Garam Chashma
Sunday, 3 August 2025
Some places are so idyllic and unspoiled that it is almost unbelievable. One such place is picturesque, tranquil and pollution free town Garam Chashma (meaning hot spring) in at the edge district Chitral. The very sound of it is (sort of) strategic - the role Garam Chashma played during Russian occupation in Afghanistan not very long ago. The town is located on the bank of a turbulent torrent known as Luthko Gol that is full of trout; about two hours drive from Chitral City.
As the Fokker Friendship hovers over Chitral before committing to landing, one can see the beautiful sights through window of small aircraft: red roof houses dotted on the hill contours, alpine trees, and fruit orchards. Chitral airport is built in one of the serene gorges of the River Kunar. I stayed at the deepest place in district Chitral known as Mir Khanni - over seventy kilometers from Chitral. As per the plans that I had made to see different sights in Chitral valley during free brakes in the schedule of my assignment, I boarded a passenger Mazda that was ready to go to Garam Chashma right from the airport early one April morning.
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Labels: Chitral, Garam Chashma, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Sunday, August 03, 2025,
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Alexander’s Garrison in the Salt Range
Monday, 14 July 2025
This article appeared in Daily The Nation
The Salt Range derives its name from extensive deposits of rock salt. The Range stands as remnant of forts with bastions and temples. Exceptionally, this region maintains an almost continuous record of history that can define the evolution of society. Forts and temples surviving along the range are a reminder of how untouched many of the ancient remnants are. Alexander from Macedon came to this Range twice; one from Taxila and later when his forces refused to go any further from the banks of the River Beas. From here he marched towards the Arabian Sea on his way to Babylon. And, now an NGO is constructing a monument of Alexander near Jalalpur town in the foot of the Salt Range in district Jhelum.
The Salt Range derives its name from extensive deposits of rock salt. The Range stands as remnant of forts with bastions and temples. Exceptionally, this region maintains an almost continuous record of history that can define the evolution of society. Forts and temples surviving along the range are a reminder of how untouched many of the ancient remnants are. Alexander from Macedon came to this Range twice; one from Taxila and later when his forces refused to go any further from the banks of the River Beas. From here he marched towards the Arabian Sea on his way to Babylon. And, now an NGO is constructing a monument of Alexander near Jalalpur town in the foot of the Salt Range in district Jhelum.
For those who take their first chance to the area, the landscape all along the Salt Range is rock-strewn, lacking in softness and loveliness. In many parts, it becomes barren and uninviting. But, in truth, the range is dotted with historical wonders, romantic legends, archaeological remains, and varying geological formations. The surroundings are very quiet. Urial is also found in the Range though facing extinction. A journey along the range is exciting as well as informative.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Nation, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, July 14, 2025,
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Chillianwala Chase
Wednesday, 9 July 2025
People of the area are eager to help “at their own expense – when you ask anybody. One finds volunteer ‘guides’ who are forthcoming with a wealth of information. Chillianwala is a historic village that played an important role in the history of South Asia. It was a battleground where British and Sikh forces fought one of the decisive battles in the history of the Subcontinent in 1849. The quiet village has not changed much since then. Only slowly old agricultural methods are changing and tractors and wheat threshers are seen in place of bull-driven ploughs. Painted double-story houses are coming up where used to be conventional mud houses. The land is excellent with record carrying capacity and the display of seasonal crops is very powerful.
Read more »Labels: Chillianwala, History, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, July 09, 2025,
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Long Trail of the Heritage
Friday, 20 June 2025
Punjab is a gold mine for history seekers and curious travelers. You may find much more than what you hear or read. It pays to get out into the countryside and talk to ordinary people. What is more, people of the area are eager to help – on their own expense - when you ask anybody. One finds volunteer 'guides' who were forth coming with wealth of information. The distances in the hinterland are short but the landscape is so enormous that it had to be studied in parts like a large mural seen by a child.
