Nature Insights

Fairly up the canal from  Swat River through the foothills, just above Kanju Township , lies a small graveyard. In the middle of it  is a tomb, with two large graves.  The headstone on one reads  “ Sham Baba son of Sultan Mehmoud Ghaznavi ”, also known as ‘ idol smasher ’ in history.  The other grave is of his companion " Qahrandokay Baba ".  They were reportedly martyred in a Holy War in 413 Hijrah and buried there in the  unlikely place of Swat , where highlanders lay their dead to rest by a way of funeral ovation . Folklores About Sham Baba son of Mehmoud Ghaznavi: Myths and Legends through Generations Unlike his brother  Chino Baba down in the marshland, the whole solitary mountainous region is known through Sham Baba son of Mehmoud Ghaznavi . They reportedly came from Sham ( Syria ) for a holy war.  The locals would even show you the imprints of Sham Baba’s horse legs. However, there is no authentic record to prove or disappro...

Perhaps, I wouldn't have written this blog post if the remnants of the bygone days were there in the ruins of the once lively natural swimming pools at Chino Baba area of Kanju, Swat Valley .  Each feature of the decay told a story of its own, of a gradual transformation from a well-loved oasis to an untamed relic.   Inspiration   in the Ruins of the Natural Swimming Pools At Chino Baba : Its Timeless Allure The dry beds of these natural artifacts of the past  were more than just a decayed structure for me . Here,  I could see the stories, memories, and emotions of different times in its canvas.  The crisp and clear water of the natural swimming pools at Chino Baba , once meticulously maintained, gave way to plants beside its edges and attracted rich aquatic life.  We swam in the depths of them during the summer season and enjoyed its serenity at other times. It also recalled me a drowning episode, which I narrowly escaped with the help of my elders....