Nathia Gali or Nathiagali () is a

hill station A hill station is a touristic town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in Western imperialism in Asia, colonial Asia, but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by ...

and

mountain resort A mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in an elevated and typically at least relatively isolated area. The term resort implies integral hotel or inn accommodations, restaurants, and either or both sports facilities or sceni ...

town located in the

Abbottabad District Abbottabad District (Hindko, ) is a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is part of the Hazara Division and covers an area of 1,969 km2, with the city of Abbottabad being the principal town. Neighbouring districts incl ...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Northern Pakistan, northwestern region of the country, Khyber ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. It is located at the centre of the

Galyat Galyat () region, or hill tract, (also written Galliat and Galiyat) is a narrow strip or area roughly – north-east of Islamabad, Pakistan, extending on both sides of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Punjab border, between Abbottabad and Murree. The word ...

range, where several hill stations are situated. Nathia Gali is known for its scenery,

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

trails and weather, which is much cooler than the rest of the Galyat range due to it being at a higher

altitude Altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum (geodesy), datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context (e.g., aviation, geometr ...

. It is situated approximately away from both

Murree Murree () is a mountain resort city in the northernmost region of the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Lying in the Galyat region of the Pir Panjal Range under the western Himalayas, it forms the outskirts of the Islamabad–Rawal ...

and

Abbottabad Abbottabad is a city in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in the country and 6th largest in the province by population, and serves as the headquarter of its namesake tehsil and district ...

.Nathia Gali - Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 18, p. 415
/ref>

History

During

British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...

, Nathia Gali, then part of Abbottabad tehsil of Hazara District, served as the summer headquarters of the Chief Commissioner of the (then)

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

division of the

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. The town, along with

Dunga Gali Dunga Gali is one of the towns of the Galyat area of Ayubia National Park, at an altitude of in northern Pakistan. Dunga Gali is located in Nathia Gali Union Council (subdivision) of Abbottabad District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. I ...

constituted a

notified area A nagar panchayat () or town panchayat or Notified Area Council (NAC) in India is a settlement in transition from rural to urban and therefore a form of an urban political unit comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 12,00 ...

under the Punjab Municipalities Act, 1891. The income in 1903-04 was Rs. 3,000, chiefly derived from a house tax, while expenditure was Rs. 1,900.

Climate

The

weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloud cover, cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmo ...

of Nathia Gali remains cool, pleasant and foggy in

summers Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...

(1 May to 31 August). During the

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

season (1 July to 16 September),

rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...

is expected almost every day. Cool winds start to lower temperatures in

autumn Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemisphe ...

. Winters (1 November to 28 February) are cold and chilly. In December and January, heavy

snowfall Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...

may occur. The weather remains cool throughout the spring. In Nathia Gali, the most comfortable weather is during the summer season. Frequent rainfall occurs here annually. Annual rainfall ranges between and . In the winter, temperatures can drop to below , and in summer it rise to highs over .

Transportation

The town is connected to

and

by the Nathia Gali road. Public transport runs daily from

and

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

to Nathia Gali. Between December and January, heavy snowfall is possible in the area and the road leading to Nathia Gali may occasionally be blocked by heavy snow.

Tourism

Nathia Gali also serves as the administrative centre of the Nathia Gali Union Council. It is located in the

, in

. At an elevation of , it is a popular

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...

resort in the summer months. It is forested with

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae * Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona ...

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...

and also other broad-leaved trees. During the summer, Nathia Gali is relatively popular amongst tourists, but due to its limited area and availability of property, it is not thronged by as many people as the hill-station Murree, which is only an hour away, even though it has more recreation. Nathiagali is known for its trek that leads to

Thandiani Thandiani is a hill station in the Galyat area of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan, about northeast of Abbottabad District in the foothills of the Himalayas and about above sea level. History Thandiani was originally granted as a l ...

that passes through Dagri Naka.

Ayubia National Park Ayubia National Park (), also known as Ayubia (), is a protected area of located in Abbottabad District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. It was declared a national park in 1984. Ayubia was named after Ayub Khan (Field Marshal), Muhammad ...

is also one of the spots here that tourists and nature lovers often visit. The Nathia Gali

Bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

has a variety of local handicrafts and products available. From traditional shawls, scarves, and embroidered fabrics to intricate woodwork and handmade jewelry, this bazaar is a treasure trove for souvenir hunters.

