Thatha Shamsa (Chattha)

Thatha Shamsa Chattha (Urdu (ٹھٹھہ شمسہ چٹھہ),^[1][2] is a small village in Hafizabad District of Punjab, Pakistan; 'Thatha Shamsa' means 'the village of Shamsa'. The descendants of Shamsa, (Mishrii, Alahi Bakash, and Noor Mahi), own the land in the suburban areas and are called "Zamindars" and most of them still to date rely on fulfilling the life needs from farming. This village is located at 32° 15' 47N,73° 41' 35E with an altitude of 206 meters (679  feet).

The village consists of approximately 200-250 homes and a total population of approximately 1000 odds as of 2023 census. The mother language of the natives is Punjabi.[3] It is situated on the bank of a canal which originates from the Barrage Qadirabad Colony. Most of the land suffers from seepage, a higher water bed, which makes it unsuitable for conventional (crops, wheat, rice, etc.) and cultivation. This is the main reason that many residents have been driven away from villages to either big cities/overseas for better opportunities or converted their lands into Fish Farms. Presently, the village is surrounded by all sides by fish farms, metaphorically an artificial island.

Thatha Shamsa lies in the vicinity of a river and a canal. The major canal originates from Chenab River at Barrage Qadirabad Colony in the west of the village. River Chenab is a few miles away from the village, and during Monsoon weather, the village often faces a threat of flooding. The weather is usually intemperate in summer and winter but autumn and spring are mild. The weather is usually dry and humid during Monsoons, summer also creates a good level of humidity as surrounded by fish farms. Sometimes there are prolonged rain spells during the winter, which in the local language is called "Jarri", winter depression. The village looks very beautiful at the beginning of the spring season, but this temporal fascinating beauty only lasts over a few weeks of the Spring.

Two primary schools were financed and governed by the Government of Punjab. Government Primary School for Boys and Government Primary School for Girls and later was under consideration to be upgraded to middle school.^[3] As most of the villagers are poor working class, they sent their children to these public schools. A few families in this village are quite rich and affluent (overseas money & Zamindars), so they send their children to private English medium schools. Most children, after completing their primary education, commute to Sooianwala High Schools to complete their secondary education. Ironically, the literacy rate in the village is very low compared to its neighborhood villages, i.e., Sooianwala, Madrassa Chattha, kot Hara, Nakki Chatha, Bhiri Chatha, Chak Ghazi, etc.

People of the village have limited options for leisure activities. Most of the time, they have to visit Qadirabad Colony, Sooianwala and Kot Hara to enjoy restaurant foods and various businesses. The young boys usually enjoy football, cricket, and Kabadi (a type of wrestling). In this regard, Thatha Shamsa's team has/had won a good number of regional cricket championships that were held in the region. But the lack of good playing grounds, kudos to local thugs and land grabbers, often force them to travel usually 2–5 km to practice and have an appropriate game.

• 32°15′47″N, 73°41′35″E
• Calling Code: 0547
• Union Council: Vanike Tarar
• Major Crops: Rice, Wheat, Sugarcane
• Major Industries: Farming, Fish Farming, Animal Breeding, Milk Processing
• Banks: No Bank
• Religious Places: 1 Mosque

The population of the village, according to 2017 census was 940.^[4]