The Changa Manga is a planted forest and a wildlife park in Kasur District, Punjab, Pakistan.The name "Changa Manga" comes from the old story of two brother thieves, Changa and Manga, who used to hide in thick forests, along with their loots. Over the passage of time the stories have been molded into adventures that every child in that area is told, with added morals.
The forest is entered from a road from off the N-5 Highway near Bhai PheruAnd Chunian . The forest covers an area of 48.6 square kilometres (12,000 acres) and is one of the largest man-made forests on the planet.
The planting and irrigation of the land took place in the 19th century under the British Raj due to the need for timber for the Indian Railways network.
The most common species of trees are Dalbergia sissoo (sheesham), Acacia nilotica (kikar), both members of the Fabaceae native to the Indian subcontinent, white mulberry (Morus alba), popular in cultivation throughout South Asia, or Eucalyptus and Populus species.
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| A Beautiful Model in Changa Manga |
The park is home to species of hog deer, Indian peafowl, jackal, mouflon, nilgai and wild boar.[3] Changa Manga Wildlife Park is one of the three wildlife parks located in Lahore District, other two Jallo Wildlife Park and Lahore Zoo Safari, also called Woodland Wildlife Park.
Parts of the forest have now been developed into a recreation park with a railroad that gives the visitor a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) ride on a miniature train through the forest. Other attractions include a water turbine, a waterfall, a children’s play area, and a lake called 'Lunar Lake', where boating is possible. Changa Manga Tourist Resort is situated 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Lahore city.
The Tourist Development Corporation of Pakistan (TDCP) arranges picnic trips to Changa Manga throughout the year.
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| Jheel at Changa Manga park Kasur |