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Featured Pakistan: The Archaeological Marvel

Sathbain "Resting place for the Seven Female-friends (ستين جوآستان) " Tombs General View, Rohri , Sukkur, Sindh Province, 1896 (c).

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This view looks along a stretch of the river towards the collection of tombs. Cousens wrote in the Progress Report of the Archaeological Survey of Western India, 1897, "Rohri, unlike busy Sukkur, has a sleepy old-world air about it. Little or no external trade is carried on.

The river craft glide past it with the current to load and unload at Sukkur opposite...But it is an old place and signs of its antiquity are found in and around the town...With the thick groves of palms along the river below the town, these rugged hills, surmounted in many cases with old ruined tombs, and backed by the river and the bridge, give the place a picturesque aspect.

Upon one of these [hills], whose base is washed by the river, is a levelled platform containing a great number of graves most of them being covered with carved grave stones after the fashion of those on the Makli Hill at Tatta..."

Photograph of the Sathbain Tombs at Rohri in the Shikarpur District of Sindh, Pakistan, taken by Henry Cousens in 1896-7.

© British Library
 
Richard Nixon (later president of the USA) at Taxila.
Date: 2nd August 1969.

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President Yahya Khan wanted to Nixon of the USA something memorable. Someone suggested a Gandhara sculpture dating back 2,000 years. Yahya Khan liked the idea and a sculpture was purchased from a ‘dealer’ to present him.




The construction of the Taxila Museum was started in 1918 and was completed in 1928. The Govt of Pakistan constructed the Northern Gallery. Tourists all over the world and Pakistan Love to visit it.
About 4000 antique articles are at display at the Museum.
 
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Rohtas Fort is a historical garrison fort built by king Farid Khan (Sher Shah Suri), located near the city of Jhelum in Pakistan. This fort is about 4 km in circumference and the first example of the successful amalgamation of Pashtun and Hindu architecture in the Indian Subcontinent. Rohtas Fort is one of the most imposing historical monuments which represents the Pathan period of architecture style in Pakistan.

The Rohtas fort lies sprawling upon a low rocky hill to the north of Jhelum in a bend of the river Ghan (mostly spelled as Kahan). The gigantic fort is founded on steep rocks jutting into the river Kahan, its ramparts protected on the west and north sides by the river and by high hills on its east and south. It was never taken by assault and survives intact to the present day. The main fortifications consist of the massive walls, which extended for more than 4km; they are lined with bastions and pierced by monumental gateways.


Reasons of construction:

Sher Shah constructed Qila Rohtas to block Emperor Humayun's return to India after defeating him in the Battle of Kanauj. This fort lies on the old GT road between the North (Afghanistan and western Pakistan today) to the Plains of Punjab. It blocked the way from Peshawar to Lahore. The other reason was to suppress the local tribe of this region Potohar called Gakhars and Sher shah suri was scared from Gakhars and made the fort to save him self and rased army. who were allies of Humayun and refused their allegiance to Sher Shah Suri. The Emperor instructed the local Janjua Rajput tribe to help construct the fort to crush the Gakhars when the latter became openly defiant and persecuting laborers who attended the construction. The Fort was built by Todar Mal under orders of Sher Shah.


Getting There:

Rohtas Fort is located in Jhelum District of Punjab near the small town of Deena. The main access to the fort is from G.T road from Islamabad or Lahore. The fort is approachable from the main highway if one turns right at Deena, which is a railway station as well as one of the busiest bus stops also about 100 km. from Islamabad. It is, however, difficult to reach Rohtas Fort during the rainy season as there is no bridge on the river Ghaan.
 
Lahore Fort

Lahore Fort is located at an eminence in the northwest corner of the Walled City. The citadel is spread over approximately 50 acres and is trapezoidal in form. Although the origin of this fort goes deep into antiquity, the present fortifications were begun by Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar.


There is evidence that a mud fort was in existence here in 1021, when Mahmud of Ghazni invaded this area. Akbar demolished the old mud fort and constructed most of the modern fort on the old foundations. The fort's mud construction dates back to the early Hindu period. The fort is mentioned in connection with Muhammad Sam's invasions of Lahore in 1180, 1184, and 1186. It was ruined by the Mongols in 1241, and then rebuilt by Balban in 1267.

It was again destroyed by Amir Taimur's army in 1398, to be rebuilt in mud by Sultan Mubarak Shah in 1421, then taken and repaired by Shaikh Ali. The present fort, in brick and solid masonry, was built during Akbar's reign between 1556 and 1605. Every succeeding Mughal emperor, as well as the Sikhs and the British, added a pavilion, palace, or wall to the Lahore Fort, making it the only monument in Pakistan which represents a complete history of Mughal architecture.

There are two huge gates in the fortifications, one each in the middle of the east and the west sides. The western gate, known as Alamgiri Gate, is presently used as the main entrance; however, plans are afoot to open the eastern gate, the Fort's Masjidi Gate, to the general public as well.

The Masjidi Gate, built in 1666 during Akbar's reign, was the original entrance to the fort and faces the historic Maryam Zamani Mosque. Alamgiri Gate, a magnificent double-storey gate, was built by Emperor Mohiuddin Aurangezeb Alamgir in 1673 and faces the grand Badshahi Mosque and opens into Hazuri Bagh. The imposing semicircular bastions flanking the gateway have lotus petals at their base and are highly fluted, crowned with small, graceful domed kiosks. The fortification wall is built of small burnt bricks strengthened with semicircular bastions at regular intervals.

For access to the present entrance, from Circular Road (road encircling the Walled City) you should take a turning south, opposite the famous Minar-e-Pakistan tower dominating the expanse of Iqbal Park or Minar-e-Pakistan Park (formerly Minto Park). The wall that you will notice from the Circular Road is the Sikh Period perimeter wall, beyond which the original Mughal fortification wall is visible. The road leads to Hazuri Bagh and Badshahi Mosque. As you enter the Hazuri Bagh perimeter, you will find the massive Alamgiri Gate on your left side.

Before entering the Hazuri Bagh, if you turn your attention to the Mughal fortification wall, you will be able to enjoy a spectacular tile-mosaic mural wall, extending to nearly 1500 feet and about 55 feet high. This is the famed Pictured Wall of the Great Mughals, of which the Hathi Pol-the lofty Shahjahani Gateway—is an integral part. This gateway allowed the royal entourage on elephants to enter the citadel, traversing the elephant ramp that terminates at the forecourt of Shah Burj.

The Pictured Wall, so labelled by archaeologist Ph. Vogel in his monograph, extends the whole length of the west fortification wall, with belvederes situated in the Shah Burj including the famous Naulakha Pavilion visible from the lower level. The view from below hardly prepares you for the spectacular structures you will find when you enter the Shah Burj quadrangle.

The mural wall turns the corner and continues as the north fortification wall, with several pavilions situated on the top and overlooking the north aspect—this is the area where once the waters of the Ravi washed the foundations of the fortification wall. This is where a promenade with beautifully laid out gardens by the river bank, along with spaces where elephant and other animal fights were held for the amusement of the royal family and the courtiers watching from an eminence.

The Pictured Wall is a spectacular display of Mughal court life and is a remarkable mural, the only one of its kind in the world. where most of the northern wall was rendered in tile mosaic (kashi) during Jahangir's reign, part of the north wall, under Shah Burj and the whole of the west wall is the work of Shah Jahan. Interestingly, the same architect, Abdul Karim Mamur Khan, was employed by Jahangir and during the early part of Shah Jahan's reign, a fact which was instrumental in bringing harmony to the two sections. However, if examined carefully, certain differences can be seen between the walls of the two periods.

The citadel is divided into different sections, each creating its own world within its quadrangle, but they are all interconnected for ease of administration of the fort. In the various sections of the citadel you will be able to enjoy the contribution of successive Mughal emperors—at least three of the Great Mughals are represented within the confines of the citadel, namely Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. The fourth, Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir, although he built outside the citadel, constructed the impressive Badshahi Mosque and, like the other three left an indelible architectural mark on the cultural map of Lahore.


Maidan Diwan-e-Aam (Garden of Public Audience) located in the south of the citadel, is the earliest and the most important element of Mughal court ceremonial spaces. Its generous dimensions of 730'x460' providing an arena of enormous scale once framed by a perimeter of cloisters, it allowed the pageantry of the Mughal court to be enacted with extraordinary splendor. The cloisters—numbering 114 according to historian al-Badayuni—and dated to Akbar's period, are no longer extant, their foundations alone defining the garden today.

Much damage was caused during the Sikh occupancy and Inter-Sikh wars, and after annexation many cloisters were demolished to construct European artillery and infantry barracks when the Mughal fort served as a British cantonment. From the garden you can see the British ceremonial steps lining the southern edge, leading down to the road considerably below its ground level. Although intended as a grand entrance to the fort when the Mughal wall was demolished to make way for the grand steps, this entrance is no longer used.


Diwan-e-Aam dominates the centre of the north periphery of the garden and carries the focus of all activity, with the marble Jharoka or throne gallery projecting from its rear wall. The Diwan-e-Aam is constructed on a raised platform bounded by a stone katehra or railing. The hall measures 187 feet by 60 feet and rises to a height of 34 feet. On the second storey, there are beautiful cusped marble arches at the back of the building, looking down to Jahangir’s Quadrangle. During the reigns of Akbar and Jahangir, the Diwan-e-Aam consisted of a triple canopy of velvet to provide protection from the sun while the floor was covered with rich carpets.