Scenery

The natural scenery is highly attractive. Nathia Gali is famous for its lush, green meadows and deep forests of oak, cedar and pine. In winter, snowfall adds to the scene. Nathia Gali has a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, St. Matthew's, a remnant from the British period and made entirely of wood. It is situated at the edge of the

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

with a nice panorama towards

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

. Nathia Gali has a small

bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

. Mukshpuri and

Miranjani Miranjani is the highest peak in Galyat Region which is located at the elevation of , in Abbottabad District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the Province of Pakistan. It is located in the Namli Maira area, in Ayubia National Park, north of Islamabad ...

are two nearby high peaks. On a clear day,

Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...

can be seen in the distance.

Wildlife

Nathia Gali is home to various species of birds, insects, butterflies and other animals such as

rhesus monkey The rhesus macaque (''Macaca mulatta''), colloquially rhesus monkey, is a species of Old World monkey. There are between six and nine recognised subspecies split between two groups, the Chinese-derived and the Indian-derived. Generally brown or g ...

s. The

World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the ...

has an office in the Galyat and has assisted in the breeding and reintroduction of the species of the near-extinct common hill

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...

in the forests of the Ayubia National Park, right by Dunga Gali and Nathia Gali. This area was thought to be a perfect habitat for them but according to local reports they frequently came out of the forest after cattle of the local villagers and were occasionally shot. Packs of pi-dogs, which were previously considered to be a nighttime menace, can no longer be seen anywhere in the Galyat; it is thought that most have been killed by leopards. In the summer of 2006, several women were found dead in the deep valleys of Galyat with wounds from attacks. A large leopard was caught and eventually shot. His body has been stuffed and kept in the Dunga Gali Wildlife Museum, where he has been named the 'Ghost of Galyat'. However, despite their reputation, these leopards are rarely spotted.

Subdivisions

The Union Council of Nathia Gali is divided into the following areas: Bagan, Donga Gali, Jhansa, Keri Sarafali, Keri Raiki, Lassan, Malach, Nathiagali Pasala, and Badhair. Badhair is the central part of the Nathiagali Union Council.Nathia Gali Union Council
/ref>

Ethnic groups

The main tribe of Nathia Gali are the Karlal, and a minority of Dhunds (who now call themselves 'Dhund-Abbasis'). The locals are a kin to the people of other parts of

and speak

Hindko Hindko (, , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken by several million people of various ethnic backgrounds in northwestern Pakistan, primarily in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Pun ...

. Until well into the 1960s, most of these tribes and clans were mostly living rather basic and primitive lives, due to lack of educational and employment opportunities.''Hazara Divisional Report, 1991-1992'', Pub. Govt. of NWFP, 1993, pp. 45-46 Most of them had to seek jobs and education down in the plains and cities such as

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

and even as far away as

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

. However, in more recent times, with economic development, many of them are either employed locally in the tourism industry or in various jobs and businesses in the Abbottabad area. It is monitored by GDA.

Gallery

File:Mukeshpuri.jpg File:Miran jani.jpg File:Road to Nathiagali.JPG File:Ayubia_National_Park_Pipeline_Track_03.jpg, Pipeline Track, Ayubia National Park File:Nathiagali Main Bazar 19.jpg, Mango street vendor at the Main Bazar

References

External links

*
Places to Visit in Abbottabad

Miranjani Trek by Shaikh Muhammad Ali

The Pipe Line Trek by Shaikh Muhammad Ali

Mokshpuri Trek by Shaikh Muhammad Ali
* http://www.nathiagali.com *

Governor's House

Sarhad Tourism Corporation, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
* http://www.nathiagali.com/?page_id=16
Hotels in Nathiagali (reservation)

Hotel in Nathiagali (book your corporate event)

FAQ about Nathiagali (Question Answers about Nathiagali)
{{Authority control Populated places in Abbottabad District Hill stations in Pakistan Union councils of Abbottabad District Galyat of Pakistan Tourist attractions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa