Saif-ul-Malook ; The Lake of Fairies in 1870's

[ghazi52]

Saif-ul-Malook ; The Lake of Fairies in 1870's

Lake Saif-ul-Malook – ranked by The Guardian as the fifth best tourist destination in Pakistan – seems like heaven on earth. The greenish-blue crystal clear and freezing water, surrounded by giant glaciers, including Malika Parbat, reflects the beauty of Saif-ul-Malook.

Fairy tale of Saif-ul-Malook

The history of this exquisite lake is much famous and attracts the tourists from all over the world. The story is about a prince, Saif-ul-Malook, who fell in love with a fairy princess, Badi-ul-Jamal.

The tale was transformed into a poem by Sufi saint and Punjabi Hindko poet, Mian Muhammad Bakhsh. The same poem was translated into Urdu language by a resident of Balakot, Ahmed Hussain Mujahid. According to the locals it is a place of fairies and demons, who through the extremity of weather display their anger.

A story teller narrated: “I have not seen the fairy, but I’ve seen the glory of God. Every month, on the 14th night of the lunar month, the lake is like a mirror – cradling the mountains, the sky, the innumerable twinkling stars, the glowing orb of the moon – so still, so clear, you can scarcely tell the between reality and reflection. It is a sight to behold! Many a night I have also seen lights, floating lights, a thousand floating lights, here on the slope, where and watched them disappear under the rocks. I have not seen the fairy, Badi-ul-Jamal, but I have witnessed the glory of God.”

Saif-ul-Malook was a prince of Egypt. He had a handsome amount of treasure which he inherited from his forefathers. Inscribed on the treasure were two seals; one bearing the image of Said and the other one being that of Badi-ul-Jamal.

When Saif saw the picture of the fairy he immediately fell in love with her. He then left his home to search for her, a journey that took six years to complete. One day a saint met Saif in a street of Egypt and gave him a Sulemani cap, telling him that it will take the prince to his desired place. The saint told the prince that he would find the fairy in a lake but he had to pass several daunting exams and also pray in order to achieve her, as she was a fairy queen and prince was human. A human eye can never see a demon or fairy as they are “fire borne”.

Saif reached the place and started a Chilla (pray for 40 consecutive days). Day by day his health get worst but he didn’t give up and prayed. After praying for 40 consecutive days without food and rest he became exhausted and weak. It was the 14th night of that month and he thought, “Maybe tonight I’ll see her.” Then suddenly he saw the fairy queen coming along with her maids towards the lake for bath. She was extremely beautiful with dark black hairs and radiant eyes. She was truly a sight to behold.

After talking to Badi-ul-Jamal, Saif came to know that she was trapped in a castle at Koh Qaf by Safaid Deyo (white giant) for the past 10 years. The white giant was also in love with the fairy. After listening to the story of the fairy queen, Saif took her and tried to escape from this valley. When the white giant came to know of this he created turbulences out of anger in this lake, as a result of which flood came in Kaghan Valley. They (the fairy and the prince) hid in a cemetery few miles away from Naran, but due to the flood Saif and Badi-ul-Jamal took shelter in a cave near the lake.

Legend has it that the Ansoo Lake in Kaghan Valley, a few miles away from Saif-ul-Malook, was created out of the tears of the white giant when he found out that the fairy was gone. According to the classic fable, the prince and the fairy queen still live, to this day, in that cave and dance above the water surface on the 14th night of every lunar month.

 

[ghazi52]

Lake Saif-ul-Mulook or Jheel Saif-ul-Mulook, as known in Pakistan, is known to be paradise on Earth. Ranked as the 5th best destination spot in Pakistan by The Guardian, the serenity and astonishing beauty of the land is unmatched.


Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit the lake has sung its praises. Apart from the paradise like the origin of the lake, the blue water, and the beefy mountains, the lake also has a tale attached to it. A local story-teller of the lake narrated the tale of fairies, Jinns and the jheel in a video.

