Shah Allah Ditta
Encyclopedia
Shah Allah Ditta is a village and union council situasted in the Islamabad Capital Territory
, at the foothills of the Margalla Hills
. The village is named after a Mughal period Dervish
Shah Allah Ditta and bears significant importance for its natural beauty and historical background.
to Gandharan city of Taxila
by Alexander and Sher Shah Suri
while Mughal rulers and other emperors often passed through while traveling from Afghanistan
to the Hindustan
.
Shah Allah Ditta caves are located on the route leading towards Khanpur
. These caves are next to the shrine and tomb of Shah Allah Ditta.
2,400-year-old Buddhist era murals of Buddha appear on the walls of caves at Shah Allah Ditta.
Marked on the ground close to the caves the location where Alexander
arrived and was received by Raja Ambi, King of Taxila. The road next to the caves that leads to the top of the mountain, Shah Allah Ditta road, is said to be built on the exact path followed by Mughal Emperor Sher Shah Suri
during his visit.
Moving up the mountain from the caves, there is a stepwell
called Losar Baoli
and a mosque built by Shahāb-ud-Din Ghori
. The mosque has broken walls and the road leading to it is dilapidated.
As of July 2011, approx. 17,000 kanal land is privately owned, and approx. 6,000 kanal of land has been purchased by the housing society developers of sectors D-13, E-13 and C-13.
The federal government has only 30 kanals of land in and around Shah Allah Ditta.
Islamabad Capital Territory
The Islamabad Capital Territory is one of the two federal territories of Pakistan. It includes Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, and covers an area of 1,165.5 km² of which 906 km² is Islamabad proper...
, at the foothills of the Margalla Hills
Margalla Hills
The Margalla Hills—the foothills of the Himalayas—are a series of small-elevation hills located north of Islamabad, Pakistan. Margalla Range has an area of 12,605 hectares. The hill range nestles between an elevation of 685 meters at the western end and 1,604 meters on its east.- Etymology :Two...
. The village is named after a Mughal period Dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
Shah Allah Ditta and bears significant importance for its natural beauty and historical background.
History
The village is believed to be more then seven hundred years old and was used as route from KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
to Gandharan city of Taxila
Taxila
Taxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.Taxila is situated about northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road...
by Alexander and Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...
while Mughal rulers and other emperors often passed through while traveling from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to the Hindustan
Hindustan
Hindustan or Indostan, literal translation "Land of River Sindhu ", is one of the popular names of South Asia. It can also mean "the land of the Hindus"...
.
Buddha Caves
Relics of the Buddhist era dating back to the 8th century can be found here along with burnt diyas and trees with amulets tied to them.Shah Allah Ditta caves are located on the route leading towards Khanpur
Khanpur
Khanpur is a city and Tehsil of the Rahim Yar Khan District of Bahawalpur Division, in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. According to the census of 1998, the city population was 117,764 with an annual growth rate of 2.6%. As of in 2009, it is around 156,152....
. These caves are next to the shrine and tomb of Shah Allah Ditta.
2,400-year-old Buddhist era murals of Buddha appear on the walls of caves at Shah Allah Ditta.
Mughal Heritage
Archaeological evidence indicates that the caves and the platform-like formations surrounding the area were first used for meditation by Buddhist monks and later by Hindu sadhus before Muslim ascetics took over during the Mughal period.Marked on the ground close to the caves the location where Alexander
Alexander
Alexander is a common male first name, and less common surname. The most famous is Alexander the Great, the King of Macedon who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.- Origin :...
arrived and was received by Raja Ambi, King of Taxila. The road next to the caves that leads to the top of the mountain, Shah Allah Ditta road, is said to be built on the exact path followed by Mughal Emperor Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...
during his visit.
Moving up the mountain from the caves, there is a stepwell
Stepwell
Stepwells, also called bawdi or baoli , or vaav are wells or ponds in which the water can be reached by descending a set of steps. They may be covered and protected, and are often of architectural significance...
called Losar Baoli
Losar Baoli
Losar Baoli is a stepwell situation in the Margalla Hills near Islamabad, Pakistan. Situated near the town of Shah Allah Ditta in the potohar plateau, the area was known to be a passage way for caravans and armies moving along the east-west direction.-History:...
and a mosque built by Shahāb-ud-Din Ghori
Muhammad of Ghor
Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori , originally called Mu'izzuddīn Muḥammad Bin Sām , was a ruler of the Ghurid dynasty who reigned over a territory spanning present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India.Shahabuddin Ghori reconquered the city of Ghazna Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori...
. The mosque has broken walls and the road leading to it is dilapidated.
Preservation
- In October 2010, Capital Development AuthorityCapital Development AuthorityCapital Development Authority , is a public benefit corporation responsible for providing municipal services in the Islamabad city , established on June 14, 1960, first by an executive order issued on June 24, 1960 entitled the Pakistan Capital Regulation, to be superseded by the CDA ordinance...
(CDA) finally approved the plan after realizing the importance to preserve this 2,400-year-old archeological site. The plan covers conservation of the Buddha caves as well as the adjacent garden known as 'Sadhu ka Bagh'. This is the second heritage site in Islamabad which has been targeted for preservation; the first was the historical Saidpur VillageSaidpur, Islamabad-External Links:*...
, also situated at the foothills of the MargallasMargalla HillsThe Margalla Hills—the foothills of the Himalayas—are a series of small-elevation hills located north of Islamabad, Pakistan. Margalla Range has an area of 12,605 hectares. The hill range nestles between an elevation of 685 meters at the western end and 1,604 meters on its east.- Etymology :Two...
.
- The Taxila Institute of Asian Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, the Natural History Museum and the Department of Architecture urged the government to preserve such sites of Mughal heritage.
- Embassy of Japan in Pakistan, reportedly offered to provide funds for the preservation of Shah Allah Ditta caves.
Residential Land
There is approx. 23,000 kanal land located in Shah Allah Ditta village and its surroundings.As of July 2011, approx. 17,000 kanal land is privately owned, and approx. 6,000 kanal of land has been purchased by the housing society developers of sectors D-13, E-13 and C-13.
The federal government has only 30 kanals of land in and around Shah Allah Ditta.
See also
- Sadhu ka Bagh
- Saidpur VillageSaidpur, Islamabad-External Links:*...
- Losar BaoliLosar BaoliLosar Baoli is a stepwell situation in the Margalla Hills near Islamabad, Pakistan. Situated near the town of Shah Allah Ditta in the potohar plateau, the area was known to be a passage way for caravans and armies moving along the east-west direction.-History:...