Study of the archeological site and surrounding land (CRI 2011)

My time is running short in Pakistan, which means I am trying to squeeze in all the sights I can before I leave. Luckily, I have like-minded adventurers and CLO (Community Liaison Office)-led trips to assist me in my quest. On a recent weekend, I took back-to-back trips while TJ was stuck in Islamabad for a work duty.

Our first destination was Hasan Abdal, a small city off the Grand Trunk Road that boasts a temple to which hundreds of Sikhs make pilgrimage twice a year. On the day we visited, however, the only expeditions we saw were by a gaggle of geese crossing an overflowing drainage ditch (left) and a giggly boy chasing us up and down the main street (right). The temple is famous for a rock with the handprint of Guru Nanak, but unfortunately, as non-Sikhs, we were not allowed to visit the temple. And as non-Muslims, we didn't venture into the meditation cell of Sufi saint and Guru Nanak rival Baba Wali Qandhari either.

 

I guess you could say that, with some help from the Mughals, the Baba won -- at least in terms of scale. Evidence of the dynasty's influence throughout the region can be found in Hasan Abdal, once a pit stop on royal visits to Kashmir. Hakimon ka Maqbara is the final resting place of two brothers and doctors (left) of Emperor Akbar, the builder of the Red Fort in Agra, India. Down a path lies a walled garden that was once professed to be the tomb of Mughal Princess Lala Rukh (right), but that claim has never been verified. If the Mughals went the distance, perhaps the Sikhs passed the test of time; both tombs are full of grafitti and poorly maintained, whereas the temple appears to gleam, at least from the small peek we could catch of the interior.

But the Mughals brought beauty with them as well. During their stops in Hasan Abdal, they wanted to relax in nature, so Akbar or Jahangir or both facilitated the creation a miniature version of the grand Shalamar Gardens of Lahore. Like the tombs in Hasan Abdal, Wah Gardens have lost a lot of their luster, but some impressive bas-relief carvings (left) and marble mosaic tiles (right) remain.

 

But the remaining structures give a good indication of the gardens' former decadence. The clear focal point is a huge pool (left) in front of a pavilion that contained baths, fountains, and waterfalls. The spring-fed water from the main pool circulates throughout the park through channels, some of which have since been stopped up (right).  

The main channel on the opposite side of the gigantic pool leads to one of the gate watchtowers on the gardens' perimeter wall. We climbed to the top to get a better view of the property, but our focus was drawn to a nearby hillside when explosions at a quarry sent resounding booms across the land (left). After getting accustomed to the noise, we were able to enjoy the view, including of the lovely buildings and pastures outside the gardens (right).

The next day, I set out on a tour of Rohtas Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is so large that it contains a village (left). The impressive fortress, whose perimeter is more than 4 kilometers (right), was built by Sher Shah Suri, founder of the Sur Empire, to protect the land he won in the defeat of yet another Mughal emporer, Humayan. Although both dynasties had roots in Islam, the Mughals more actively sought a universally Muslim society, whereas Hindus and Buddhists lived among the Sur. Ten years after Suri's death, the fort fell into the hands of the people it was meant to keep out: the Gakhars, a Hindu tribe that also eventually was converted to Islam by the Mughals. The Surs' bad luck continued from there; they evolved into Pashtuns, who were pushed into Afghanistan, then pushed back into Pakistan as refugees after the Soviet invasion.

 

The main entrance to the protected and preserved area of the fort is Baba Shah Chand Wali Gate (left), named after a Muslim saint who spent his whole life working on the gate yet refused to be paid. In fact, he died before its completion and is buried right outside it. Atop the gate is an area where court was held (right). From this vantage point, the judge and defendants could clearly see the execution platform across the plains. The execution of choice was hanging, and afterward, the condemned were simply cut down and dropped directly through a hole below. It seems to me that the worst punishment would be cleaning out the pit below the execution platform.

Another main gate of the complex is Langar Khani Gate, where elephants once brought in supplies and which leads up to Shishi Gate. On the day we visited, there were no elephants, but a young shepherd was searching for his goats (left). Between these two gates lies the king's palace, or Haveli Man Singh, named after a general of the aforementioned Akbar and built after Mughals won over the fortress. From the palace's crumbling top level, you can look over the kingdom and spy the more intact Rani Mahal, or queen's palace (right). 

 

At Shishi Gate, you can find some evidence of the fort's architectural details. In addition to the remaining blue stone (left), the gate once was covered with eponymous mirrors. At the Shahi Royal Mosque -- part of the Kabuli Gate, because it faces the now-Afghani city -- there are still delicately carved Muslim sayings and symbols (right).

 

The fort also features feats of engineering. After a short stop at the museum contained within Sohail Gate, we walked down into a well, which was built in case the fort came under siege and its citizens couldn't get to the nearby river (left). The well was waterless but full of chip wrappers, so I decided to look up and focus on how difficult it must've been to dig a hole so deep with manpower alone (right).