Phalia

Phalia is a city situated in Mandi Bahauddin District, Punjab, Pakistan. The population of Phalia was calculated to be 25,914 in 2007 (21,025 in 1998).cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Phalia | work =World Gazetteer | publisher = | date = | url = http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-1878&srt=npan&col=aohdq&geo=440773358| format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-10-28 ]

History

Alexander the Great and his army crossed the Jhelum in 326 BC at the Battle of the Hydaspes River where he defeated the Indian king, Porus. According to Arrian ("Anabasis", 29), he built a city "on the spot whence he started to cross the river Hydaspes", which he named "Bukephala" (or "Bucephala") to honour his famous horse Bukephalus or Bucephalus which was buried in Jalalpur Sharif. It is thought that ancient Bukephala was near the site of modern Jhelum City. According to a historian of Gujrat district, Mansoor Behzad Butt, Bukephalus was buried in Jalalpur Sharif, but the people of Mandi Bahauddin, a district close to Jehlum, believed that their tehsil Phalia was named after Bucephalus, Alexander's dead horse. They say that the name Phalia was the distortion of the word Bucephala.but it comes into the history books about the jat clan that the phalia was actually the name of one of the elderly of tarar family i.e phalia tarar.after going through the family tree of tarar clan it was found that phalia tarar existed,so it is evident that this name does not come from horse,but from a famous jat of the tarar clan.

Geography and climate

Phalia is situated at 32.43 N latitude and 73.58 E longitude.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Phalia | work =World Gazetteer | publisher = | date = | url = http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gpro&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-1878&srt=npan&col=aohdq&geo=440773358| format = | doi = | accessdate =2007-10-28 ] It is located between between the main cities of Mandi Bahauddin and Gujrat, about 20 kilometres from Mandi Bahauddin and 45 kilometres from Gujrat, at an altitude of 672 feet (204 metres) above sea level.

Phalia has a moderate climate, which is hot in summer and cold in winter. During peak summer, the day temperature rises to 45°C. The winter months are mild and the minimum temperature may fall below 2°C. The average annual rainfall in the district is 50mm.

ettlements

Nearby towns are:
*Chak Jano Kalan
*Kot Reham Shah
*Mianwal Ranjha
*Burj Agra
*Pahrianwali
*Helan
*Mangat
*Kadhar
*Seeray
*Saida Sharif
*Ragh Raike
*Qadirabad
*Dhall
*Bahri
*Ranmal Sharif
*Dholla Kalan
*Ghaniaan
*Mureed

Education

Govt Pilot Secondary School Phalia is a very famous School in Phalia. The others are Islamia High School and the City Cadet School.Ghazali school,Govt Degree College for Boys and another Govt College for women. The Educators are also famous schools of phalia.And also have other very good schools.There is a big tendency to move abroad for earning.

In this tehsil - Pahrianwali is a prominent town with excellent educational and health facilities private institutes and girls degree college along with boys high school and also a rural health centre and a veternary hospital. Beside this there is a girls degree college with the possibility of getting a graduate degree.

Transport

Malakwal and Mandi Bahauddin are the main rail stations. The Saalam Interchange of the motorway is 50 kilometres from Phalia.

References