However, among the first orders given by Shah Jahan as emperor was the instruction to replace the velvet canopy by a wooden hall. Soon after, however, a sumptuous chihil stun (40-columned hall) was ordered both in Agra and Lahore. While Shah Jahan's Agra Diwan-e-Aam survives, only the Columns and footprint of the one at Lahore are original—the superstructure arches and roof being a British reconstruction.

The takht-jharoka or throne gallery which is located a few feet above the ground and projects into the Diwan-e-Aam is Shahjahani structure, as is the structure in the rear, the Daulat Khana-e-Khass-o-Aam, overlooking the royal residential quad—Jahangir's Quadrangle situated in the north. Today, the takht-jharoka is accessible to all. After climbing a few steps you might like to contemplate the aura of days gone by.

In your imagination you could conjure up the scene of the Great Mughal's court. For it is the Diwan-e-Aam, and its garden that became the stage on which the pomp and grandeur of the Mughal Empire was exhibited. The cloisters were decorated with costly shawls and carpets, each of the grandees competing to outdo the one next door, with the garden itself dotted with silver pavilions of the princes and costly tents of the grandees, lined with velvet, damask and taffetas.

In the Diwan-e-Aam, a portion of the original Mughal floor—brick flooring of 'old Lakhauri brick'—is distinguishable from the remaining floor. The original red stone poly-faceted column shafts, and the multifoil arched bases that had supported the original roof have been re-used in the hypostyle. You will notice a great deal of similarity with those used in Akbari architecture when you visit Jahangir's Quadrangle. The comparatively simple faceted concave capitals that you see here were transformed into elaborate stalactite capitals beautifully rendered with inlay etc. when Shah Jahan's Shah Burj was later built.

Daulat Khana-e-Khass-o-Aam is accessed by following the steps to takht-jharoka. It is a building cleverly placed to provide transition from the highly public area of the Diwan-e-Aam to the private residential apartments of the imperial harem.

The throne jharoka, overlooking the Diwan-e-Aam in the south, is set above the human height to ensure an elevated position for the emperor. 8'6" in length and projecting 4' from the wall, the elegant and regal jharoka, with its railing of delicate sang-i-murmur (white marble) is roofed over with an elegant sloping chajja and saddle-backed dome. The 4' wide galleries on the two sides of the jharoka, seem to have extended the whole length of the Daulat Khana, acting as a viewing gallery for court proceedings by the imperial female entourage, no doubt seated behind screens.

The building dated to the Shahjahani period was much mutilated during later rules. Consisting of a core of vaulted chambers—the central one an elongated octagon opening into an open-fronted aiwan—the Daulat Khana is bordered by an arcaded verandah circumambulating its three sides. It is a largely arcuate structure sporting, from a simple coved roof, shallow domes on squinches in verandah bays to more complex vaults. From the first floor of the building you can enjoy the freshness of the quad on the north, a chahar bagh bounded by royal pavilions— the zenana of Emperor Akbar. Originally there may have been an access staircase to descend into the quad.

However, it is no longer extant. Few of the original decorative elements in the building are now extant—indiscriminate Sikh over-painting and British 'military whitewash' having camouflaged most of the Mughal evidence. There is little doubt that at one time all surfaces were profusely ornamented. In spite of the loss of surface decoration, evidence of the sumptuous rendering of structure and surfaces can still be seen. On the north verandah, there are two sets of beautifully sculpted seh-dara (3-bay) ensembles consisting of a combination of white marble double-column shafts, and grey-black stone base and ornamental brackets. They are original Shahjahani elements, as are the marble dadoes (izara) with courtly inlay borders of double black lines and of multi-colored inlaid zigzag (chevron) design.

Makatib Khana is located in the northwest corner of the Maidan Diwan-e-Aam. Since there is no access to any quadrangles from the Daulat Khana-e-Khass-o-Aam, you will need to climb down the royal throne steps to return to the Diwan-e-Aam. Makatib Khana is the only inscribed Jahangiri building (1027/1617-18) in the fort, and is well worth a careful examination. It was designed by one of the most accomplished Mughal architects—Abdul Karim titled Mamur Khan, a favourite of both Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Placed ingeniously, this introverted building on the one hand faces the highly public garden (Maidan-e-Diwan-e-Aam) to the east, and on the other provides access to the select quad-precinct of the Moti Mosque located to the north, an area also accessible from several royal apartments located in the northern belt of the citadel.

The eastern facade, with its low level arcade, no doubt designed to relate to the height of extinct cloisters bordering the maidan, carries a tall aiwan (portal) in its centre. The inscription above the portal, while ascribing the building's construction to 1027/1617-18, "the twelfth year of Jahangir's accession by the devoted servant Mamur Khan," describes it as "the building of this daulat khana". This structure is conjectured to be part of a group of royal mansions on which the princely sum of seven lakhs Rupees was expended, and which were much acclaimed by Emperor Jahangir in his delightful memoirs.

The east arcade facing the maidan incorporates raised platforms likely to have been used as sitting places—indicating their use for news writers, mentioned by the traveler Montserrat as noting down the daily court events. As you step down into 62 ' square internal courtyard, you will find it framed by low-height arcade-like bays on all four sides.

The centers of two of these are accented by tall arched recesses and the remaining two by gateways, providing access to east and north mentioned earlier. The arcaded bays employ single-storey, wide pointed arches and accommodate platforms a couple of feet above the courtyard floor, possibly also for the use of scribes. You will find no trace of stone, since Mamur Khan selected the common brick as his basic building material, which once treated with chunam, a polished lime plaster, lent itself to a remarkable array of surface decoration.

However, today little of the once dazzling decoration employed as an integral part of the architectural countenance is in evidence. However, a few decorative fragments of colorful fresco based on floral and vegetal themes can still be seen—some in the aiwan ceiling and mucfarnas (stalactite squinches) as well as some in the courtyard alcoves. Makatib Khana leads directly into the Moti Mosque Quadrangle and to the celebrated sang-e-murmur (marble) Moti Masjid, or the Pearl Mosque.

Haveli of Mai Jindan dominates the eastern periphery of the Moti Mosque Quadrangle. Mai Jindan, (Chandan or Chand Kaur), was the mother of the infant Sikh ruler, Dulip Singh. This two-storey building may have originally been a Mughal structure, however, it is considered a Sikh structure due to large-scale additions by the Sikhs. The building now houses a collection known as the Princess Bamba Collection. This is the building where according to Fakir Qamruddin, during the Sikh War of succession the gruesome murder of Rani Jindan took place.


Jahangir's Quadrangle was begun by Akbar and completed by Jahangir in 1618 and contains some of the earliest Mughal structures in the fort. The area is part of a belt of quadrangles and suites lining the northern periphery above the Mughal fortification wall, and was dedicated to strictly imperial usage. Jahangir's Quadrangle, a quad consisting of royal apartments and a harem sera, was placed in a secure corner of the citadel to ensure the safety and security of the zenana. Also, since the river Ravi once flowed at the foot of the north fortification, the view from the royal quads, overlooking the vast countryside beyond, would have been spectacular.

Most of the buildings around this quad are built upon subterranean chambers, particularly those bordering the quad's northern, eastern and western peripheries. From recent studies, it can be inferred that the east and west suites were built at the same time as the subterranean chambers below them, pointing to Akbar as the architect of the imperial chambers.

The iwans represent the best of Akbari architecture in the region that is now Pakistan. In fact in the rendering of the sculpted imagery in the struts, they surpass the elements found anywhere else in the subcontinent. While there are many elements that are evocative of those employed in Agra or Fatehpur Sikri, there is little doubt that as the last capital built by Akbar, Lahore represents the high point of Akbari architecture in view of the experience gained by Akbari architects and crafts persons while building the earlier capitals.

Jahangir's Quadrangle, 372' x 245' in size, is the largest of all quads, except the Maidan Diwan-e-Aam. In the rectangular quadrangle is set a chahar bagh (paradisiacal garden) with parterres and walkways, cooled by an enormous hauz (tank) and an array of fountains. The central chabutra (mahtabi) or platform, accessed by narrow causeways provides a delightful seat elevated above the water reservoir to enjoy the amiable surroundings. A wonderful fairy tale scene setting decorated with oil lamps (diyas) and candles, was witnessed as late as 1843 by the Prussian Von Orlich when he visited the Sikh durbar.

During the British period the suites in the quad were converted into officers' accommodation, and greatly altered with additions made to cater to military requirements. At the time, the vast space of the original roya 1 quad was utilized to build several new structures consisting of 'cook rooms' and school rooms.

Haveli of Kharak Singh, the heir to Ranjit Singh, occupies the southeast corner of Jahangir's Quadrangle. No doubt it was due to its having been utilized by the heir to the Sikh throne that after the British occupation the first floor was considered suitable for the 'Commandant's Quarters', while the ground floor was used as 'godown and servants' house.

The first floor is presently used by the Archaeological Survey offices and ground floor accommodates the Archaeological Library, a remarkable storehouse of antiquarian books. If you have time, it is worth entering the library, since you are allowed to browse through the collection. The whole southern periphery of the quad would also have been lined with suites similar to the porticoes lining the eastern and western edges of the quad. Today, the surviving red stone seh-dara alone provides the clue to the ancient lineage of the structure.


Mashriqi and Maghribi Iwans (East and West Chambers), built by Akbar, define the quad's eastern and western borders. These symmetrically arranged chambers are the most spectacular of the quad buildings. Originally lined with five iwans or suites on each side, each unit is identified by original distinctive features—the red sandstone seh-dara (three-doorway unit) dalan porticoes. The seh-daras carry exquisitely carved columns and the roof chajja is supported by striking sculpted struts composed of the much-acclaimed figures of elephants, griffins and peacocks. Although the seh-dara is a trabeated structure—using beams and struts of stone—the rooms themselves demonstrate arcuate construction techniques in red Lahori brick which were utilized with great effect to produce lofty vaulted spaces and arched apertures.

Some rooms show simple fresco decoration, though in view of the damage inflicted upon these chambers by various rulers, including present-day custodians, it is difficult to distinguish and identify the original elements.

Mashriqi and Maghribi Suites are identical two-storey, detached graceful mansions located at the northeast and northwest corners of Jahangir's Quadrangle. They are of greater height and the east and west chambers and carry greater refinement in the execution of architectural elements. Although they are placed in continuity of the remaining iwans on either side, from their unique character and elaborate ornamentation of structural elements, it is evident that these mansions were reserved for the more illustrious members of the royal household—the queen mother or a favourite empress—or a favourite daughter such as Shah Jahan's eldest Jahan Ara Begam. Surely these mansions were the place where edicts would have been brought to be stamped with the royal seal, which was always in the custody of the most powerful royal lady of the day.

These mansions provide a delightful opportunity, to experience the most exquisite carving of the Akbari period. The polyfaceted, double-storey columns on multifoil bases of the deep set portico, and the moulded and carved brackets supporting the soffit of the deep sloping chajja (overhang or projection), are all incised with a delicate overall pattern. The most stunning of all are the flamboyant, 2-stage highly figurative struts, based on animal imagery, to support the deep eaves.

In each of the mansions, flanking the seh-dara are two projecting semi-octagonal balconies, with their bases elaborately fashioned out of innovative brick corbelling. Faint traces on the muqarnas of these provide evidence of the once highly decorative, embellished and gilded fresco work.

It is worth entering the seh-dara portico of the east suite since you will find an interesting two-level mezzanine arrangement in the portico. From the portico you can view the vaulted rear chambers, and gauge the splendour and loftiness of the accommodation.

Khwabgah-e-Kalan (Bari Khwabgah) is a detached single-storey arcaded palace building located in the centre of the chahar bagh overlooking the north aspect of the fort. Through its rear openings could once be viewed the verdant surroundings bordering the river Ravi. Today, the Ravi, having receded, is no longer visible, while the Bari Khwabgah (Great Chamber of Dreams) is a much disfigured version of the original building attributed to Jahangir.

In view of the evidence of historical sources regarding Jahangir's habit of rebuilding on the foundations of buildings constructed by his father, Emperor Akbar, the Jahangiri palace itself is likely to have been built upon the walls of an earlier palace or khwabgah, below which lie the subterranean chambers attributed to Akbar.

The current building presents a 19th century remodelled veranda in the front, while the 3-chamber arrangement in the rear with thick walls, vaults and squinches is indicative of original construction. During the British occupation of the fort, new constructions totally camouflaged the original structure and for a time, the building was thought to have been constructed by the Sikhs. However, after the removal of various additions, the building was taken in hand and was 'restored'. The pointed arches as part of the reconstruction effort were believed by the 'restorers' to be Jahangiri architectural expression, but really have no affinity with Jahangiri architecture.

You may not be able to view the interior of the building, since it is utilized as a museum and is open during fixed hours only. However, it is worth timing your visit to the fort so that you are able to view the collection. The interior is also worth a visit to examine the original arcuate construction of the chambers, in which evidence of fresco work on qalib kari (stalactites) can also be seen.
 
Mankiala Stupa

The round-shaped stupa stands on a base made of stones.


The round-shaped stupa stands on a base made of stones.


The Mankiala Stupa is located around 35 kilometres from Islamabad in the village of Mankiala near the G.T. Road. Mankiala is a union council of the Gujar Khan sub-district of Rawalpindi and well-known for the ancient stupa.

According to historians, Mankiala Stupa dates back to the Gandhara period, and there are several tales associated with it. One of the most fascinating tales about Mankiala Stupa is that Buddha sacrificed some of his body parts at this place to feed hungry tiger cubs.

Later, a stupa was built there as a memorial. According to the British Library, Mankiala Stupa was built during the period of Kanishka (128-151 AD) and first discovered by British traveler Mountstuart Elphinstone on his way towards Afghanistan in 1908. He also wrote a detailed account of his travels and mentioned this stupa in his memoir “Kingdom of Caubul” in 1815.

After its rediscovery, it was restored by the British rulers in 1891. There is another narrative about Mankiala Stupa. According to some historians, it was actually King Ashoka, the son of Bindusara and grandson of Chandra Gupt Mauria, who decided to embrace Buddhism as a religion after the Kalinga war in 261 BC as he was fed up with the bloodshed.

Later, he announced Buddhism as the state religion. He also passed an order that the remains of Buddha in Kapilvastu, Nepal, be cremated, and the ashes placed in 84 different boxes of gold or silver. These boxes were then buried in 84 different places in India from Patliputra to Kandahar and stupas were constructed there in a round mound form, having seven umbrellas over them - a sacred sign in Buddhism depicting seven heavens, seven skies, seven earths, seven skin layers, seven colours and seven musical notes.

According to some researchers, Mankiala Stupa is one of those 84 stupas. Today, the Mankiala Stupa seems like an abandoned place. An iron grill has been erected around the area to protect the stupa. Tourists, especially Buddhists from different countries, often visit the place.

The stupa is in a bad shape due to negligence and desperately needs some restoration work. Wild grass has grown on the stupa while the stone blocks of its base remain broken. The relics deposited in the stupa were found by Jean-Baptiste Ventura in 1830. But all these items are now in the British Museum, London.
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Great Stupa, Manikiala Rawalpindi District.. Date: 1870

Photographer: Joseph David Beglar



Alexander Cunningham wrote in the Archaeological Survey of India Report for the Year 1872-3,

"The great tope of Manikyala is a hemisphere 127 feet 9 inches in diameter, resting on a cylindrical neck, 15 feet in height. This is surrounded by a raised terrace 18¾ feet in breadth, and 13 feet 4¾ inches in height. The total height of the dome, as it now stands, is therefore 92 feet 3¼ inches...The great mass of the tope is built of huge rough blocks of sandstone inside, with a carefully-smoothed facing of kankar outside the dome, and of sandstone in the spaces between the pilasters, both of the cylindrical neck and of the terrace plinth."
 
Nagarparkar: Land of History and Architectural Marvels


Nagarparkar

A small town neighboring the Indian border in Sindh. Situated at the foot of the dramatic and mineral-rich Karunjhar hill, the desert is home to centuries-old Jain and Hindu temples, a white-marble mosque, a magical well and thousands of resident snakes!

Nagarparkar Marvels




Born from under the sea, Nagarparkar is a small town situated at the foot of the dramatic and mineral-rich Karunjhar hills, and neighbors the Indian border in Sindh. Surrounded by rocky belts and sand dunes, the desert is home to centuries-old Jain and Hindu temples, a white marble mosque, a magical well, thousands of resident snakes, memorial stones, granite deposits and rare flora and fauna.


It is said that the Karunjhar hills provide 1.25 kg of gold every day in the form of red granite stone, china clay, and honey. An embodiment of remarkable architecture, there are over twelve Jain temples found in the area.

These date back to as far as the 14th century – the era when the Jain architectural expression was at its ultimate – and are now one of the important heritage sites of Pakistan. Some of the notable shrines include; Karoonjar Jain, Virvah Jain, Gori and a cluster of three temples at Bodhesar etc.


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The Gori temple in Nagarparkar area of Tharparkar district

These are richly decorated with sculptures and paintings. The carvings on the pillars and entrances of these temples are magnificent for their intricacy. One of these sanctuaries is believed to have been built by a Jain woman and is locally called Poni Daharo.


The walls of these abandoned buildings are geometric steps of marble — a particular style that shows up everywhere from the temple’s steps to the frames carved inside some of its walls and are widely seen among Jain constructions.




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A glimpse into desert life


The canopies at the entrance of these temples are decorated with paintings that represent Jain mythology. It is believed that the frescoes at Gori temple are some of the oldest Jain frescoes in existence.
Unfortunately, not much has been done to conserve these heritage sites and some are merely ruins of what were once considered architectural wonders. Nagarparkar is home to almost 200,000 inhabitants, who mostly belong to modest backgrounds.

The town is majorly inhabited by Hindus, who have historically lived in harmony with the Muslim minority. In fact, the famous temples of the area make it mostly a town of the Hindus and Muslim pilgrims who visit each year to perform religious rituals or attend meals at the local shrines.


Nagarparkar Marvels


Women carrying water in Tharparkar district, Sindh

Bhodesar Mosque

Alongside the pond at the foothill of the Karunjhar lies a beautiful, shining white mosque. This remarkable structure, built entirely with cold and welcoming marble, is said to have been built by Sultan Mehmood Begra, the ruler of Gujarat. An inscription on the mosque lists the year 1505, which is also a reminder of the Jain-inspired architecture at the mosque.



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Bhodesar Temples (Jai), Nagarparkar, Built around the 9th century CE by a Jain woman named Poni Daharo


Durga Mata Temple

Found on the Churrio Jabal hill, this historic Hindu sanctuary hosts up to 200,000 pilgrims annually on Shivratri. Visitors bring cremated ashes of their departed beloveds to immerse in the holy water.



Nagarparkar Marvels


Ancient Bhodeser Jain Temple, Nagarparkar, Sindh, Pakistan.

The valuable and multi-coloured hill supporting the temple is mined for its rare and expensive granite, which is posing a serious threat to the foundation of the house of the Hindu goddess, Durga.



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Marvi’s Well

Located in the Bhalwa village, this well is considered as one of the primary cultural standpoints of the Thar Desert and has now been extended into a cultural center. This complex is a historical reminder of the story of Umar and Marvi. Umar Soomro, a local ruler of the area in the 13th century, fell in love with the beautiful Marvi while she was drawing water from this well.


Nagarparkar Marvels



The story, however, takes a bleak turn where after continuous rejection, King Umar kidnapped the girl and kept her hostage for a year in hopes for her to settle one day.

But after realizing that no number of jewels could waive Marvi’s love for her fiancé back in her town, alas, he had to let her go. Marvi was immortalized because of her strong-will, determined character and her pure love for her homeland. She is remembered today as one of the bravest women in Sindhi history.


Lodging and Logistics

What was once a remote taluka, attended only by Hindu pilgrims, was connected to the rest of the world with a road in 2008, and since then, increasing numbers of visitors are responsible for the lack of upkeep of the prevalent temples. The area is almost two hours away from Mithi, which can be reached by road from Karachi via Mirpurkhas.

Lodging facilities have been almost non-existent in the area, except for a few rest houses that are only open to government employees and their families.

However, in 2017, the Sindh culture and tourism ministry opened the ‘Rooplo Kolhi Resort’ at Nagarparkar, in hopes of promoting tourism in the area.
On the other hand, ones with wandering souls can rent a charpai, a traditional woven bed used in the Indian subcontinent, from any local restaurant or dhaba to spend the night under the starry skies of Thar.
 
Troops Of Malakand Field Force Around Buddhist Stupa At Shingardar Swat, Circa 1897.

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Ghalegay (Pashto: غالیګے‎) is a village of Swat valley, located at a distance of 14 km south of Mingora, on the left bank of Swat River. It is one of the main villages lying between the two cities, Mingora and Barikot.

The largest stupa of the Indian subcontinent is located in village Shingardar (a village between Ghalegay and Barikot). This stupa is a remnant of Buddhist era, and is one of the thousands ancient monuments in Swat Valley.

It was built by Uttarasena, an ancient king of Swat, to enshrine his share of the relics of Buddha. The building of stupa is made of large stones and layers of thin slate.

On the way to Mingora there is a statue of Buddha sculptured in a rock on the right side of G.T. road. There are also some remnants in a cave beside this statue.
 
Buddhist tomb near Ali Masjid, Khyber Pass, Circa 1878-1879.


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Photograph of a Buddhist tomb near Ali Masjid. The stone tomb is tiered and has ornate carvings of the Buddha and animals. Sections of the tomb are damaged and the upper right corner is crumbling away. There are mountains behind.

The photographer John Burke travelled with the Peshawar Valley Field Force during the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-80), one of a series of conflicts between Britain and Russia over control of Afghanistan. As well as photographing key strategic sites and soldiers involved in the conflict he also captured interesting archaeological sites.

© John Burke / Royal Collection Trust
 
Ruined Stupa At Khyber Pass, Circa 1883.

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Khyber Also Spelled Khaybar, Or Khaibar, Most northerly and important of the passes between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The pass connects Kābul with Peshāwar. The pass has historically been the gateway for invasions of the Indian subcontinent from the northwest. The name Khyber is also applied to the range of arid, broken hills through which the pass runs and which form the last spurs of the Spin Ghar (Safīd Kūh) Range.

On either side of the connecting ridge are the sources of two small streams, the beds of which form the Khyber gorge. This narrow gorge forms the Khyber Pass; it winds between cliffs of shale and limestone, 600–1,000 feet (180–300 m) high, and enters the Khyber Hills from the Shadi Bagiār opening, a few miles beyond Jamrūd, Pak., and continues northwestward for about 33 miles (53 km). Just beyond the old Afghan fort of Haft Chāh, it opens onto the barren Lowyah Dakkah plain, which stretches to the Kābul River.

After a steep ascent at its southern entrance, the pass rises gradually to Fort Ali Masjid (3,174 feet), where the Khyber River (Khyber Khwār) leaves the pass to the south. For 5 miles from Ali Masjid the pass becomes a defile not more than 600 feet wide, flanked by imposing and precipitous walls. From Zīntara village on northward, the pass becomes a valley a mile or more wide, with forts, villages, and scattered cultivation plots.

About 10 miles west of Ali Masjid lies Landi Kotal fort and cantonment (3,518 feet); this is the highest point in the pass and is also an important market centre with an alternate route back to Peshāwar. There the summit widens out northward for 2 miles. The main pass, however, descends from Landi Kotal through Shinwārī territory to Landi Khāna, where it runs through another gorge and enters Afghanistan territory at Towr Kham (Torkham; 2,300 feet), winding another 10 miles down the valley to Lowyah Dakkah.

The Khyber Pass is threaded by a caravan track and by a good hard-surface road. The railway (opened 1925) through the pass connects Jamrūd with Landi Khāna, near the Afghan frontier; the line, with its 34 tunnels and 94 bridges and culverts, revolutionized transportation in the area. The pass may be skirted by a road fork that enters the hills about 9 miles north of Jamrūd and emerges at Lowyah Dakkah.