Given the history and heritage, it is easy to fall in love with ‘out of the way’ town like Malka Hans. Once an abode of Waris Shah, who stayed here and composed universal romance Heer Ranjha, malka hans is still serene, tranquil and pollution free. Legend has it that Malik Muhammad (alia Malka) who was a member of Hans tribe founded the town some 700 years ago. Hans became powerful when Mughal King Alamgir conferred a vast land around Malka Hans on Sheikh Qutab Hans. In 1764, Muhammad Azam who was the descendant of Qutab Hans became head of the clan. Ran Singh Nakka treacherously took Muhammad Azam prisoner where he died in confinement.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, June 20, 2025,
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Pleased in PakPattan
Monday, 16 June 2025
Pakpattan - the name is enough to start the travelers, cautiously curious and devoted faithful dreaming. Already the magic words like sultans and saints are stirring in the head. Let your gaze slip over the dhaki - original citadel of Pakpattan - and the town will suddenly appear. The antiquity is its own message: the town is heritage, and heritage permeates the town.Enter the once walled inner-city through one of the existing gates and you will find yourself in archetypal form of an ancient town - crooked and narrow streets, dense housing, intricate woodwork on Jharokas, bay windows and doors. So many historic cities have developed losing much of their original character in the process during modern times, but Pakpattan has survived remarkably in tact. It is the entire urban fabric of the place that is historic. Though, the major portion of the fortification wall has disappeared. At places, the wall has even been utilized as a part of the residences. Four gates (Shahedi, Rehimun, Abu and Mori) have survived out of six but they are all crumbling. Now extensive suburbs stretch from the foot of the wall all around. Thin red bricks from centuries old wall are seen used in the new houses all over the town. The portion of the settlement that sits on the mound can be compared with walled part of Multan City.
Labels: Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, June 16, 2025,
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Mandi Bahauddin
Saturday, 24 May 2025
The name Mandi Bahauddin originates from two sources: Mandi (market) was prefixed because it was a flourishing grain market and Bahauddin was borrowed from the nearby old village Pindi Bahauddin, which has now become part of the town. After the partition, thousands of refugees from India were rehabilitated on the evacuee property of Sikh and Hindu landlords. Lately, after the construction of Rasul Barrage, people from the belt along the southern edge of Salt Range up to Pind Dadan Khan and other areas across the River Jhelum have been settling in the town. Due to migrations and an increase in business activities, the town has expanded in all directions. The result is that more than half of the population is living outside municipal limits without any civic amenities. More unplanned localities and kachi abadies are coming up every day. The tendency to move from rural areas to urban centers is on the increase.
Labels: Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, May 24, 2025,
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Salt Range
Thursday, 22 May 2025
The Salt Range derives its name from extensive deposits of rock salt. It stands as remnant of forts with bastions and temples. Exceptionally, this region maintains an almost continuous record of history that can define the evolution of society. Forts and temples surviving along the range are a reminder of how untouched many of the ancient remnants are. Alexander from Macedon came to this range twice: one from Taxila and later once his forces refused to go any further from the banks of the River Beas. From here he marched towards the Arabian Sea on his way to Babylon. And, now an NGO is constructing the monument of Alexander near Jalalpur town in the foot of the salt range in district Jhelum.For those who take their first chance to the area, the landscape all along the Salt Range is rock-strewn, lacking in softness and loveliness. In many parts, it becomes barren and uninviting. But, in truth the range is dotted with historical wonders, romantic legends, archaeological remains, and varying geological formations. Surroundings are very quiet. Urial is also found in the range though facing extinction. A journey along the range is exiting as well as informative.
