Sunday, January 17, 2010

Visit Mardan

Visit Mardan

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Visit Mardan

The nearest Airport is Peshawar International Airport. This is about forty miles.There are good road connections to the airport.
Buses and private vehicles are the main ways of Transport. The roads are busy as Mardan is the link between different cities.

Unfortunately the train system which was developed during the British Empire has gradually disappeared. No train arrives at the once popular railway station.

Hoti Mardan

A large area of Mardan is called Hoti. This area is commonly known as Hoti Mardan.There is no boundary or geographical division between the two.
Hoti is a very historic city. Before the partition of India, there were many Hindus and Sikhs living here. Some areas still carry their old names. Hoti is divided by a River called Kalpani into two parts. Across the Kalpani is called Par Hoti. This is the main business area of Tobacco and other agriculture products. In the past it was very popular for traditional music sung by females. Some of the current famous singers and artists learnt their music in Par Hoti. It has a large open area called Eid-Gah for Eid prayers. The area called Shah Dand Baba has the biggest Cemetery. Apart from other well known personalities Sheikh Malee is buried here. TheComprehensive High School located close by was once an excellent educational institute. The main road leads to Shahbaz Garha, Swabi, Rustam and Pir Baba in Buner. The main Hoti Bazaar is very busy during business hours.
The Museum and one of the Asia's largest Sugar Mills are worth seeing. A horse driven cart called Tanga will entertain you with a long trip in the main bazaar as well as in the streets.

Guides Memorial

The Artillery used in this war has been put on display close to the memorial. In local language it is known as Topa Umara Khan, the name of a Pushtun war hero. The main church of Mardan is nearby and one can see and read the beautiful Pashto handwriting of Jens Christensen....(More about Guide Memorials)

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Mardan Museum

The museum is currently in a temporary building and will be shifted to a new site in the future.And we hope it will bring more attractions for the tourists.

(Read More About Museum)

Takhtbai

The original name is Takht-i-Bahi. This town is situated 15 km from Mardan on Swat Malakand road. In 1908/9 the ancient Buddhist history was discovered in the mountains. Large numbers of buildings look beautiful on top of the mountains.

Unfortunately the possessions of the houses and buildings have been taken away illegally and maybe decorating some famous buildings in the rest of the world. The population is expanding and new houses are approaching the site. If ignored for a few more years, the tourist and historic attractions will disappear. The authorities need to draw a boundary line, so no further encroachment is achieved. There is a need for a small and beautiful restaurant where people can relax before and after they embark on the mountain journey. Obviously one feels hungry after the long walk and for this reason the "chapli kebab" of Thakhtbai taste wonderful.

Kashmir Smast

This is also called Kashmir Smast. In Pashto language 'Smast' is a small cave where one can hide from rain and storm. This is about 7 miles from Rustum near Pirsai village. It can also be approached from katlang area. There are different opinions about this site. However the most convincing one is that this was the place of worship of Buddhist monks. The valuables have been taken away from the site but the cave is beautiful.

Shahbaz Garha

In local language it is called Shahbaz Garha. This is the place to take a break or rest when you are tired. This is entirely true. It is about 12 km from Mardan city. It has beautiful mountains, green trees, open fields and a small river in the centre of the village.

In old times all these facilities made it attractive for the army and travellers to dig in their tents here, stay for few days and organize their further strategy. The historic Stones of Ashoka and other sites like Mekha Sanda are worth visiting. The most attractive building of the new era is the high school (shown above), this has given a new look to the ancient stones of Ashoka.

The local people had put their efforts and resources in building the school. Well done and congratulations to them.

Many sites have been discovered in Mardan and it looks as Mardan was the heart of Gandhara civilization. One of the Buddhist monasteries is of Mekha Sanda, which is located 17 km from Mardan in the North Eastern side in the Hills of Shahbaz Garha. This site was surveyed and excavated by a team of Japanese archaeologists between 1959 and 1965. During courses of excavations a good number Gandhara art sculptures, main stupa, votive stupas, monastery, chapels and Monks' chambers were found. This site became a place for research and a tourist spot.

The name is derived from Pushto language. Mekha means a female buffalo and Sanda means a male buffalo. The arrangement of the stones is in such a way that it looks like buffaloes.

Unfortunately some treasure hunters illegally dug out the site in search of antiques and it has been spoiled. It is the utmost responsibility of the government to provide guards, restore this site and protect it from further destruction. So far there is no sign of it happening.