Few passes have had such continuing strategic importance or so many historic associations as the Khyber Pass. Through it have passed Persians, Greeks, Mughals, Afghans, and the British, for whom it was the key point in control of the Afghan border. In the 5th century BC Darius I the Great of Persia conquered the country around Kābul and marched through the Khyber Pass to the Indus River.

Two centuries later Hephaestion and Perdiccas, generals of Alexander the Great, probably used the pass. Buddhism flourished in and around the Khyber when it was part of Aśoka's kingdom (3rd century BC); Buddhist remains include Kāfir Kot (Citadel of the Kafirs), Shopla stūpa (also called the Khyber Top), and the stūpa near Ali Masjid. The pass was used by Maḥmūd of Ghazna, Bābur, Nāder Shāh, and Aḥmad Shāh Durrānī and his grandson Shāh Zamān in their invasions of India. Ranjit Singh, the Sikh ruler of the Punjab, extended his kingdom as far as Jamrūd in the early 19th century.

The Pashtun Afrīdī people of the Khyber area always resisted foreign control, and numerous punitive expeditions were undertaken against them by the Mughals and the British. The first British advance northward into the Khyber took place in 1839, and during the First Anglo-Afghan War the pass was the scene of many skirmishes with the Afridis.

The Treaty of Gandamak, which was signed during the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1879, left the Khyber tribes under British control. In 1897 the Afridis seized the pass and held it for several months but after the Tirah expedition of 1897. The British became responsible for the safety of the pass, which is now controlled by the Pakistan.

Reclus Print Ruined Stupa At Khyber Pass, 1883. Nice print titled Stoupa ruinée dans la Passe du Khaiber, from wood engraving with fine detail and clear impression.

From La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes, 19 vol., 1875-94 (in English: The Earth and Its Inhabitants, 1878-94), great work of Elisee Reclus.
 
Saudi Arabia, Qatar keen to invest in Pakistan museums, says Zulfi
  • Zulfi Bukhari said the management of Lahore Museum would be given under the control of Archeology Department and a board would also be formed in that regard.

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia and Qatar were keen to invest in museums of Pakistan due to immense potential of religious tourism in the country.

Museums could play a significant role in country's economy through generating revenue but unfortunately, this sector was ignored in previous regimes, said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Sayed Zulfikar Abass Bukhari while speaking at a webinar on Wednesday.

He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had taken much needed steps for the improvement of the sector under the guidance of the prime minister who was a strong proponent of tourism.

Zulfi Bukhari said the management of Lahore Museum would be given under the control of Archeology Department and a board would also be formed in that regard.

The Taxila Museum was a beautiful museum with relics of the Buddha religion that attracted a large number of tourists across the globe, he added.

He said the government would also establish world class museums in Abbottabad, Kalash and Peshawar to acquaint the people with history, culture and heritage of the areas.

Chitral was a natural tourist destination, he said adding the government was working to refine its beauty.

 
Tomb of Jam Nizamuddin or Jam Nindo at Makli Necropolis in Thatta of Sindh Pakistan, was the Sammah Sultan of Sindh between 1461 and 1508 CE. Most famous ruler of the Samma dynasty, which ruled Sindh, parts of Punjab and Balochistan from 1351 to 1551 CE. His capital was Thatta.


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According to locals Karo Dero/Jakh Pir Dero, an old Jain heritage near Nagarparkar, Sindh, Jakh/Jakhau people stayed in it who were good in medicine/treatment cured the people from diseases.
Also says was meeting place of Sadwant and Saranga a Folk love story of Pari Nagar.


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Ancient Hindu Temple At Ambh, Khushab, Punjab, 1932 (c).

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The Amb Temples (امب مندر‎), locally known as Amb Sharif (امب شریف‎; "Noble Amb"), are part of an abandoned Hindu temple complex on the Sakesar mountain, located at the western edge of the Salt Range in Pakistan's Punjab province. The temple complex was built in the 7th to 9th centuries CE during the reign of the Hindu Shahi empire.

© Helmut de Terra / UWM Libraries
 
The biggest Buddhist Stupa is in Swat valley of Pakistan. It's called Shingardar stupa.

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This is believed to be around 2400 years old when Buddhism was flourishing in this region. Swat and Afghanistan is the gate way for Buddhism to spread in Eastern countries like China.

This stupa is a remnant of Buddhist era, and is one of the thousands ancient monuments in Swat Valley. It was built by Uttarasena, an ancient king of Swat, to enshrine his share of the relics of Buddha.
 
Great fort of Kot Diji in Dist Khairpur Mir's of Sindh Pakistan.

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The fort built in 18th century by Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur above a pre-Harappan Civilization archaeological site dating to 2500 to 2800 B.C.E. 110 foot tall high hill that rises above the city of Kot Diji.
 

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