Labels: Jalal Pur, Salt Range, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, May 22, 2025,
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Calling Abdalians
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Comfortably tucked in green hills north of Islamabad, Hasan Abdal is situated right on the Grand Trunk Road. The town's claims to fame are Cadet College and temple of Panja Sahib. This small and clean historic town neat is sacred for Sikhs.Hassan Abdal is famous for its cadet college and also serves as the gateway to some most stunning sites in Pakistan. It is from here that Karakoram Highways turns towards Northern Areas. It is a convenient halting point of Grand Trunk Road (G T Road) from where one can go to places like Abbotabad and Northern Areas, Peshawar, Taxila, Wah, Rawalpindi. Coins of the Greco-Bectrians kings discovered from the adjoining tract suggest that the area was inhabited in first century B.C. Accounts of Xuan Zang, a seventh century Chinese Buddhist traveler tells us that the place was also sacred to Buddhists. However, presently the town is associated with Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion and Baba Wali Qandhari, a revered Muslim saint.
Labels: Hasan Abdal, Panja Sahib, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, May 21, 2025,
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Changing Chitral
Saturday, 17 May 2025
{This is an old article when I was stationed in Mirkhanni, Chitral} Picturesque Chitral town sits up in Pakistan's northwest district, walled in by the Hindu Kush range. During winters, the only way in is by air (weather permitting) as the two passes, the 3118-meter Lowari from Dir and the 3810-meter Shandur from the upper Gilgit Valley are closed to road traffic. The Fokker Friendships drone for 50 minutes and burst through clouds on descent to reveal on mountains covered with whitecaps and red tin roof houses.
This is Chitral. On the small airfield, the cold wind thrusts you to shiver. The remoteness of the district has left it undeveloped in spite of its grand natural beauty, hospitable people, and ancient history. The town is a base camp for tourists, adventurers, and researchers from across the world. And, people seem to be living there in peace.
Read more »
This is Chitral. On the small airfield, the cold wind thrusts you to shiver. The remoteness of the district has left it undeveloped in spite of its grand natural beauty, hospitable people, and ancient history. The town is a base camp for tourists, adventurers, and researchers from across the world. And, people seem to be living there in peace.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, May 17, 2025,
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Gogera Sadar
Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Situated on the bank of river Ravi on Okara Faisalabad Road, Gogera (Sadar) was once an important and dignified town in the plans of Central Punjab. It is reduced to a shabby and sleepy suburb of Okara today. Town still boasts its importance when it was British power centre and district headquarters from 1852 to 1865 and the part played by the resilient people of the area during War of Independence in 1857. The stories of the war that was fought around Gogera echo in the pages of history books.
The only historic building — a British court — that reminds of the colonial period has been converted into a school. The verandas of the old building with round arches have been clogged to create additional rooms and red thin bricks are covered with coats of whitewash. It was much better if the building could have been conserved in its original shape. That does not seem possible now.
Labels: Gogera, History, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, May 13, 2025,
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Where I Get My Supply of Salageet (Shilajit)
Friday, 4 April 2025
Some places are so peaceful and unspoiled that it is almost unbelievable. One such locality is the picturesque, tranquil, and pollution-free (and undeveloped) border village Arrandu in district Chitral. The very sound of the name is musical. This village is located 'on' the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Dir-Chitral Road bifurcates near the village Mir Khanni and a jeep-able track along Kunar River leads to Arrandu through Domail Nisar and into Afghanistan.
Gateway to South Asia, the Chitral valley has been the center of activity since ancient times. Macedonians advanced through this region in the fourth century. In 1338, Timur subdued the area on his way to the plains of Punjab. Mughal King Akbar garrisoned here in 1587 and the British in 1897 in Chakdara on Dir side of Lowari Pass. Young Winston Churchill was among the soldiers who served here in Chakdara, who later became Britain's Prime Minister. So far about the past importance of the valley, the little hamlet got international fame during Soviet occupation in Afghanistan. It remained in the news and was commonly called as 'BBC Baby'.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, April 04, 2025,
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What is Gujrat famous for?