Jamal Garhai

Jamal Garhai is situated at 13 kilometers from Mardan city. It is situated in the middle of Takhtbai and Shahbaz Garha at an equal distance of 12 kilometers from each side.

This site is funded by Government of Japan and to some extent by UNESCO. The team of experts from Japan and Pakistan work together on this site.

A company Sappers and Miners explored this site first. In 1836 Sikh General made it Gandaparas. This site was explored in 1876 first and later on in 1910-1911 excavation was done. The Kharoshti inscription was discovered from this site, having main round stupas. From this monastery the Kharoshti inscription was also discovered on which the figure 46 has been written. The Buddhist inscriptions from this site are kept in Peshawar Museum.

Sari Bahlol

This Buddhist monastery is situated on Malakand Road at a distance of about 10 kilometers from Mardan. It is on the top of a small mountain. By visiting this place one can judge the importance of this site and it reminds us the old history of the great Gandhara Art.

According to Dr. Spooner and Dr. Arl-Strain, it is a big treasury of Gandhara Art. The opinion is that a sudden fire broke out here and for this reason the sculptures remained preserved. Coins have also been recovered from this site.

The main attraction left now is the old huge wall. This is the only remains of this important site. The sculptures are in Peshawar Museum and may be in other Museums of the world.

The rest of the Monastery has been damaged by the people of the village due to the negligence of the authorities. The area on which this monastery was build is now totally inhabited by the villagers. This site is of great attraction and importance for the foreign visitors but sadly not for the villagers and the authorities.

Sawabi

This is a sister district of Mardan and part of Mardan division. The historic site of Hund and theKund Park are major tourist attractions. If you are a mountaineer or a true lover then you must visit the top of Kara Mar Hill. This is famous for the local love story of Yousaf Khan–Sher Bano.

Asota Stonehenge

Gandhara (The land of fragrance), situated in the North West of Pakistan, has a very rich cultural heritage. During explorations, surveys and excavations at various places in Gandhara, different archaeological sites are unearthed. These are dated to different eras. One such unique site is of the Asota Stonehenge. This site is 30 km North East of Mardan and just 3 km from Shiva Bus Stop on Mardan Swabi Road. There is a small link road to Buner.

The Stonehenge is in the form a circle of 21 slabs of Limestone. So far no proper scientific research has been done on this site. The stone slabs were brought here from Karamar Hills. This would have been a very tough and challenging job. After visiting the stones many questions rise in the minds of the visitors.Who were those people? Why was it built? How was it built? What is the significance of each and every single stone?

The human activities had started very early in Gandhara in the Pre-historic era. It is evident from different sites in Gandhara. It can be dated to Late Neolithic (5000 B.C) and early Bronze Age (3000 B.C).The human being was simple and lived in simple muddy houses. One thing is obvious that man was socially developed and there was a concept of religion.

There is an ancient cemetery close to this circle of stones. There is no clear record of this cemetery. It is possible that each stone might have been put in the memories of the brave ones or some prominent persons. It is also possible that each stone may just represent one grave. More theories can be established if this cemetery is excavated.

The common myth which runs in the villagers is that in this town that once there was a wedding ceremony. People had come from the surrounding villages. They came across robbers who started to loot them and possibly harm them physically. The victims prayed to God to protect them from the looters. Their prayers were accepted. But they themselves were turned into stones. So the robbers could not harm them. The Locals identify different slabs as bride, bridegroom and other people of the wedding party.

A systematic study and research of these stones will give some clues that how the ancient mankind used the sky for astronomy, the Sun, the Moon, the stars and its changing position. And how they measured time, days and nights and prepared a calendar of years. Stonehengehad already been discovered in different part of the world. Bull Ring, Arbor low, East Moors, Ring Cairns, Cumbria,, Long Meg,, Caster ton , Elva Plain, Casterligg, Salisbury England, Causeway in Ireland, France, Cardesa and Dakar Senegal.

Asota site is unique. It has not been preserved like Stonehenge in England. It could have been a big tourist attraction. But instead it has faced destruction due to the lack of interest by the local authorities and the department of Tourism in Pakistan. Very soon it will disappear and a precious chapter in the history of mankind will be closed.

