Samanabad
Encyclopedia
Samnabad is a major residential area and administrative subdivision of Lahore
, Pakistan
. It houses about 250,000 people and is neighboured by Multan Road, Mozang, Gulshan-e-Ravi
, Islamia Park
, Ichhra
and Iqbal Town
. Most of the residential units in the area were built in the 1960-70s. This area is known for small but lush green playgrounds, abundant trees and privately maintained green beds. The locality is also home to Doongi Ground Cricket Stadium which hosts local matches usually of the Samnabad Cricket Club. A sports complex named LDA Sports Complex is also situated here.
, an ancient village that belonged to the Kambojas
, a people of Semitic
origin and the believers of Shamanism
. These Kamboja
people claimed to be descendants of Shem
(one of the sons of prophet Noah
) and related to Cambyses
, Cyrus the Great
(Biblical Korosh) and the Iranian Saman Khuda
. Some of them, who prefer to be called Kamo, claim to be related to Kamon
and to have migrated from the Middle East along with Jats, Sheikhs and Butt families.
Thus, the word Saman may have originated from Saman Khuda
where as abad in Urdu
means populated.
Bastami Road
Muslim Road
Samnabad is also known for its roundabouts:
There are two important shopping centres in Samnabad namely Main Market (between first and second roundabout) and the Mini Market near Central Model School, Samnabad. It also houses the head office of one the largest Pakistani food chains, Al-Najam Fried Chicken (AFC).
Near the third roundabout, the LDA Sports Complex is located in Doongi Ground. The complex offers facilities for various games and sports such as badminton, swimming, squash, gym, table tennis, snooker and sports cafe. Samnabad is also well known for its kite flying community some famous names from Samnabad like Ali Hussain, Ustad Shahid, Ustad Ibrahim, Hakeem, Kala Shahid, CT Shah, Billu butt etc. were well known for their love and devotion for the sport.
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. It houses about 250,000 people and is neighboured by Multan Road, Mozang, Gulshan-e-Ravi
Gulshan-e-Ravi
Gulshan-e-Ravi is an area in Lahore, Pakistan. The name "Gulshan-e-Ravi" means "the Garden of Ravi" possibly due to its location which is near the Ravi River....
, Islamia Park
Islamia Park
Islamia Park is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in a residential area adjacent to one of the major residential Samanabad. The locality is surrounded by Chauburji, Miani Sahib graveyard and the Samanabad Drain....
, Ichhra
Ichhra
Ichhra is a commercial and residential area in Lahore, Pakistan.-History:The neighbourhood was named after the death of an old woman who's nickname was Mai Ichhra of now Muslim Kamboja tribe who migrated from Mesopotamia/Mittani having worshipped in ancient times their mother goddess Ishara, sacred...
and Iqbal Town
Iqbal Town
Iqbal Town may refer to:* Iqbal Town, Faisalabad, Pakistan* Iqbal Town, Lahore, Pakistan...
. Most of the residential units in the area were built in the 1960-70s. This area is known for small but lush green playgrounds, abundant trees and privately maintained green beds. The locality is also home to Doongi Ground Cricket Stadium which hosts local matches usually of the Samnabad Cricket Club. A sports complex named LDA Sports Complex is also situated here.
Etymology
In ancient times, "Samnabad" was the second name of IchhraIchhra
Ichhra is a commercial and residential area in Lahore, Pakistan.-History:The neighbourhood was named after the death of an old woman who's nickname was Mai Ichhra of now Muslim Kamboja tribe who migrated from Mesopotamia/Mittani having worshipped in ancient times their mother goddess Ishara, sacred...
, an ancient village that belonged to the Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
, a people of Semitic
Semitic
In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages...
origin and the believers of Shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
. These Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
people claimed to be descendants of Shem
Shem
Shem was one of the sons of Noah in the Hebrew Bible as well as in Islamic literature. He is most popularly regarded as the eldest son, though some traditions regard him as the second son. Genesis 10:21 refers to relative ages of Shem and his brother Japheth, but with sufficient ambiguity in each...
(one of the sons of prophet Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
) and related to Cambyses
Cambyses
Cambyses can refer to two ancient rulers and two plays:-*Cambyses I, King of Anshan 600 to 559 BCE*Cambyses II, King of Persia 530 to 522 BCE*Cambyses, a tragedy by Thomas Preston...
, Cyrus the Great
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus II of Persia , commonly known as Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much...
(Biblical Korosh) and the Iranian Saman Khuda
Saman Khuda
Saman Khuda was the founder of the Samanid dynasty – The House of Saman. He was a landowner from the village of Saman in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, who arrived in the early 8th century in Merv to the court of the Caliphal governor of Khorasan, Asad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Qasri , adopted...
