Swat Valley: Land of Romance & Beauty
Pakistan Times Special Report

The recent unrest in the picturesque valley has cost its rich tourism industry to lose over Rs. 1 billion, claimed Badshah Khan, a native, who is dealing in hoteling and catering to the nature lovers for years.

Swat was until recently the hotspot of Pakistan’s tourism and the region used to be called Pakistan’s answer to Switzerland.

It would draw a large number of tourists, especially from within the country, but that has all changed.

The gem of Pakistan’s tourism that once attracted tourists from all over the world with its roads meandering the mountainous region along the River Swat, has been swarmed with miscreants.

“Once we were short of accommodation for tourists, but today we are awaiting for someone to come,” Badshah said.

The unrest in the remote areas has been increasingly perturbing because it is consuming the usually peaceful and scenic areas of Pakistan, such as the famed Swat valley.

Swat Valley has every thing which makes Alpine Valleys so popular, white water streams, thickly forested mountain slopes, lush green meadows and snow covered mountains.

Swat, the land of romance and beauty, is celebrated throughout the world as the holy land of Buddhist learning and piety.

It acquired fame as a place of Buddhist pilgrimage. Buddhist tradition holds that the Buddha himself came to Swat during his last reincarnation as the Guatama Buddha and preached to the people here.

It is said that the Swat was filled with fourteen hundred imposing and beautiful stupas and monasteries, which housed as many as 6,000 gold images of the Buddhist pantheon for worship and education.

There are now more than 400 Buddhist sites covering and area of 160 km in Swat valley only.

Among the important Buddhist excavation in swat an important one is Butkarha-I, containing the original relics of the Buddha.

The lush-green valley of Swat, with its rushing torrents, icy-cold lakes, fruit-laden orchards and flower-decked slopes is ideal for holidaymakers.

It has a rich historical past, too. This is “Udayana” (The Garden) of the ancient epics; the land of enthralling beauty, where Alexander of Macedonia fought and won some of his major battles before crossing over to the delta of Indus River.

This is the “valley of hanging chairs”, as described by the famous Chinese pilgrim-chroniclers, Huaen Tsang and Fa-Hian in the fifth and sixth centuries.

Swat was once the cradle of Buddhism of all of its schools, Mahayana, Hinayana and Tantrayana, where once 1,400 monasteries flourished. It was the home of the famous Gandhara School of Sculpture that was an expression of Greco-Roman form in the local Buddhist tradition.

It was also the historical land where the Muslim conquerors, Mahmud of Ghazni, Babur of Ferghana and Akbar fought their battles preparatory to the conquest of South Asia.

The valley of Swat sprawls over 10,360 sq. km at an average elevation of 875 metres.

Headquarters of Swat Valley, Saidu Sharif houses the Swat Museum that contains one of the finest collections of Gandhara art in the world. Mingora, the twin city of Saidu Sharif, has yielded magnificent pieces of Buddhist sculpture and the ruins of great stupas. Marghazar, 16 km from Saidu Sharif, is famous for its “Sufed Mahal” the white marble palace of the former Wali (Ruler) of Swat.

Kabal is 6 km from Saidu Sharif with its excellent golf course.

At 2,636 m above sea level, Malam Jabba Ski Resort stands on top of a mountain of the Hindukush range, north east of Saidu Sharif. Amidst its natural beauty and imprints of Gandhara civilization, lie the modern tourist facilities of a 52 rooms motel, 2 skiing platforms, chairlifts, roller/ice skating rinks, restaurant, telephone and snow clearing equipment etc.

At 1,830 m above sea level, Miandam Valley is 50 km from Saidu Sharif and recommended for those looking for a peaceful place full of fragrance and scenic beauty.

Both Madyan and Bahrain are a good stop-over while travelling from Saidu Sharif to Kalam.

Madyan is famous for its trout hatcheries and Bahrain for its meeting of two rivers and its handicrafts.

Kalam is the most popular tourist spot in Swat Valley (2,073 m) is 100 km away from Saidu Sharif. In addition to PTDC’s seasonal coach service, there is a regular private bus and van service between Mingora and Kalam.

Ushu, Matiltan and Mahodand Lake is the most spectacular area of upper Swat Valley.

Utrot-Gabral is another scenic valley of upper Swat, located 21- 29 km from Kalam.●