Source: dailytimes.pk

The lake’s history is what attracts tourists and foreigners along with Pakistanis who come to see the magnificence of Allah Almighty, leaving their troubles behind at home. The tale is about a prince named Saif-ul-Mulook, a prince who fell in love with a princess named Badi-ul-Jamal.

Saif was a wealthy prince who hailed from Egypt. Inheriting his riches from his forefathers, the prince was much loved by his father. One night, prince Saif dreamt of a lake and a fairy. Waking up to reality, he went to his father and told him about his dream of the beautiful fairy and the lake. He instantly fell in love with the fairy. He asked his father, how do I find this fairy? How do I be with her? His father told him that he is human and she isn’t, the meeting is not possible.

Defying his father’s words, prince Saif left for travels in a bid to find his fairy. After many years, he ended up in Naran, Pakistan. There, he met a saint (wali) of Allah. He asked the saint how he could meet the fairy he dreamed of. The saint told him that there was a mountain hill and behind it is a stone, where you need to pray to Allah Almighty for 40 days and after that, you will know how to find your fairy.

After 40 days of worship, the prince was able to control two Jinns, who made him wear a ‘Sulemani Cap’ – a cap which when worn would make you invisible. The Jinns brought the prince near the lake where two fairies were taking a bath. As the narrator says, the fairies had come from Koh-e-Kaaf, a place near Russia. When the fairies started to bathe in the lake, the Jinns stole Badi-ul-Jamal’s clothes, while her fairy friend dressed and left.

Source: wordpress.com

The prince then lent his cape (chaadar) to the fairy he was in love with and took her down to Naran, hiding her wings. When the other fairy reached Naran, she told the fairy’s guardian, Deo-Safed, of how Badi-ul-Jamal had been lost on the way, not telling that she was with the prince. This angered the Deo very much, and he destroyed the whole lake in a bid to find the fairy.

With the water-barrier breaking, this caused a storm like situation for the fairy and the prince. This is when they started praying to Allah Almighty, to save them. To their help, Allah made a tunnel appear, and the storm passed them, saving both the prince and fairy. The story-teller says that the tunnel still exists. The Deo in anger jumped and ended up at a place now called Deosai, where he died.

Source: wallpapershd.com

The prince then took fairy Badi-ul-Jamal from the same tunnel back to his homeland in Egypt. The reason this lake is called Saif-ul-Malook is because the prince’s name was Saif and Mulook means the place where the prince and the fairy met.


Legend also has it that the Ansu lake in Kaghan Valley was formed by the tears of the Deo, who cried when he had lost his fairy. As per the classic tale, the prince and the fairy still live in that tunnel and come to the lake’s surface on the 14th night of every lunar month.

By

COGITO ERGO SUM

 

[KhalaiMakhlooq]

Does the word Saif-ul-Mulook mean 'faeries' ??
like the word Khalai Makhlook means 'aliens'

 

[krash]

Does the word Saif-ul-Mulook mean 'faeries' ??
like the word Khalai Makhlook means 'aliens'

I believe, Saif-ul-Mulook means 'Sword of the Kings'. 'Saif' is originally from Arabic meaning Sword while 'Mulook' is the plural of 'Malak' in Urdu which means King.

 

[Fatima Khan0007]

Lake Saif-ul-Mulook or Jheel Saif-ul-Mulook, as known in Pakistan, is known to be paradise on Earth. Ranked as the 5th best destination spot in Pakistan by The Guardian, the serenity and astonishing beauty of the land is unmatched.


Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit the lake has sung its praises. Apart from the paradise like the origin of the lake, the blue water, and the beefy mountains, the lake also has a tale attached to it. A local story-teller of the lake narrated the tale of fairies, Jinns and the jheel in a video.

Source: dailytimes.pk

The lake’s history is what attracts tourists and foreigners along with Pakistanis who come to see the magnificence of Allah Almighty, leaving their troubles behind at home. The tale is about a prince named Saif-ul-Mulook, a prince who fell in love with a princess named Badi-ul-Jamal.

