Gujranwala

Gujranwala is a city in the north east of  the Punjab province. It is the seventh largest city in Pakistan with a population of 1,132,509 (1998 census) Gujranwala is located at 32.16° North, 74.18° East and is 226 metres (744 feet) above sea-level. It borders with Ghakhar Mandi and some small towns and villages. Punjabi is the local language, however English and Urdu are also common, particularly in schools and offices.Due to extensive road and rail links the city has flourished within the manufacturing and agricultural markets. The city is on the Grand Trunk Road which allows logistical connections to the provincial capitals such as Peshawar and Lahore. Gujranwala is known for its extensive production of sugarcanes, melons and grains for exporting internationally. The city also has set up several commercial and industrial centres allowing the manufacturing of ceramics, iron safes,metal utensils, textiles, sanitary as well as tannery production. The city is also known for its wrestlers & bodybuilders. It has produced some of  the finest wrestlers & bodybuilders of the sub-continent, which has resulted in the city to be called the "City of Wrestlers" or "Phelwana da shehar" in Punjabi. "Gold's Gym" is the most famous gym among all bodybuilders due to its unique and most advanced machinery. The city also arguably has some of the best barbecue food in the Punjab such specialities as Kebabs, Chicken Tikka and Lamb Chops.

 The village of Asarur which has been identified as the location of Taki, an ancient town, visited by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsiang contains immense ruins of Buddhist origin. After the time of Tsiang little is know about Gujranwala til the Islamic conquests, by this time however Taki had fallen into oblivion while Lahore had become the chief city of Punjab. The district flourished during Mughal rule, from the days of Akbar to those of Aurangzeb, wells were scattered over the whole country, and villages lay thickly dotted about the southern plateau, now a barren waste of grass land and scrub jungle. Their remains may still be found in the wildest and most solitary reaches of the Bar.

 According to the 1998 census of Pakistan the population of district was 3,400,940 of which 50.17% were urban. It is thus the third-most advanced district in Punjab,the population now stands at 4,308,905.                                        

There are several colleges affiliated with the University of the Punjab which also operates a main campus offering courses such as LLB, BCom, MCom, and MBA. Another higher education institute is the GIFT University which also offer courses such as BBA, MBA, Computer Science, MBA, MSc Accounting & Finance, Textile and Design, M.A. English. There is also the Rachna Engineering University in Gujranwala.Punjab College of Commerce & Information Technology is one of the best college in Gujranwala which has grabbed 15 out of 18 positions in Gujranwala board, offering courses such as FSc, ICS, ICom, BCom, MCom, and MBA. Other colleges include Elite College of Commerce,National college of Science, Superior College of Science, Government College for boys, Government College for girls, Government Islamia college,Workers Welfare School & College and Crescent College of Science. Quaid-e-Azam Divisional Public College is the biggest institution in the District. It has its own cricket oval and numerous buildings and is currently run by semi-Government and Board of Trustees.Islamia college has started Msc. Chemistry in Gujranwala. It is affiliated with The University of Punjab. Another institute is the SOFT Solutions College. SOFT Solutions College is well rated among the private colleges in Gujranwala division. At the Community Development front, Gujranwala is also home to the Roshni Homes Trust, an orphanage that provides a home, a family and an education to orphaned and abandoned children. Beaconhouse School System Gujranwala is the only school in Gujranwala which offers both GCE O and A Level. It has achieved admirable results in both examinations, with its Alumni students currently studying in privileged institutions in Pakistan and abroad, such as Lahore University of Management Sciences and the Aga Khan University. Once there was also an Institution named Dublin Institute of Information Technology. Army Public School & College is one of the leading institution of Gujranwala which has produced many engineers, doctors, scientist in the past 30 years of excellence. Currently governed by Lt Col Atta-ur-Rehman it is making a variety of new techniques for skillful learnings. Swedish Group of Technical Institutes, Punjab is the Largest Technical Training Institutes in Pakistan which is providing the (Three Years Diploma of Associate Engineering DAE) Technical Education in nine(9) major cities of the Punjab like Gujranwala, Gujrat, Rawalpindi,Multan, Wah Cantt, Chakwal, Rahim Yaar Khan, Muzaffar Garh, Layyah and Bagh (AJK), in different Technologies like Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical,Chemical, Civil, Achitecture, Computer Hardware, Computer Information Technology, Telecommunication and Automation. Swedish Institute of Technology, Gujranwala is the Mother Institute of Swedish Group. This Institute is run by Al-Asar Technical Education Society, Gujranwala. St. Joseph's English High School was the first English medium school in the city, established in 1954. Future Vision School at Shaheenabad Gujranwala is another state of the art purpose build English Medium school.

 The district has metalled road-length of 1413 Kilometres and is linked with Sialkot, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Narowal, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin districts through metalled roads.       

 Gujranwala is a major agricultural and industrial city of Punjab, Pakistan. The rural areas around Gujranwala produce a large variety of agricultural goods, the main crops are rice, wheat, cotton, potatoes, barley, grains, melons, sugarcane and pearl millet. Cultivation in the surrounding area are dependent upon canal irrigation provided by the River Chenab. The rice grown in the city is regarded as one of the best in Asia. The Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) shares a building with the zonal and circle offices of Habib Bank Limited, United Bank Limited, Allied Bank Limited and State Bank of Pakistan.                                                                                     

 Gujranwala is a historical and cultural city situated north east region of the Punjab province. Gujranwala offers a number of sights and activities which the city has given the city its name. Since the city is known as the "City of Wrestlers", the city hosts a number of bodybuilding tournaments, Kabaddi matches as well as weightlifting. Food is the second most famous thing Gujranwala is known for. The city has developed a very distinct kind of barbecue foods ranging to suit every style and budget. People from all over Punjab travel to the city just to taste the different types of cuisine that the city is proud of. There are a range of recreational spots and landmarks in Gujranwala, the following are some of the most significant attractions.