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Skardu
Amidst a landscape of towering
mountains, deep gorges, crashing waterfalls and quiet lakes,
Skardu, the district headquartes of Baltistan, is situated on the
banks of the mighty river Indus, just 8 km (5 miles) above its
confluence with the river Shigar. Perched at a height of 2286
metres (7,500 ft), Skardu offers a cool and bracing climate.
On the eastern boundary of the district lies Ladakh, in the west Gilgit, in the south Indian-held Kashmir and to the north is the Chinese provice of Sinkiang.
During the summer, skardu attracts a large number of trekkers and mountaineers from all parts of the world. In fact, the entire region is known as a mountaineers' paradise. Nowhere in the world does one find such a large collection of lofty peaks, including K-2 the world's second highest peak, and huge glaciers like Baltoro, Biafo and Siachen, some of the largest in the world outside the Polar region, as in this 16,283 square km (10,118 square miles) of wonderland.
There are five main valleys in the district Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu, Rondu and Kharmang. All of them produce apricots, peaches, pears and apples in such profusion that this rgion is known as the land of apricots and apples.
Kharfocho Fort
The construction of Kharfocho fort of th King of forts at Skardu
has been attributed to the famous ruler of Skardu - Maqpon Bugha
(1490 - 1515 AD), the great grand father of Ali Sher Khan Anchan
(1560 - 1625 AD) by Hishatullah. But Moghal historains are of the
view that the great fort was built by Ali Sher Khan Anchan
himself. This view is upheld by European writers such as
Cunningham, Foso Marine, G.T. Vagne etc. Some observations about
this fort have been made in the Imperial Gazetteer of British
India. It states that one of the most famous of the Gralpos
(Monarchs of Skardu), Ali Sher Khan, who ruled till the end of
the 16th century, conquered Ladakh and built a fort at Skardu.
Mindoq Khar
This palace was built by Gul Khatoon or Mindoq Gialmo on the hill where now stands the Kharfocho fort only. The palace was named after the queen as 'Mindoq Khar' meaning the 'Flower Palace'. The Palace was destroyed by the troops of the Sikh ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Gulab Singh, when he invaded Skardu in 1840 AD.
Hilal Bagh and Chahar Bagh
Just below the Mindoq Khar or Flower Palace, there was a terraced garden with fountains built in marble. This royal garden covered the areas from Mindoq Khan to the present bazaar at Skardu where the newly constructed road crosses the channel. A palace built in marble with towers also stood in the middle of the garden, above the Polo Ground which is called Ghudi Changra. The palace was destroyed during the great floods in the area after the death of Ali Sher Khan Anchan and a marble Baradari was later constructed at this palace. This royal garden was named Hilal Bagh (Crescent Garden). Another garden was also laid which was named Chhar Bagh on the site where a Girls College stands now. The said garden was laid on the orders of the Queen while her husband was away to Gilgit and then to Chitral. As the mother tongue of the Queen was Persian, she gave Persian name to these gardens.
Buddhist Rock
There is
only one surviving Buddhist Rock with rock carvings in the Skardu
Valley located on Satpara road. Probably the rock carvings and
images of Buddha date back to the period of Great Tibetan Empire.
When the Buddhist people of Gandhara migrated and pased through
the present northern areas of Pakistan, they settled at some
places temporarily and carved drawings of Stupas, scenes of their
experiences and images olf Buddha with texts in Kharoshti
language. There were a number of such Buddhist rock carvings in
the Skardu Valley. Probably those rocks were used either by Ali
Sher Khan Anchan as building material or submerged in the Satpara
lake. Scholars and researchers like Dr. A.H. Dani from Pakistan
and some from other countries have done lot of research work on
these rock carvings and have since deciphered the text of the
carvings in Kharoshti language.
Satpara Lake
8 km (5 miles) south of Skardu, 20 minutes by jeep, lies the Satpara Lake. Surrounded by high glacial mountains, this lake has an island in the middle of its clear waters, which can be reached by boat. The lake is considered ideal for fishing.
Kachura Lake
About 32 kms (20 miles) from Skardu, 2 hours by jeep, lie the shimmering waters of the Kachura Lake. In the springtime its banks are adorned by a multitude of colourful flowers, while the trees are laden with peach, apricot and apple blossoms. The lake offers great opportunities for trout fishing.
Shigar Valley
The Shigar Valley, 32 kms (20 miles) from Skardu and 2 horus by jeep, is watered by the Shigar River. It forms the gateway to the great mountain peaks of the Karakoram, including Mount K-2. The vlley has an extremely picturesque landscape, and abounds in fruit such as grapes, peches, pears, walnuts and apricots.
Khaplu Valley
This beautiful valley of the Shyok River is 103 kms (64 miles) from Skardu and 6 hours by jeep. There is a sprawling village perched on the slopes of the steep mountains that hem in the river. Many famous mountains, such as Masherbrum, K-6, K-7, Sherpi Kangh, Sia Kangri, Saltoro Kangri etc. are located here.
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