Sheikh Maltoon

The work of Sheikh Malee was highlighted about 20 years ago when the Provincial government named the new housing project in Mardan as Sheikh Maltoon Town. This housing project is a great development and a step to modernisation

The elite and educated groups of people prefer to live here. The Town has many good points for living a decent and comfortable life. However it will be worth mentioning the problems which the residents are facing. These are:No safe entry to and exit from the town. Accidents are very common and as a result many valuable lives have been lost. There is a need for urgent under passes or safe traffic control. Lack of plantation on the streets Lack of proper sewerage and waste disposal system Poor lighting Need for roads and street repair work

It is up to the residents to solve these problems as no one will come to help. This can be in the form of making organisations like Friends of Sheikh Maltoon or Society of Residents etc. Only then they will be able to put pressure on authorities and elected members. This will be a real tribute to Sheikh Malee and his work.

Hoosai Park

Hoosai means deer in Pushto language.It is also the name of a small village between Shahbaz Garha and Rustam about 15 miles from Mardan. It is beautiful because of surrounding mountains, trees and a small river. The land is agricultural and all sorts of fruit can be grown here.

A great part of the land is the property of Mr. Wali Mohammad Khan from Amazo Garhai. He used to keep a few birds and animals in the farm. One of his sons, Dr. Kamal Khan, got the idea of converting this into a big Park. In the beginning the park was for a family entertainment only but recently it has been opened up for general public.

It was initially named as "Marghozar Park". The people call it Kamal Khan Park. However because of the locality and the name of the village a more attractive name is Hoosai Park.
Kamal khan was born on 1st April 1953 in Amazo Garhai which is a very historical town. This is about 6 miles from Mardan. He got an MBBS degree from Ayub medical college Abbott Abad.
This park is about in 60 acres of land. It has a range of animals and birds including African Lion, Chimpanzees, dogs, fish, eagle, Peacocks, Ducks, Thai birds and many others. These animals walk around freely in natural environment. There is also a Guest House, Swimming Pool and a plan for a Hotel. According to the owner of the park he runs this project without any help from others. The government is not keen in the development of such projects for the entertainment of the people. He is disappointed with the response of the government and has decided to complete this project with his own resources.Kamal Khan has applied for lions to the government of South Africa but he is still awaiting permit and other formalities.

Recently Wild Life Department of the provincial government has offered him a lion but Kamal Khan has not taken this offer because the lion family is different from his own lion. And there is a risk that the lions may kill each other. The common local concept is that the lions may kill human beings but if treated properly they can develop understanding and become friendly.
The people of the area are happy to have a natural park near by and hope the project will develop further in future.Mardan.com encourages families and children to go for a day out, visit the park and enjoy themselves

*Sadly Kamal Khan died in the beginning of 2007 due to a Heart Attack.

4 comments:

  1. Captain Mohinder Singh originally comes from Rustam.He recollects his going from Mardan on tonga and shabazgarha on the way where tonga would stop to convey that some inscriptions on the road side plank stone,Tongawala would announce on his own that there is some inscriptions which can not be read by any one. It is probably got inscribed by Maharaja Ashok who had adopted Budhism and inscriptions are for peace which he had adopted after the war of Kalinga and Ashoka was victorious.I wish I could visit Rustam,Hoti Mardan once and live around with my wife for at least one month.I am 80 years.A couple of friends have promised to help when so ever I make a move.I had gone to see my old house in Hoti Mardan in Eisa-khel Street.I have not forgotten that almost whole the street came on road to see us.Unfortunately,none from India had gone that side because of Language Pashtu to which Punjabis are not conversant.I send regards for Khanaan Sahib ,sugar Depot holder that thime.I had met his sons ,both supporting white beards. Dear Tap-Gul as his brother Michgul was not at home .Thankful to revered Khawaja Mohd. Khan Hoti ,the then Education Minister,in 1998 in Shepao Ministry.

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    1. I ,recollect to have gone to the house of RAUF s/o Dr. Abdul Gafar of Babu Mohalla ,shanker Bazar,Toru/Miaran road,Hoti Mardan on 21-22 November,1998.Rauf was away.His daughter had taken my wife in side and later on some letters were also exchanged if I recollect correctly.

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  2. Revered Aziz Ulha Khan member National Assembly may make some arrangement for my stay in Eisa Khel Street Old Hoti Mardan.

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  3. Pathan Hospitality had been so much known and recognised,saying,"Pathan could kill brother bit not the guest(Mehmaan.)

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