Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: September 14, 2022 | 
| 中文
The Kargah Buddha
When tourists flock to the northern parts of Pakistan, especially Gilgit Baltistan (GB), they get mesmerized by the valleys, towering mountains and gushing streams. And rightly so. But what remains unexplored and neglected in those valleys are the monuments and places of historical significance, attached myths and architectural splendor. Although some historical places in Hunza and Skardu, like the Altit, Baltit and the Shigar Forts, have been visited by tourists, most of the historical places in the Gilgit district are yet to be explored. One of those historical places is the famous Kargah Buddha in Gilgit, which tells so much about Gilgit's culture, history, and myths.
Kargah Budha is a 15-feet tall and 5-feet wide statue of Buddha, carved on a mountain at an altitude of around 150 feet from the ground, and located about 9 kilometers from the city of Gilgit. The sculpture of Buddha is said to have been made in the 4th century AD and was excavated and discovered in 1938-39 by archeologists. The sculpture shows that the right hand of the Buddha is in his chest and the left hand is hanging straight, and this image reflects the message of peace of Budha. Along with the Buddha, a Buddhist monastery and three stupas containing Sanskrit manuscripts were discovered 400 meters upriver from the Buddha. It is said that the population was settled above the Buddha site in the mountain, and the remnants of over 15 homes can be found in that area.
Kargah Buddha, locally known as Yashani, with Pakistan's flag on top of the mountain
Archeological evidence from across Gilgit Baltistan (GB) suggests that the region was dominated by Buddhists from the 3rd to 11th century AD, and Buddha's sculpture was engraved by the Buddhists to pay homage to Gautama Buddha. According to some historians, the propagation of Buddhism in GB was done during the reign of two Kashmiri rulers, Yakha and Yakhani, and the Buddha in Kargah was sculpted in memory of Yakhani by a few monks. The term Yakhani eventually evolved into Yashani, a few centuries later. However, there are many famous myths about the Buddha in Gilgit's folklore that contest archeological and historical findings.
Buddhist monks at ‘Yashani the Buddha Park’ in Kargah, Gilgit
According to folklore, there was an ogress called Yashani in Gilgit, notorious for feasting on human flesh. The subsequent story has two variants: The first legend says that a saint pierced Yashani in Kargah rocks while reciting holy verses, and the second version says that a Shaman (Danyal Khimito) rescued the populace from the ruthless clutches of the ogress. A saint (or a Shaman) was requested to save the town from the giant. The saint succeeded in pinning Yashani in the rock and told the populace that as long as he is alive, the ogress (Yashani) would not be able to free herself. When he will die, the saint directed, he should be buried in the area beneath the rocks where the ogress was pierced. The myth has it that the saint was killed and buried at the foothills of the rock. The Shamanic version says that Danyal Khimito from Bagrote Valley was summoned to rescue the Dardic people of the town from the ogress, who pierced the ogress in the rocks between Kargah Nullah and Shukogah valley on the outskirts of present-day Gilgit city. The 13 holes surrounding the statue of Buddha are said to be pinholes confining the giantess there.
Being at the juncture of the famous Silk Route, the main trading route between China, India, Central Asia and Russia in ancient times, Gilgit Baltistan has been influenced by different cultures, civilizations, belief systems and religions. These traders and invaders influenced the local culture and left their mark on the culture in the form of carvings, inscriptions, and monuments. Before the advent of Islam in GB, people in the region historically followed Buddhism, as the region was predominantly ruled by Buddhist regimes in medieval times, or pagan religions, like Shamanism. The remnants of these beliefs are glaringly evident in Rock carvings discovered in various parts of GB, like in Gilgit, Chilas, Shigar, Astor, Yasin, Puniyal and Skardu. Through these carvings and 'Rock Art', the history of GB has been reconstructed (and deconstructed). Kargah Buddha is one of those treasures necessary to untangle the historical realities, myths and beliefs prevalent in the region during ancient times.
Manthal Buddha Rock in Skardu
The Kargah Buddah and other rock art carvings in Gilgit have stark similarities with carvings found in Chilas, Partab Pull, Henzal, Danyore and Skardu, especially the round shape head of Buddha and the Sanskritic manuscripts are almost identical. Haruko Tsuchiya wrote a research article titled "Preliminary Report on Field Research along the Ancient Routes in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and Related Historical and Art Historical Information" (September 1991), published in the Journal of the Japanese Association for South Asian Studies. In the article he claimed that the Buddhist art tradition that flourished in the present-day GB during 6th and 7th century, was unique in its style and form and "was not overwhelmed by the well-established traditions of, for example Gandhara, Swat, or Gupta India."
Buddhist rock art in Danyore, Gilgit
The Kargah Buddha site was neglected for a long time, however, there appears to be some effort to preserve this archeological treasure at the governmental level. The government has constructed a park, ‘Yashani the Buddha Park’, beneath it. The road to Kargah Buddha site has been constructed and cemented, due to which local tourist influx has seen a sharp rise. Staircases up to the sculpture have also been constructed, because of which it is now possible to examine the Buddha from close quarters. A group of Korean and Thai monks visited the Kargah Buddha and a few other Buddhist archeological sites in 2020. The Kargah Buddha has also been endowed the status of a holy religious site by a visiting group of monks. It is high time that the government preserves and advertises Buddhist archeological sites in GB, in order to not only preserve the cultural heritage of the region, but will also attract tourists from across the globe.
Buddhist monks paying homage to the Buddha
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