Thanil Kamal

Pakistan / Punjab / Chakwal /

A village on the verge of becoming a town owing its sprawling population. Presently almost 3400 adult inhabitants are registered as voters. Overall figure may exceed 6K figure. But dilemma is that majority of the locals have moved to cities like Chakwal and Rawalpindi/Islamabad and abroad e.g. UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK, US as migration does afford better income opportunities and resulting in bonanza which is manifested in abundance of luxurious and lavish homes back home over the past two decades. But people living in cities have strong ties with their native land and they prefer to arrange their matrimonials and burrials in the village.
Locals who haven,t yet moved have all the time in the world to gossip, involve in petty religious controversies like execessive use of loudspeakers by the village clerics at odd hours, and when elections draw in confronting elders make tall claims in support of their allies at local hotels and tension mounts to its climax on election day's evening when result is announced and neck and neck competition ends in close finish. Another pastime is gathering of locals at postdeath congregations locally known as Phori for a number of days in the deceased's home, where people discuss at length about local sport bulls race "KARAH" and at the same taking puffs of huqqa, a desi version of pipe or shisha.
Overall people of Thanil Kamal have good literacy rate, they are well-off, they are born leaders. Important places are adda (bus stop),children park, Chowk, Moolo da khooh a premier well named after a Sikh lady for the benefit of general public, Mandi, Baba Kaff Shaheed's Mazar, Baba RahmatUllah's Mazar adjacent to Adda where neighbouring people in the past would gather, dine at 'Lunger' a festive food which was prepared on site, indulge in Dhamal ( a party dance on the tune and rhythm of 'Dhol' a drum ) with a belief that it was a way of supplication to Almighty Allah for most sought out rains in this arid area and at times when there were no visible end to torrential rains the same exercise was followed to get rid of them, Jamia Masjid recently rebuilt onthe style of Faisal Mosque, High school for boys established in 1983 with its grand hall built by a UK based philanthropist Prof. Yaqoob Khan and Cricket Stadium with its anual cricket gala in memory of Wasif Macon a national journalist. We are now deprived of a great gossipers place right in the heart of Thanil Kamal '' Chacha Jumma Hotel '', a premises where people of all ages would enter into open discussions about current political matters of village and national / international affairs on a cup of tea plus boiled eggs as there was info facilities like on-line news from BBC Radio at 8'O Clock in the evening a most credible source, and a national daily. The role of that place in Thanil Kamal was similar to that of Pak Tea House in cultural life of Lahore and the man served Thanilites till the very day of his death. May his soul rest in peace. Another crown in the glory of Thanil Kamal is the charity hospital being built by an NGO Swera and latest in the series is a DARS, a seminary sponsored by Prof. Yaqoob Khan.
Living legends are Ch. Abdullah ,Ch. Fazal Karim Numberdar, Ch. Jahandad Marhal, Munawar Khan Mulkhal,Dr Saifurrehman (Phd USA), Professor MK Mogul, Col(Rtd) Abdullah Khan, Ustad Sadiq, Raja Fazaldad, Qazi Abdullah, Malik Fazaldad , Khudad Khokhar, Baba Khoja, Allah Bakhsh Walaytia etc.
The legendary characters which are no more with us are Phami Singh, Sulakhan Singh, Ameer Singh, Baba Lahoria, Baba Sardar Numberdar, Ustad Mulakh, Babu Ghulam Abbas, Fazaldin Hajial, Molvi Fazal, Ghulam Hassan Phajial, Dr. Aslam ,Haji Lal Khan, Haji Abbas Ali, Babu Nisar Ali, Maj. Gen.(R) Tajammal Hussain ( Honoured for his honesty ,integrity and valour), Dr Jamshed (Phd USA), Dr Aziz chawhan(Phd USA), Ch Mohammed Ashraf, Ch Mohammed Afzal, Ch Muhammad Nawaz DSP, Baba Commission, Ch. Muhammad Duraiz Khan, Hafiz Din, Dr. Shah Alam etc. The list is very exhaustive and I beg my pardon for unintentional omission of some great people.
Among the political stalwarts are Ch. Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad having numerous victories under his belt, Ch. Muhammad Shohaib Nazim UC, Ch. Maqsood Ahmad Ex. Nazim UC, Ch. Khawar Mehmood. The local politics revolves around one point agenda i.e. pro and anti Fuedals. All of the politicians are keen in development works and they have patience and tolerance.
Long Live Thanil Kamal

Source person : Muhammad Abrar Nawaz
Contact : man.ravian@gmail.com
Thanilians are invited for comments.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   33°8'37"N   72°43'30"E

Comments

  • Salam, I am Farukh from Thanil my village is located on a Jazira, all around it has water and it is very common Cricket Ground and children Park as well..Love Thanil Kamal
  • Slaam I am Javed Mughal from Mangwal Thanil Kamal is veary historical Village in reagin of Chakwal a noumber of stories related this village .KHURAM SHAHZAD Son Ghulam Muhammad he reserch Islamic Education in the varrios parts pakistan.
  • salam my villag e is very beutiful I Love Thanil kamal thanks
  • salam I am ALAM RAZA from thanil kamal my village is very beautiful
  • Hi my name is aamir hameed son of qazi abdul hameed and i am proud to be thanilian
  • Salaam I am nadeem chawhan, son of Dr aziz chawhan. It is very heartening to see our village having a virtual presence. I believe firmly in Thanil being a role model for other communities in Pakistan to being self sufficient in terms of development and progress. May Allah give everyone blessings and progress in this world and the next
  • Hi...my self js Chadha....my grand parents were from this same village pre partition...v had a huge house with a well large land for agriculture..they spoke about it all their life...they r no more...I wish to see all to know where I belong..I m 30male based in Mumbai...can u tell me more about this place...
  • It is great to know this brief introduction of our village has gone beyond places and people whose forefathers migrated in the aftermath of partition can relate to their ancestral home town through this page. Our community is pluralistic and every one from across the border will be greeted warmly. I remember our friend Gurpreet Singh Kohli's visit in Nov 2008 to pay homage to the place his father was born. Any query you may have, Sir will be addressed. It may be of assistance if you could come up with the names of your grand father(s) and I wonder we may have in our fold someone who might know them.
  • Hi Jagpreet. Are you related to Gurcharan Singh Chadha? Or Lakhbir Singh Chadha?
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This article was last modified 10 years ago