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. The Comprehensive
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 Pashtoon war hero. The main church
of Mardan is nearby and one can see and read the beautiful Pashto handwriting
of Jens Christensen.
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.
Sawabi
This is a sister district of Mardan and part of Mardan division. The historic site of Hund
and the Kund 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.
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.
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.
Stonehenge had 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.