Saif was a wealthy prince who hailed from Egypt. Inheriting his riches from his forefathers, the prince was much loved by his father. One night, prince Saif dreamt of a lake and a fairy. Waking up to reality, he went to his father and told him about his dream of the beautiful fairy and the lake. He instantly fell in love with the fairy. He asked his father, how do I find this fairy? How do I be with her? His father told him that he is human and she isn’t, the meeting is not possible.

Defying his father’s words, prince Saif left for travels in a bid to find his fairy. After many years, he ended up in Naran, Pakistan. There, he met a saint (wali) of Allah. He asked the saint how he could meet the fairy he dreamed of. The saint told him that there was a mountain hill and behind it is a stone, where you need to pray to Allah Almighty for 40 days and after that, you will know how to find your fairy.

After 40 days of worship, the prince was able to control two Jinns, who made him wear a ‘Sulemani Cap’ – a cap which when worn would make you invisible. The Jinns brought the prince near the lake where two fairies were taking a bath. As the narrator says, the fairies had come from Koh-e-Kaaf, a place near Russia. When the fairies started to bathe in the lake, the Jinns stole Badi-ul-Jamal’s clothes, while her fairy friend dressed and left.

Source: wordpress.com

The prince then lent his cape (chaadar) to the fairy he was in love with and took her down to Naran, hiding her wings. When the other fairy reached Naran, she told the fairy’s guardian, Deo-Safed, of how Badi-ul-Jamal had been lost on the way, not telling that she was with the prince. This angered the Deo very much, and he destroyed the whole lake in a bid to find the fairy.

With the water-barrier breaking, this caused a storm like situation for the fairy and the prince. This is when they started praying to Allah Almighty, to save them. To their help, Allah made a tunnel appear, and the storm passed them, saving both the prince and fairy. The story-teller says that the tunnel still exists. The Deo in anger jumped and ended up at a place now called Deosai, where he died.

Source: wallpapershd.com

The prince then took fairy Badi-ul-Jamal from the same tunnel back to his homeland in Egypt. The reason this lake is called Saif-ul-Malook is because the prince’s name was Saif and Mulook means the place where the prince and the fairy met.


Legend also has it that the Ansu lake in Kaghan Valley was formed by the tears of the Deo, who cried when he had lost his fairy. As per the classic tale, the prince and the fairy still live in that tunnel and come to the lake’s surface on the 14th night of every lunar month.

By

COGITO ERGO SUM

i hope i can visit there any time soon i have alot of stories about it , not sure whether they are true or not. thanks for the information , plus the pictures are breath taking SUBHAN ALLAH.

 

[War Thunder]

Does the word Saif-ul-Mulook mean 'faeries' ??
like the word Khalai Makhlook means 'aliens'

The story of Saif ul Mulook is associated with this lake. It's an old folk lore story from a book with the same name, where a guy travels through mountains and takes on a lot of hardship and trials to find a fairy he had seen and fallen in love with while she came to dance on the shores of this lake.

Apparently, there is a legend that fairies visit this lake one night every year to dance and celebrate.

 

[KhalaiMakhlooq]

The story of Saif ul Mulook is associated with this lake. It's an old folk lore story from a book with the same name, where a guy travels through mountains and takes on a lot of hardship and trials to find a fairy he had seen and fallen in love with while she came to dance on the shores of this lake.

Apparently, there is a legend that fairies visit this lake one night every year to dance and celebrate.

this is fascinating mystical deep heritage of pakistan need more of this

 

[War Thunder]

this is fascinating mystical deep heritage of pakistan need more of this

It's a very long and complex story mate. There is a very big book or series of books on it.
My grandmother used to tell me this story when I was a kid as my Grandfather used to have the book(s).
But they ende dup losing those books when they gave them to some one else to read...

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

this is fascinating mystical deep heritage of pakistan need more of this

We have a lot of this; but they're unrecorded and such folk culture is forever disappearing at a rapid pace.