Thursday, 3 April 2025
This article appeared in the Daily The News
Pass the River Chanab and one starts thinking of romantic folklore Sohni Mahiwal, the last and decisive battle fought between British and Sikh forces. These saints left their marks in this part of the world, micro encephalic children called 'Daulay Shah k Choohay' (rats of Shah Daula) or world class industries that are Gujrat’s claims to fame. But what you see while travelling on Grand Trunk Road passing through Gujrat is the nerve jarring rattle of auto rickshaws, tangle of tongas and donkey carts vying for space with mechanical transport, vendors and shoppers and second hand cloths (landa) hung on the walls. Even the lately built bypass is as crowded and encroached upon.
Read more »Labels: Gujrat, In Print, News, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, April 03, 2025,
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Mishri Mor
Tuesday, 18 March 2025
I have been passing from Mishri Mor (called 8 RD) all my life while going and coming home. This time Husain Qazi explored the hinterland and passed through Mishri Mor and he rang me from there. That is what reminded me of this, hence this post. Husain! this is in your name.
Labels: Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, March 18, 2025,
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Hari Yupuya to Harappa
Wednesday, 8 January 2025
Research by Sonia Saleem
Harappa or “Hari-Yupuya” as mentioned in the “Rig Veda” marked the height of urban development of the Indus valley civilization at 2600 B.C.E till 1900 B.C.E. for 700 years. Harappa is located in the present day province of Punjab, near Gogera, and in its full glory was the perfect prototype of a fully developed city of the Indus valley civilization. It was the perfect reflection of the kind of organized thought which the Rig Veda emphasized. [Wheeler, Kenoyer].[go over page 25 at the end].
Harappa has the same humble beginnings as any other large city. It began as a village settlement, gradually growing over the centuries to accommodate renowned craft industries, world accessible markets, and clean residential areas and cemeteries. Harappa is 128,800 hinterland, and 150 hectares in area. Harappa city was so developed and central to the Indus Empire that the name Harappa became synonymous with the dominant culture at the time, followed by all the other cities in the Indus region, right down to Kutch on the coast in present day India. [Rehman, Kenoyer].
Read more »Harappa or “Hari-Yupuya” as mentioned in the “Rig Veda” marked the height of urban development of the Indus valley civilization at 2600 B.C.E till 1900 B.C.E. for 700 years. Harappa is located in the present day province of Punjab, near Gogera, and in its full glory was the perfect prototype of a fully developed city of the Indus valley civilization. It was the perfect reflection of the kind of organized thought which the Rig Veda emphasized. [Wheeler, Kenoyer].[go over page 25 at the end].
Harappa has the same humble beginnings as any other large city. It began as a village settlement, gradually growing over the centuries to accommodate renowned craft industries, world accessible markets, and clean residential areas and cemeteries. Harappa is 128,800 hinterland, and 150 hectares in area. Harappa city was so developed and central to the Indus Empire that the name Harappa became synonymous with the dominant culture at the time, followed by all the other cities in the Indus region, right down to Kutch on the coast in present day India. [Rehman, Kenoyer].
Labels: Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Wednesday, January 08, 2025,
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Treat Me Like a King
Saturday, 28 December 2024
In villages, people still live without accessible roads or other civic amenities of this modern age. No telephone or the Internet, even electricity is a recent phenomenon; some are still without it. You see one village and you have seen all. This was the setting where I spent the first twenty years of my life savoring the freedom of adulthood. It is where I decided what (and how) I wanted to do with life. It is where my mother, brothers, and friends live. It is where I return whenever my active life allows me to. It is where I want to settle and spend my future.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, December 28, 2024,
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Lahore Lahore Aye
Friday, 27 December 2024
I first became familiar with the city of Lahore during the 1970s, and now, after wandering about in different parts of the world for over thirty years, I have come once again to be part of it.
