Punjabi trading city between the Chenab and Jhelum, known for blue pottery and ceiling-fan workshops.
Gujrat is a small city in Punjab province, about 120 kilometres southeast of Islamabad on the main road between Lahore and the capital. It sits between the Chenab and Jhelum rivers, the middle of the three great rivers of the Punjab, and has an old agricultural and trading history — it was an important stop on the Grand Trunk Road for centuries.
The city is famous within Pakistan for two things: pottery and fans. Gujrat pottery, particularly its blue-glazed earthenware, has been produced here for generations, and the city is one of the largest producers of ceiling fans in South Asia. Neither is a major tourist draw on its own, but it's a useful glimpse of Pakistan's industrial north.
For travellers, Gujrat is mainly a stopover. The old quarter around the shrine of Shah Daula, with its small alleys and busy bazaars, is worth an hour or two. The pottery workshops producing the city's distinctive blue-glazed earthenware are open to visitors and sell direct at very reasonable prices. Two annual fairs — the Mela Shah Jehangir (said to mark the spot where Mughal emperor Jahangir's internal organs were buried on the way to Lahore) and the Shah Daula festival — animate the city briefly. For most visitors, though, Gujrat is a place to pause between Islamabad and Lahore rather than a destination in its own right.
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Day Trips
Gujrat's location between Lahore and Islamabad puts several interesting day trips within reach. Jalalpur Jattan, 20 kilometres northeast, sits near the site of ancient Bucephala — the city Alexander the Great founded after the Battle of the Hydaspes, the last great battle of his eastward campaign. The town itself is unremarkable but the Jhelum river here and the surrounding flat Punjab countryside are evocative.
Sialkot, about 40 kilometres northeast, is known for its sports goods manufacturing (most of the world's footballs are made here) and has a substantial old fort. Gujranwala, 40 kilometres south, is one of Punjab's major industrial cities and has a lively old bazaar. Lahore, two hours by bus, is of course the great cultural centre of Pakistani Punjab and easily a full day's outing.
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Eating Out
Gujrat's food scene is typical of northern Punjab: grilled meat, hearty daal, and Pakistani-Chinese food are the staples. The GT Road corridor has the highest density of restaurants, catering to the constant flow of bus and truck traffic. For more local eating, the streets around the old bazaar and near the Shah Daula shrine have small dhabas serving chicken karahi, nihari, and chai at very low prices.
Sajji — a whole roasted lamb or chicken dish that is a speciality of Pakistani Punjab — is available at several restaurants in the city, served with rice and raita. Gujrat also has a strong tradition of doodh-pati (Pakistani milk tea) culture; the chai houses near the bus stand are good for a strong cup and a gossip.
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Getting Around
Gujrat is a mid-sized Pakistani city that is manageable on foot in its central areas — the old quarter around the Shah Daula shrine, the bazaars, and the GT Road commercial strip are all within walking distance of each other. For longer journeys across the city, auto-rickshaws are plentiful and cheap; agree on the fare before setting off, as meters are rarely used. Motorcycle rickshaws (chinghchis) are also common and even cheaper.
To reach the pottery workshops on the outskirts or to take the road to Jalalpur Jattan, a rickshaw or shared wagon is the most practical option. Private taxis can be arranged through hotels.
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Getting There
Gujrat is on the Grand Trunk Road (GT Road) between Lahore and Islamabad, about 120 kilometres from Lahore and 170 kilometres from Islamabad. All bus and coach services travelling this corridor pass through.
Daewoo Express, the premium intercity bus service, has a terminal on GT Road and runs frequent services to Lahore (around 2 hours), Islamabad (around 2 hours), and Peshawar. Cheaper flying coaches and wagons also ply the route and leave from the main bus stand. Shared taxis connect Gujrat to nearby towns like Gujranwala and Sialkot throughout the day.
Gujrat has a railway station on the Lahore–Rawalpindi main line, with regular trains in both directions.
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Shopping
The obvious thing to buy in Gujrat is its pottery. Blue-glazed earthenware — plates, bowls, vases, and decorative tiles in cobalt blue and turquoise on white — is produced in workshops throughout the city and sold cheaply compared to what the same pieces fetch in Lahore or Islamabad. Going direct to the workshops is more interesting and often cheaper than buying from the market stalls.
The main bazaar in the old quarter sells the usual Pakistani mix of fabric, spices, household goods, and cheap electronics. Gujrat also has a market for locally made fans — the city is one of Pakistan's largest fan manufacturers, and the industrial character of the trade is visible in the workshops along the town's edges.