When I was in rural Sialkot; I took keen interest in the folk stories that were passed down generation to generation - many of them were realistic and seemed to have some truth in them while some resembled nothing but fairy-tales. Only the elders, mostly in their 70's know of these stories as the young ones don't take interest in them. One of the elder's son rebuked him saying "Kafiro ka zamana tha, kya faida hain?".

One such story that fascinated me was of a massive forest that had exotic fruits made of gold, however, it was guarded by a group of giant lions/tigers (sher). Only the greediest of mankind would go to try their luck, none of them made it back. It was a classical example of a folk fable, meant to teach a moral/lesson.

However, the second part is what truly fascinated me. The lions of this forest left for one night, the only time in their history to witness the birth of "Raja Mulinda Ona".

During this night, a group of people snuck into the forest and stole several of these golden fruits. The fruits were so heavy that even the strongest of them were struggling to carry two. Because of this incident, the area were inflicted great calamities by angered "Jinns" as wells dried up and crops failed. It was only until "Badshah Ishki" that the curse was lifted as he killed the descendants of these thieves, took back the golden fruits, melted them and made coins from them dedicated to the Jinns to appease them.

The story is much longer, but this is all I remember.

Now, this may all sound like some made-up fairy tale; but me being be, I had a feeling that there must be at-least a drop of historical value to the story (as is with many folk stories). So I spent weeks doing research and trying to draw connections. It was frustrating at first, but I was not disappointed and I will share my theory.

Lets begin with the names. They mentioned "Raja Mulinda Ona", a person who was so 'great' that the lions of the forest went to witness his birth. I learnt that there was indeed a well-known King that according to some sources was born near Sagala (Sialkot) with a similar name; the Gandhari (a commonly-spoken language in the Indus region of that time) version of Menander's name was "Malinda". As for the "Ona" part, that most likely came from "Yona" which means 'Greek' in Gandhari.

Menander I was an Indo-Greek King that was according to some sources, born two hundred yojanas (eighteen miles) from Sagala (Sialkot).

I am still obscure on "Badshah Ishki", but the most likeliest candidate is Kanishka of the Kushans, who in local language is referred to as Kanishki, this is where perhaps "Ishki" comes from, some sort of abbreviation of "Kanishki". I noticed how they called him "Badshah" instead of "Raja", the Kushan Kings titled themselves as "Shahs".

Kanishka the Great of the Kushan Empire was one of the first Kings of the Indus region to mint coin in gold.

It was harder to draw connections on the other details; but here is my theory on them.

The "Jinns" they referred to were perhaps 'Gods' who were changed to "Jinns" as a part of Islamic synchronism. Many of Kanishka's iconic coins had depictions of 'divine figures' such as Buddha, Helios, Mozdoana and etc...

"Badshah Ishki" killing the descendants of these 'thieves' to 'take back' the stolen golden fruits could mean that Kanishka amassed his gold by raiding other tribes, who themselves were perhaps raiders.

The 'calamities' described in the story may have some truth to it, as there was a power vacuum (along with the chaos brought by it) before the Kushan conquest. These hardships were most likely alleviated by stable rule (under Kanishka).

These connections may be false or they may be real, I am still unsure.

@Indus Pakistan @Cobra Arbok

What do you guys think? Am I being overly-analytical?

 

[Cobra Arbok]

We have a lot of this; but they're unrecorded and such folk culture is forever disappearing at a rapid pace.

When I was in rural Sialkot; I took keen interest in the folk stories that were passed down generation to generation - many of them were realistic and seemed to have some truth in them while some resembled nothing but fairy-tales. Only the elders, mostly in their 70's know of these stories as the young ones don't take interest in them. One of the elder's son rebuked him saying "Kafiro ka zamana tha, kya faida hain?".

One such story that fascinated me was of a massive forest that had exotic fruits made of gold, however, it was guarded by a group of giant lions/tigers (sher). Only the greediest of mankind would go to try their luck, none of them made it back. It was a classical example of a folk fable, meant to teach a moral/lesson.

