The largest desert in the Punjab province is the Cholistan Desert, commonly referred to as Rohi, and it is situated in Bahawalpur. The desert is located 20 miles from the city of Bahawalpur and has an area of 10,000 square miles.
The Cholistan Desert is home to 2.5 million people who lead simple, impoverished lives. They lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle, which entails traveling from one location to another in search of water and animal feed.
We will go over the entire tourist guide to the Cholistan desert in this article.
About the Cholistan Desert
The Cholistan is a desert in Pakistan. It is called Rohi by the people who live there and is 30 kilometers from Bahawalpur and is part of the province of Punjab in Pakistan. It is known for its fort and traditional camel racing festival. Camels are called “desert planes”.
The Cholistan Desert is right next to the Indus Desert. The word colistin comes from the Turkish word choli, which means “desert.” That’s why it’s called “colistin.”
The people of Cholistan are good people who go from place to place looking for food and moving with their animals. The Drawer Fort is the most famous building in the Cholistan. It is also the symbol of Cholistan. Dera Nawab Sahib is 48 km from Dera Nawab Sahib.
The local language is Sariki, which is also spoken in the Cholistan, which shows how important and relevant it is historically.
This desert depends a lot on animals because it doesn’t have enough water and it rains a lot. There are leather crafts, fabrics, and textiles made in the area. Pakistan is known for its high-quality wool rugs made in Cholistan. In other parts of Pakistan, it is also made in large amounts.
This wonderful material comes from sheep and goats. It is used to make beautiful rugs, blankets, and other things.
The blankets are also made of wool, which is a must-have in the area because winter nights can get very cold, even below freezing. Green fabric from the area is used to make clothes for people.
Animal husbandry is the main source of income in Cholistan. Mostly to meet the meat, milk, and fat needs of the cottage industry. The Cholistans’ main source of wealth is their animals, which give them milk, butter, and wool. Almost nothing has been blessed by nature more than our beautiful country.
When to Visit Cholistan?
The winter months are ideal for Cholistan desert Visit, if you have any interest in doing so. It can get extremely warm in the desert during the summer months.
This journey is ideally planned during the favorable season, not only to view the historical sights of Cholistan but also to experience the culture of the distant communities that are located there.
Culture of Cholistan
Men wear vibrantly colored head coverings, and women don vividly colored clothes known as Ghagra Choli that are embellished with very subdued embroidery that is a specialty of the Cholistan Desert.
The regional tongue, Seraiki, was affected by Lahnda. Many well-known Sufi poets and saints call the Cholistan Desert home, including Hazrat Khwaja Ghulam Farid (may God be pleased with him), who composed numerous Sufi poems in Seraiki.
Famous Places to Visit
Bahawalpur City
On the way to Om in Cholistan via Lal Suhanra Park, don’t miss Bahawalpur city’s colourful bazaar and beautiful architecture. Lal Suhanra Park is another beautiful nature reserve that opened in 1972.
Vast Desert
People may have heard and read a lot about the Cholistan, but most of us don’t know about the interesting places near it because we don’t know enough about them.
This adventurous part of Pakistan is more than 26,300 square kilometers big and has important historical sites, cultural sites, and more. This desert is also called the Thar Desert. It is in the Sindh province of both Pakistan and India.
Camel Caravan Road
At Km 29, a group of forts was built along the way in the Cholistan Desert. This route may have been an outpost of the camel caravan route, which had three rows of forts. The first row went from Phulra to Lira, the second from Rukhanpur to Islamgarh, and the third from Bilcaner to Khaploo. All of this is now in ruins, which is sad. The track is also a good place to ride a camel.
Derawar Fort
Fort Derawar is the most famous place in Cholistan. It is 48 km (28 miles) from Delaware Sahib. The Hakra River used to water the whole area, but now it is all drying up.
There are more than 400 archaeological sites in the river’s drainage area that date back to the Indus civilization 4,500 years ago. Also, most of these places are near the Castle of Derawar.
Not only is the fort one of the tallest in Pakistan, but it is also a big draw for foreign tourists because it is part of the oldest civilization in the world.
Cholistan Jeep Rally
Cholistan Jeep Rally is a unique off-road race that was started by TDCP in 2005. It is one of the most exciting things to do in Cholistan. Every year in February, the jeep race is held near Derawar Fort in Cholistan, which is east of Ahmedpur.
The event is being put on by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, and 100 drivers from all over the country will take part. It will be a great chance for them to show off their skills in front of 100,000 tourists. So, don’t miss the Cholistan Desert when you’re about to get close to it.
