Sacred Rock of Hunza

Last updated

The Sacred Rocks of Hunza or Haldeikish constitute one of the earliest sites of Petroglyphs along the ancient Silk Route. It is a cultural heritage site in Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. The carvings on the rocks dates back to the 1st Millennium AD. [1]

Contents

Sacred Rock of Hunza
Sacred Rock of Hunza 1.jpg
One of the sacred rocks of Hunza
Location Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Coordinates 36°18′47″N74°41′10″E / 36.3131816°N 74.6860350°E / 36.3131816; 74.6860350
Area Gilgit-Baltistan
Formed1st Millennium AD
Restored by Government of Pakistan
OwnerCommissioner of Northern Areas, Director of Archaeology, Government of Pakistan
South Asia non political, with rivers.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of Sacred Rock of Hunza in South Asia
Pakistan relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Sacred Rock of Hunza (Pakistan)
Pakistan Gilgit-Baltistan relief map.svg
Red pog.svg
Sacred Rock of Hunza (Gilgit Baltistan)

The rock is situated on a top of a hill which lies to the east of the Hunza River. The site is located on the main Karakoram Highway (KKH), positioned between the Ganish village and the Attabad Lake. In times past, it was accessible via well-worn stone steps and harbored a collection of Buddhist cave shelters. However, due to the harsh weather conditions and the passage of time in this mountainous area, many of these shelters have deteriorated, leaving only a few preserved examples. [1] The rocks are one of the major tourist attractions in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. [2]

Location

The Sacred Rocks (Haldeikish) are situated between the Hunza River and the Karakorum Highway and a five minutes drive from the UNESCO enlisted village of Ganish, near the town of Karimabad in Hunza Valley. [2] The rock is 180 metres in length and 9 metres at their highest point. It consists of four main boulders with two stages/portions of rock engravings and carvings. [1] It is easily accessible from the Karakoram Highway which connects Pakistan to China via metallic road. It is an isolated rock which is further divided into two portions.

Haldeikish

The name Haldeikish translates to ‘a place of many male Ibex’, with engravings of Ibex scattered along the rock faces, a message to all travellers that wild Ibex were plentiful in this area.

Haldeikish has thousands of petroglyphs in Bactrian, Sogdian, Kharoshti, Tibetan, Chinese and Brahmi written by the Silk Route's 'many' travelers. These petroglyphs show the diverse cultural exchange that once passed through the Hunza region and helped us to understand the history of this entire region from the first millennium CE. [1]

Specifications

The Sacred Rock is divided into two portions, an upper portion and a lower one. Both the portions carry carvings on them which are basically inscriptions and images from Pre-Historic era. There used to be many Buddhist shelter caves in ancient times which later collapsed or fell over the time only some being preserved. [3]

Upper Portion

The upper portion of the rock consist of inscriptions which are carved in Sogdian, Kharosthi, Brahmi, Sarada and Proto Sarada languages. The names of the Emperors of the Kushan Empire Kanishka and Huvishka appear in these inscriptions. The name of the Trukha King Ramadusa is also mentioned in inscriptions which are carved in the Brahmi script. [2]

Lower Portion

The lower portion is engraved by the images of Ibexes. These ibexes are shown in different situations, including being hunted. The carvings also contain Horned-Human deities playing with the ibexes. The carvings of the Ibexes are a proof of the ibex being an animal which holds cultural importance to Buddhists as well as to the region in ancient times. One of the carvings also shows the image of an ancient Chinese King. Some carvings show a Tibetan styled Stupa. [2]

Inscription mentioning Chandragupta II

The inscription mentioning Chandragupta II of Gupta empire reads ''Chandra Sri Vikramaditya conquers’' with a date corresponding to 419 AD. [4] If Chandra is identified with Chandragupta, it appears that Chandragupta marched through the Hunza. [5] The Sanskrit inscriptions at the Sacred Rock of Hunza, written in Brahmi script, mention the name Chandra. A few of these inscriptions also mention the name Harishena, and one particular inscription mentions Chandra with the epithet "Vikramaditya". Based on the identification of "Chandra" with Chandragupta. However, this identification is not certain, and Chandra of the Hunza inscriptions could have well been a local ruler. [6]

