Pakpattan (Punjabi and Urdu: پاکپتّن), often referred to as
Pākpattan Sharīf ( پاکپتّن شریف; "Noble Pakpattan"), is the
capital city of the Pakpattan District, located in Punjab
province of Pakistan. It is the 48th largest city of
Pakistan by population according to the 2017 census.
Pakpattan is the seat of Sufi Chisti order in Pakistan and a
major pilgrimage destination on account of the Shrine of
Baba Farid, a renowned Punjabi poet and Sufi saint. The
annual urs fair in his honour draws an estimated 2 million
visitors to the town.
Pakpattan was known as Ajodhan until the 16th century.The
city now derives its name from the combination of two
Punjabi words, Pak and Pattan, meaning "pure," and "dock"
respectively, which reference a ferry across the Sutlej
River that was popular with pilgrims to the Shrine of Baba
Farid, and represented a metaphorical journey of salvation
across the river in a boat piloted by the saint's spirit.