Away from Lahore, I wondered if all the rhetoric about the magic city had any substance. Land of superlatives, Lahore is Pakistan’s second biggest and one of the most prosperous cosmopolitan cities, home to universities and colleges, spiritual centers, and historic, cultural, commercial, and political center. It has been a land of plenty for centuries. “Lahore is one of the greatest cities of the East,” wrote William Finch, a traveler from the West, in his journal back in 1610.” I found new answers every day.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, December 27, 2024,
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Say it with flowers
Flowers bring people together. Blossoms can fuel a flaming passion, calm a raging jealousy, comfort a living being and or earn a living. Presenting flowers or sticking a flower in someone's hair or on lapel is a romantic and cherished social folkway. Aside from romantic and poetic delights, there is commerce in flowers too. Now florists are seen in posh neighborhoods in most big cities. One can see single rose to bouquets on sale on every corner in urban areas. Rates of flowers vary from customer to customer and from time to time. Where the flowers come from?
Flowers come from agricultural farms. There are so many around the country. Patoki town is famous for flower growing and has one of the ‘biggest clusters of flower, fruit and decorative plant nurseries in the country. Growing flowers and tree plants and selling is a major business concern in the sleepy town situated in the suburbs of Lahore. Town famous for flowers all over the country is dusty with all problems of small towns: power outages, water shortages, lack of sanitation and management. Single bazaar in Patoki where one can buy most utility items is congested due to excessive encroachments of all sorts. Residential area in town is a mixed cluster of houses widely varying in size, style and quality. But, you cannot see many flowers grown in Patoki nurseries in the houses. Instead, people keep their cows, buffaloes and goats in the streets.
Read more »Labels: Nation, Patoki, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Friday, December 27, 2024,
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Pothohar Plateau
Thursday, 26 December 2024
This article appeared in Daily The Nation
The discovery of fossils, tools, coins, and remains of ancient archaeological sites gives enough historical evidence about Soan civilization and its continuity in the Pothohar (also spelled Pothwar, Potowar, or Potohar) Plateau. The people, colourful landscape, lakes, hill ranges, flora, and fauna are sufficient reasons to explore the land, which is largely off the beaten track, and one does not see many backpackers in the area.
Some of the world history has started from this region. The first residents of the land we now call home were Stone Age people in the Potwar Plateau. They were followed by the more urbane Indus Valley (or Harappan) civilisation which flourished between the twenty-third to eighteenth centuries BC. Some of the earliest relics of Stone Age in the world have been found in the Potohar region, with a probable antiquity of about 500,000 years. The crude stone implements recovered from the terraces of the Soan carry the account of human grind and endeavours in this part of the world to the inter-glacial period. The Stone Age men produced their equipment in a sufficiently homogenous way to justify their grouping in terms of a culture called the Soan Culture. Around 3000 BC, small village communities developed in the Potohar area and began to take the first hesitant steps towards the formation of society.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Nation, Plateau, Pothohar, Pothwar, Potohar, Potowar, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, December 26, 2024,
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Throne of Origins
Tuesday, 24 December 2024
This article appeared in Daily the Nation
The actual “Road to Swat” bifurcates from the great Grand Trunk Road near Nowshera. About a kilometre below the highest point on the Road to Swat, the commuters can see the Takht-e-Bahi Mountains in the middle distance from the road. The ruins of one of the grand monastery of the past are situated on the top of a 152-meter high hill, about 80 kilometres from Peshawar and 16 kilometres northwest of the city of Mardan. While Swat is famous for different reasons now (rise and fall of the Taliban), some interested people still visit Takht-e-Bahi - a Buddhist monastery developed between the 1st and 7th centuries AD.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Nation, Takht-e-Bahi, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, December 24, 2024,
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What is Gujrat famous for?
Saturday, 21 December 2024
This article appeared in daily The Nation
While cities are dynamic centers of creativity, commerce and culture, these benefits are often undercut by environmental problems, lack of civic amenities, inefficient governance, and administration. Centuries old historic city Gujrat is a classic example where one can see all the hazards of urbanization’.
Commuter who prefer to drive on familiar and congested Grand Trunk Road rather than going on isolated Islamabad-Lahore Motorway pass through Gujrat city that has stretched from bridge on the River Chenab to the bridge on Bhimbar Flood Stream.
Read more »Labels: Gujrat, In Print, Nation, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Saturday, December 21, 2024,
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