Preservation

The Sacred Rock of Hunza is a Cultural Heritage Site of Pakistan and is currently well preserved but still some the carvings carrying inscriptions are effected due to aging. There were many Buddhist shelter caves which fell over time and only few being preserved. [1] Commissioner of Northern Areas of Pakistan and Director of Archaeology are responsible for the preservation of the site, both acting under the Government of Pakistan. Due to recent flooding in Hunza River the site faces extreme danger in future. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandragupta Maurya</span> Founder of the Maurya Empire (350–295 BCE)

Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Maurya Empire, which ruled over a geographically-extensive empire based in Magadha. He reigned from 320 BCE to 298 BCE. The Magadha kingdom expanded to become an empire that reached its peak under the reign of his grandson, Ashoka the Great, from 268 BCE to 231 BCE. The nature of the political formation that existed in Chandragupta's time is not certain. The Mauryan empire was a loose-knit one with large autonomous regions within its limits.

The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire on the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century CE to mid 6th century CE. It was the seventh ruling dynasty of Magadha. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period has been considered as the Golden Age of India by historians, although this characterisation has been disputed by some other historians. The ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by Gupta and the most notable rulers of the dynasty were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II, Kumaragupta I and Skandagupta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandragupta II</span> Ruler of Gupta Empire from c. 375 to c. 415

Chandragupta II, also known by his title Vikramaditya, as well as Chandragupta Vikramaditya, was the third ruler of the Gupta Empire in India. Modern scholars generally identify him with King Chandra of the Delhi iron pillar inscription.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gojal</span> Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Gojal, also called Upper Hunza, is situated in northwestern Pakistan. It borders China at the Khunjerab Pass, and Afghanistan at the Chapursan valley. In 2019, Gojal Valley became the second Karachukar sub-division within the Hunza District. It is geographically the largest subdivision of Gilgit-Baltistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mintaka Pass</span> Mountain pass between Gilgit-Baltistan and Xinjiang

The Mintaka Pass or Mingteke Pass or Mintika Pass(Chinese: 明铁盖达坂) is a mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains, between northern Pakistan and Xinjiang in China. In ancient times, the Mintaka Pass and the nearby Kilik Pass, 30 km (19 mi) to the west, were the two main access points into Gojal from the north. The Hunza Valley is a mountainous valley near Gilgit in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. In addition, the two passes were also the routes used to reach Chalachigu Valley and Taghdumbash Pamir from the south. The name of the pass – Mintaka means "a thousand ibex" in Kyrgyz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilik Pass</span> High altitude border pass between Pakistan and China

The Kilik Pass to the west of Mintaka Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains between Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan and Xinjiang in China. The two passes were, in ancient times, the two main access points into the Upper Hunza Valley from the north. In addition, the two passes were also the paths used to reach Chalachigu Valley and Taghdumbash Pamir from the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Udayagiri Caves</span> Early 5th century Hindu and Jain cave temples in Madhya Pradesh

The Udayagiri Caves are twenty rock-cut caves near Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh primarily denoted to the Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva from the early years of the 3rd century CE to 5th century CE. They contain some of the oldest surviving Hindu temples and iconography in India. They are the only site that can be verifiably associated with a Gupta period monarch from its inscriptions. One of India's most important archaeological sites, the Udayagiri hills and its caves are protected monuments managed by the Archaeological Survey of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandraketugarh</span> 2500 year old archaeological site in West Bengal

Chandraketugarh, located in the Ganges Delta, are a cluster of villages in the 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, about 35 kilometres (22 mi) north-east of Kolkata. The name Chandraketugarh comes from a local legend of a medieval king of this name. This civilization can perhaps be identified with the Gangaridai of Graeco-Roman accounts. In early historic times, Chandraketugarh was connected to the Ganga by the Bidyadhari River and must have been an important centre of trade and possibly also a political centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chilas</span> City administered by Pakistan in Gilgit-Baltistan

Chilas is a city in Pakistani-administered Gilgit–Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the divisional capital of Diamer Division and is located on the Indus River. It is part of the Silk Road, connected by the Karakoram Highway and N-90 National Highway to Islamabad and Peshawar in the southwest, via Hazara and Malakand divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. To the north, Chilas connects to the cities of Tashkurgan and Kashgar in Xinjiang, China, via Gilgit, Aliabad, Sust, and the Khunjerab Pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunza Valley</span> Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan

The Hunza Valley is a mountainous valley located in the northern region of the Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.