However, the second part is what truly fascinated me. The lions of this forest left for one night, the only time in their history to witness the birth of "Raja Mulinda Ona".

During this night, a group of people snuck into the forest and stole several of these golden fruits. The fruits were so heavy that even the strongest of them were struggling to carry two. Because of this incident, the area were inflicted great calamities by angered "Jinns" as wells dried up and crops failed. It was only until "Badshah Ishki" that the curse was lifted as he killed the descendants of these thieves, took back the golden fruits, melted them and made coins from them dedicated to the Jinns to appease them.

The story is much longer, but this is all I remember.

Now, this may all sound like some made-up fairy tale; but me being be, I had a feeling that there must be at-least a drop of historical value to the story (as is with many folk stories). So I spent weeks doing research and trying to draw connections. It was frustrating at first, but I was not disappointed and I will share my theory.

Lets begin with the names. They mentioned "Raja Mulinda Ona", a person who was so 'great' that the lions of the forest went to witness his birth. I learnt that there was indeed a well-known King that according to some sources was born near Sagala (Sialkot) with a similar name; the Gandhari (a commonly-spoken language in the Indus region of that time) version of Menander's name was "Malinda". As for the "Ona" part, that most likely came from "Yona" which means 'Greek' in Gandhari.

Menander I was an Indo-Greek King that was according to some sources, born two hundred yojanas (eighteen miles) from Sagala (Sialkot).

I am still obscure on "Badshah Ishki", but the most likeliest candidate is Kanishka of the Kushans, who in local language is referred to as Kanishki, this is where perhaps "Ishki" comes from, some sort of abbreviation of "Kanishki". I noticed how they called him "Badshah" instead of "Raja", the Kushan Kings titled themselves as "Shahs".

Kanishka the Great of the Kushan Empire was one of the first Kings of the Indus region to mint coin in gold.

It was harder to draw connections on the other details; but here is my theory on them.

The "Jinns" they referred to were perhaps 'Gods' who were changed to "Jinns" as a part of Islamic synchronism. Many of Kanishka's iconic coins had depictions of 'divine figures' such as Buddha, Helios, Mozdoana and etc...

"Badshah Ishki" killing the descendants of these 'thieves' to 'take back' the stolen golden fruits could mean that Kanishka amassed his gold by raiding other tribes, who themselves were perhaps raiders.

The 'calamities' described in the story may have some truth to it, as there was a power vacuum (along with the chaos brought by it) before the Kushan conquest. These hardships were most likely alleviated by stable rule (under Kanishka).

These connections may be false or they may be real, I am still unsure.

@Indus Pakistan @Cobra Arbok

What do you guys think? Am I being overly-analytical?

Very interesting post man, thanks for the tag. I am also interested in folklore, and yes most fairy/folk tales are based on an element of truth. I am not very knowledgeable about the Gandharan region, similar phenomena occurred throughout India. For example, most people who have studied ancient mythology notice the similarities in tales of Krishna and the Greek hero Hercules(Herakles). I am not saying I agree with the controversial theory that Hercules was actually Krishna, but as Greeks developed closer ties with South Asian kingdoms, especially the Mauryans, there was an overlap between the two. The Mathura Herakles is a good example of this.

It is also worth noting the similarities between Aesop's fables and the tales in the Jatakas and Panchatantras. Although that is another discussion, it shows that folktales during ancient times reflected the challenges faced by people in their daily lives, as well as contacts with different peoples/cultures.

 

[Pakhtoon yum]

Lake Saif-ul-Mulook or Jheel Saif-ul-Mulook, as known in Pakistan, is known to be paradise on Earth. Ranked as the 5th best destination spot in Pakistan by The Guardian, the serenity and astonishing beauty of the land is unmatched.


Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit the lake has sung its praises. Apart from the paradise like the origin of the lake, the blue water, and the beefy mountains, the lake also has a tale attached to it. A local story-teller of the lake narrated the tale of fairies, Jinns and the jheel in a video.

Source: dailytimes.pk

The lake’s history is what attracts tourists and foreigners along with Pakistanis who come to see the magnificence of Allah Almighty, leaving their troubles behind at home. The tale is about a prince named Saif-ul-Mulook, a prince who fell in love with a princess named Badi-ul-Jamal.

Saif was a wealthy prince who hailed from Egypt. Inheriting his riches from his forefathers, the prince was much loved by his father. One night, prince Saif dreamt of a lake and a fairy. Waking up to reality, he went to his father and told him about his dream of the beautiful fairy and the lake. He instantly fell in love with the fairy. He asked his father, how do I find this fairy? How do I be with her? His father told him that he is human and she isn’t, the meeting is not possible.

Defying his father’s words, prince Saif left for travels in a bid to find his fairy. After many years, he ended up in Naran, Pakistan. There, he met a saint (wali) of Allah. He asked the saint how he could meet the fairy he dreamed of. The saint told him that there was a mountain hill and behind it is a stone, where you need to pray to Allah Almighty for 40 days and after that, you will know how to find your fairy.

After 40 days of worship, the prince was able to control two Jinns, who made him wear a ‘Sulemani Cap’ – a cap which when worn would make you invisible. The Jinns brought the prince near the lake where two fairies were taking a bath. As the narrator says, the fairies had come from Koh-e-Kaaf, a place near Russia. When the fairies started to bathe in the lake, the Jinns stole Badi-ul-Jamal’s clothes, while her fairy friend dressed and left.

Source: wordpress.com

The prince then lent his cape (chaadar) to the fairy he was in love with and took her down to Naran, hiding her wings. When the other fairy reached Naran, she told the fairy’s guardian, Deo-Safed, of how Badi-ul-Jamal had been lost on the way, not telling that she was with the prince. This angered the Deo very much, and he destroyed the whole lake in a bid to find the fairy.

With the water-barrier breaking, this caused a storm like situation for the fairy and the prince. This is when they started praying to Allah Almighty, to save them. To their help, Allah made a tunnel appear, and the storm passed them, saving both the prince and fairy. The story-teller says that the tunnel still exists. The Deo in anger jumped and ended up at a place now called Deosai, where he died.

Source: wallpapershd.com

The prince then took fairy Badi-ul-Jamal from the same tunnel back to his homeland in Egypt. The reason this lake is called Saif-ul-Malook is because the prince’s name was Saif and Mulook means the place where the prince and the fairy met.


Legend also has it that the Ansu lake in Kaghan Valley was formed by the tears of the Deo, who cried when he had lost his fairy. As per the classic tale, the prince and the fairy still live in that tunnel and come to the lake’s surface on the 14th night of every lunar month.

By

COGITO ERGO SUM

My grandpa(may he rest in peace) used to talk to us about angles/fairies coming down there.

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

Apart from the BS superstition.

I see it as magnificient act of Allah to behold. The great artist, the creator of beauty itself, if this is a speck in dunya then what he has in akhirah is 10x times better and he has better than fairies with him. The most blessed, the most high, creator of everything when there was nothing. Nothing can perceive his greatness but he perceives and knows everything. He is the one who has put honey in an insignificant creature and milk between flesh and blood. Raised up mountains high and mighty, the Earth spread out for 1000s of miles, the seas raging with fury, serene flowing rivers.
He created each heaven like the eye of a needle compared to the next one.
If I wrote praises for the rest of my life it would not do justice to His magnificence and majesty.

 

[El Sidd]

At that altitude with low level of oxygen and surrounded by ancient peaks and mushrooms. Anything is possible

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

R u the guy with an old chacha as his profile pic???

At that altitude with low level of oxygen and surrounded by ancient peaks and mushrooms. Anything is possible

 

[El Sidd]

R u the guy with an old chacha as his profile pic???

Yes.
How may i help you?