. Some of them, who prefer to be called Kamo, claim to be related to Kamon
Kamon, Israel
Kamon is a communal settlement in northern Israel. Located in the Galilee on the two eastern peaks of Mount Kammon, it falls under the jurisdiction of Misgav Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 580....
and to have migrated from the Middle East along with Jats, Sheikhs and Butt families.
Thus, the word Saman may have originated from Saman Khuda
Saman Khuda
Saman Khuda was the founder of the Samanid dynasty – The House of Saman. He was a landowner from the village of Saman in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, who arrived in the early 8th century in Merv to the court of the Caliphal governor of Khorasan, Asad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Qasri , adopted...
where as abad in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
means populated.
Educational institutions
Samnabad is an important hub of educational activities. Many colleges and schools belonging to the government sector, as well as private sector academies and tuition centers, are serving the cause of education at this hub of knowledge. Important educational institutes of the government sector housed at Samnabad include:- Government College for Women
- Government Central Model High School
- Government Girls Higher Secondary School
- Government Institute of Commerce
- Government Sulemania High School
- Government Junior Model School
- U C MAS EDUCATION GROUP, Samnabad LEARNING CENTRE (042-37535355)
- The Times College, 798-N
- American Lycetuff School
- The Educators
- New Era Grammer School
Famous Eating Places
- AFC
- Topsi
- Kims
- Chicken Cottage
- Hot Chilli
- Riaz Faluda
- Benazeer Pathuray
- Riaz Snack Bar
- Goonga Chips Corner
- Western Food
- Sheikhoo Restaurant
- Sadiq Kabab
- Famous Dumchian Bar-B-Q point.
Bastami Road
Muslim Road
- Chalupa restaurant.
- Kims snack bar.
- Ronaq mela
- Vampire cafe near AMYs departmantal store and samnabad swimming club.
- House 848/n poonch road samnabad is a very beautiful bunglaw since british times.a beautiful attraction of town. BY Sarmad iqbal from samnabad.
Bakeries
- Kashmir Bakery
- Gourmet Bakery
- Shezan Bakery
- Cakes & Bakes
- Ammy's Bakery
- Gujrat Bakery
Sports
Samnabad is also home to a wide mix of sports complex and gymnasiums. The locality is represented by Samnabad Cricket Club in league matches played at the Doongi Ground Cricket Stadium. Among the most notable are:- Doongi Ground Cricket Stadium
- LDA Sports Complex
- Muslim Gym
- English Gym
- Ironman Gym
- International Gym
- Shah Gym
- Bodyline Gym
Sites of interest and importance
The three most important main roads of Samnabad in terms of commercial activity include:- Main Boulevard Samnabad: Automobile Market; Main Market of Samnabad; Sheikhoo Restaurant(one of the most famous and oldest restaurant in the region); Tomb of Zeb-un-Nisa; Cuisine specialities: Shawarmas, Pathooras and Dahee Bhallas.
- Poonch Road: Haree Kothees (meaning homes with green painted façades); Event and Marriage Halls; Bank branches of Habib Bank, MyBank, Allied BankAllied BankAllied Bank, formally known as Allied Banking Corporation, is one of the largest banks in the Philippines, ranking tenth in terms of assets...
A learning centre of an ISO certified and Multinational group U C MAS. - Ghazali Road: Regional Office of NADRA (National Database and Registration AuthorityNational Database and Registration AuthorityNational Database and Registration Authority is a federal department of the Government of Pakistan that is responsible for issuing identification cards to the citizens of Pakistan. Employing more than 11,000 member of staff and having more than 400 domestic offices and five international offices,...
); Butt Ground; Amir Bakery and Departmental Store; The Bohr Tree (one of the oldest surviving trees of Lahore); Khizra Mosque; Doongi Ground or LDA (Lahore Development Authority) Sports Complex; Pakistan Post OfficePakistan PostPakistan Post is a state enterprise dedicated to providing wide range of postal products and public services in Pakistan. It is the largest postal service in the country...
Samnabad is also known for its roundabouts:
- 1st Roundabout (Pehla Gol Chakkar), seen while coming from Morrhe Samnabad
- 2nd Roundabout (Doosra Gol Chakkar) near Telephone Exchange
- 3rd Roundabout (Teesra Gol Chakkar/Chaudhry Colony Stop) near Samnabad Girls College
There are two important shopping centres in Samnabad namely Main Market (between first and second roundabout) and the Mini Market near Central Model School, Samnabad. It also houses the head office of one the largest Pakistani food chains, Al-Najam Fried Chicken (AFC).
Near the third roundabout, the LDA Sports Complex is located in Doongi Ground. The complex offers facilities for various games and sports such as badminton, swimming, squash, gym, table tennis, snooker and sports cafe. Samnabad is also well known for its kite flying community some famous names from Samnabad like Ali Hussain, Ustad Shahid, Ustad Ibrahim, Hakeem, Kala Shahid, CT Shah, Billu butt etc. were well known for their love and devotion for the sport.