Kanganahalli, situated about 3 km from Sannati, is an important Buddhist site where an ancient Mahastupa was built. It is on the left bank of the Bhima river in Chitapur taluk, Kalaburagi district in Karnataka, India. Nalwar is the nearest Railway station about 19 km from Sannati. The Buddhist site about 2.5 km from Chandrala Parameshwari temple of Sannati.

Afghanistan possesses a rich linguistic legacy of pre-Islamic scripts, which existed before being displaced by the Arabic alphabet, after the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan. Among these scripts are Sharada, Kharosthi, Greek, and Brāhmī. For thousands of years, Afghanistan was inhabited by Indo-Aryan and Iranian peoples and thus all ancient documents, tracts, monuments and remains are of Hindu and Iranian origins. Later, Buddhism became the major force in Afghanistan and brought with it its own liturgical languages.

Gilgit-Baltistan is an administrative territory of Pakistan that borders the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, Azad Kashmir to the southwest, Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan to the northwest, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China to the north, and the Indian-administered region of Jammu and Kashmir to the south and south-east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mansehra Rock Edicts</span>

Mansehra Rock Edicts are fourteen edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, inscribed on rocks in Mansehra in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The edicts are cut into three boulders and date back to 3rd century BC and they are written in the ancient Indic script of Gandhara culture, Kharosthi. The edicts mention aspects of Ashoka’s dharma. The site was submitted for inclusion in the World Heritage Sites and is currently in the tentative list.

Shatial is a transit station with archaeological significance on Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunza District</span> District of Gilgit-Baltistan administered by Pakistan

Hunza District is a district of Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region. It is one of the 14 districts of the Gilgit-Baltistan region. It was established in 2015 by the division of the Hunza–Nagar District in accordance with a government decision to establish more administrative units in Gilgit-Baltistan. The district headquarters is the town of Karimabad.

The Vasu Doorjamb Inscription is an early 1st-century CE Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script dedicated to the deity Vāsudeva, related to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. It is also one of the several dedicatory inscriptions from Mathura bearing the name of the Indo-Scythian Northern Satrap ruler Sodasa, which are useful as historic markers for the first half of the 1st century CE.

The Ancient Rock Carvings of Sindh have been explored in Kirthar Mountains Range, Sindh, Pakistan. The Kirthar Mountains Range covers a distance of 190 miles in boundaries of Jacobabad District, Qambar Shahdadkot District, Dadu District and Jamshoro District from north to south up to Karachi, Sindh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sohgaura copper plate inscription</span> Ancient artifact from India

The Sohgaura copper plate inscription is an Indian copper plate inscription written in Prakrit in the Mauryan period Brahmi script. It was discovered in Sohgaura, a village on the banks of the Rapti River, about 20 km south-east of Gorakhpur, in the Gorakhpur District, Uttar Pradesh, India. The inscription describes the establishment of three granaries for the public during times of famine and scarcity. It discusses relief efforts undertaken by Chandragupta Maurya during a period of famine. Scholars agree that punchmarked coins featuring a three-arched crescent atop symbol known as Rajanka or Meru symbol, found at Kumrahar (Patna) also mentioned on the Sahgaura copper-plate, were issued during Chandragupta Maurya's reign.

Janine Mountain is located in the Ha'il region in the middle of Lake Janine, which is rich in groundwater and has a large cave about 100 meters long. There are many ancient Thamudic and Abyssinian inscriptions scattered on the rocks of the mountain, in addition to a large collection of human and animal writings and drawings. Janine is located about 75 km east of Ha'il.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "HALDEIKISH, Sacred Rocks of Hunza". Hunza Bytes. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "UNESDoc (UNESCO)" (PDF). Unesdoc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  3. "Sacred Rocks at Hunza - Ganish, Pakistan Ganish". Lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  4. "HALDEIKISH, Sacred Rocks of Hunza". Hunza Bytes. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  5. R. C. Majumdar 1981, p. 56.
  6. Upinder Singh 2008, p. 480.

Bibliography