloch have a long history in the area. Their 15th century folk hero, Mir Chakar Rind, migrated from Sibi, with a large army to this area and made Satghara his capital. Many Baloch can still be found in the District, especially near the Ravi River . They are mainly of Lashari and Rind stock.
  • Jakhar - The Jakhar are settled in the district .They are a sub-clan of the Kharals. They reside in 8 villages and in Okara, On the Okara-Faisalabad Rd.,the Jakhar Chowk is famous.
  • Rao - The Raos of Okara can be found all along the western half of Okara District, in the Renala Khurd Tehsil & Okara Tehsil. They belong to various Jat/Rajput sub-clans, but all share this title. They migrated 2–3 generations ago, from Punjab & Rajasthan. Upon the development of the irrigation system, their ancestors were alloted plots of land along the LBDC (Lower Bari Doab Canal), which runs through Renala Khurd and Okara towns, this was a reward from the British, for fighting alongside them, & were awarded the title of Martial Race.
  • Arain - The Arain are primarily an agricultural caste of Okara district. Mainly settled in Renala Khurd Tehsil. They are hardworking, honest, and dedicated people. Most of the Arain in this area migrated from East Punjab, from districts like Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur etc.They were also rewarded plots of land by the British, upon the development of irrigation in the area.

History

Notable persons

References



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