Barakahu
بارہ کہو | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 View of Simly Dam road near Barakahu | |
  Barakahu Location in Islamabad Capital Territory  Barakahu Location in Pakistan | |
| Coordinates: 33°44′19″N 73°11′00″E / 33.73866882772599°N 73.18346684808866°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Islamabad Capital Territory |
Barakahu is a rural area located in the eastern part of Islamabad. It consists of 23 union councils, comprising 133 villages, while the urban has 27 union councils.
The name 'Barakahu' (بارا کہو) comes from the Pothohari language, which is spoken locally in this area. 'Bara' (بارا) means twelve (12) in Pothohari, and 'Kahu' (کہو) refers to the Indian Rosewood tree (شیشم کا درخت). According to local legend, there were twelve Indian Rosewood trees in the area, which is now known as Barakahu bus stop or Athaal chok (اٹھال چوک).
Geographically, Barakahu is situated between the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and is part of the Islamabad. The area falls under the administrative jurisdiction of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The name 'Barakahu' is often mistakenly written as 'Bhara Kahu' in many places, which is entirely incorrect. 'Bhara' is not a valid word, and 'Kahu' should not be separated from 'Bara'. The correct name, 'Barakahu', should be used, just like the correct spelling of 'Islamabad' is used.