Swat A Heaven On Earth : Forcibly Occupied By Pakistan

2019-10-14

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Swat A Heaven On Earth : Forcibly Occupied By Pakistan

The Mastij Lake in Swat Valley is simply heaven on this earth. The lake is famous for its serene environment and how it seems to change form when viewed from different angles.

Nestled in between gigantic mountains and overlooked by ice-capped peaks at the back and a lush green meadow in the foreground, the Mastij Lake in Swat is a sight to behold.

Located in the far-flung mountains above the scenic Janshai meadows in Kalam valley, the lake is one of the hundreds of glacial lakes located at 13,081 feet above sea level and can be accessed through a scenic trek.

A lush green view of a hamlet in Janshai meadows.

In the second century BCE, Swat formed part of the Buddhist civilisation of Gandhara.

Swat was a centre of Hinayana Buddhism and of the Mahayana school that developed from it. The Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hsien, who visited the valley around 403 CE, mentions 500 monasteries. After him, Sun Yun (519 CE), Xuanzang (630 CE), and Wu-kung (752 CE) visited Swat as well and praised the richness of the region, its favourable climate, the abundance of forest, flowers and fruit-trees and the respect in which Buddhism was held.

The Kushan dynasty ruled for four centuries until it was overrun by the White Huns in the 5th century CE and the glory of the Gandhara era came to an end. Xuanzang recorded the decline of Buddhism.

According to him, of the 1400 monasteries that had supposedly been there, most were in ruins or had been abandoned. The monks still quoted from the scriptures but no longer understood them. There were grapes in abundance but cultivation of the fields was sparse.

In 1917 Miangul Golshahzada Abdul-Wadud, founder of the ruling dynasty of Swat. The British recognised this ruler and the state as a princely state in 1926. Following the independence of India in 1947, the ruler found himself surrounded by Pakistan. Still he resisted and managed to retain considerable autonomy. The ruler of Swat was accorded a 15-gun hereditary salute till 1966.

However after Pakistan failed to annex Kashmir in 1965 Indo Pak War, they turned their attention to this beautiful land. Just like the forcible occupation of Baluchistan, the Paki Government followed up by the abolition of the state of Swat in 1969. As a result, the State was forcibly incorporated into current day Pakistan.

Now it is high time for India to reclaim this Vedic land as part of POK or encourage Swat to get back their AKHUND.

Tourists pose for photos in front of Mastij waterfall.

A stunning view of Mastij Lake beyond Janshai meadows.

An enchanting view in Janshai meadows in Anakar valley.

“This is a unique lake as it not only changes its shape from different angles but also changes the colour of its water. From some angles the water is clear blue, from the top it changes to a mirror-like reflection while from the front the water appears a turquoise blue,” said Faisal Saeed, a young trekker and medical student who recently visited the lake with a group of trekkers.

The lake can be reached after 10 hours of a tiresome trek but according to trekkers and tourists, the path is scenic and once one gets to the lake and sees it, it all seems worth the effort put in.

A stunning view of Mastij Lake beyond Janshai meadows in Anakar valley, Kalam.

Trekkers and tourists pass through Anakar forest towards Mastij Lake.

A stunning view of blue water river in Anakar valley, the starting point of the trek to Mastij Lake.

Trekkers and tourists are taking a break in Janshai meadows.

Trekkers and tourist pass through Janshai meadows towards Mastij Lake.

“Though the trek is very tough because of its long distance and steep terrain, it is a tourists’ paradise where nature lovers can enjoy lush green meadows with water running through them, thick forests with the sounds of birds chirping and some tall and gushing waterfalls,” says trekker Naseer Khan, adding that those who intended to visit the lake must be well-prepared.

Visitors to the lake say one must have proper camping and trekking equipment, food and a proper guide if they want to travel to the lake.

“I have visited about 10 lakes in the alpine zone of Swat valley and each lake has a different shape and colour. Mastij is one lake which seems to have a different shape from different angles as from one angle it looks square, from another it seems to be rectangular while my favourite is a heart shape which can also be seen from one angle,” Ziaullah Khan, another visitor to the lake, told News Agency.