GANDHARA

DAY 1: ISLAMABAD

ASSISTANCE ON ARRIVAL AT THE ISLAMABAD AIRPORT. TRANSFER TO HOTEL FOR OVERNIGHT STAY.

 DAY 2: ISLAMABAD \ PESHAWAR

AFTER BREAKFAST DEPARTURE TO PESHAWAR, EN ROUTE VISIT TAXILA, WHICH IS ONE OF THE SUBCONTINENTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL TREASURES, AND WAS ONCE AN IMPORTANT CITY OF THE KINGDOM OF GANDHARA CIVILISATION. SIR JOHN MARSHALL BEGAN EXCAVATING THE AREA IN 1913. THE HISTORY OF TAXILA MUSEUM IS OF THE BEST COLLECTIONS OF GANDHARAN BUDDHIST ART IN PAKISTAN, AN INTERESTING COIN COLLECTION, A DISPLAY OF ARTEFACTS DETAILING THE DAILY LIFE OF THE INHABITANTS OF ANCIENT TAXILA. A SITE OF JAULIAN, THE STUPA AND MONASTERY AT JAULIAN ARE THE BEST-PRESERVED BUILDING AT TAXILA. SIRKAP, TAXILA’S SECOND CITY AND DHARMARAJIKA ARE OTHER IMPORTANT SITES. ARRIVAL IN THE EVENING CHECK-IN HOTEL FOR OVERNIGHT STAY.

DAY 3: PESHAWAR

MORNING VISIT LEGENDARY KHYBER PASS UPTO MICHINI POST (SUBJECT TO PERMISSION). EN ROUTE VISIT SPHOLA STUPA OF THE SECOND TO FIFTH CENTURIES, THE STUPA  HAS A HIGH HEMISPHERICAL DOME RESTING ON A THREE-TIERED SQUARE BASE. BEAUTIFUL GANDHARAN SCULPTURES WERE FOUND HERE WHEN THE SITE WAS EXCAVATED  AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST CENTURY. BACK TO HOTEL IN THE EVENING FOR OVERNIGHT STAY.

DAY 4: PESHAWAR

MORNING VISIT PESHAWAR MUSEUM, FORMERLY THE VICTORIA MEMORIAL HALL WAS BUILT IN 1905. THE MUSEUM HAS ONE OF THE BEST COLLECTIONS OF GANDHARAN ART IN PAKISTAN. QISSA KHAWANI BAZAAR OR BAZAAR OF THE STORYTELLERS, AND MAHABAT KHAN MOSQUE FROM THE MOGHUL PERIOD WHICH WAS BUILT IN THE 1670. BACK TO HOTEL IN THE EVENING FOR OVERNIGHT STAY.

DAY 5: PESHAWAR \ SAIDU

MORNING DEPARTURE TO SWAT ONE OF THE MOST PICTURESQUE VALLEY FAMOUS FOR ITS TRANQUILLITY, GREENERY AND ORCHARDS, WHICH ATTRACTED ALMOST EVERY INVADER & THE BUDDHIST WHO, STAYED THERE FOR A LONG PERIOD. EN ROUTE VISIT TAKHT-E-BHAI MONASTERY OF 1ST CENTURY AND PUSHKALAWATI, ONCE THE CENTRE OF GANDHARA, ONE OF THE GREAT CIVILISATIONS OF THE SUBCONTINENT. THE FIRST CAPITAL OF GANDHARA WAS PUSHKALAVATI, THE LOTUS CITY, NOW CALLED CHARSADDA. CHARSADDA IS SURROUNDED BY HUNDREDS OF HECTARES OF GRAVES, ALL DECORATED WITH BLACK AND WHITE STONES IN GEOMETRIC PATTERNS. THIS GRAVEYARD IS CONSIDERED ESPECIALLY HOLY, LIKE MAKLI HILL IN SIND. TAKHT-E-BAHI IS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE AND COMPLETE BUDDHIST MONASTERY IN PAKISTAN. THE MONASTERY AND STUPAS AT TAKHT-E-BAHI WERE FOUNDED IN THE FIRST CENTURY AD AND ABANDONED IN THE SIXTH OR SEVENTH CENTURIES. ALSO VISIT THE HUGE SHINGERDAR STUPA WHICH IS ON THE RIGHT OF THE MAIN ROAD. AFTER ARRIVAL CHECK-IN HOTEL. AFTERNOON VISIT SWAT MUSEUM AND BUTKARA, AN ANCIENT PILGRIMAGE CENTRE OF BUDDHIST FROM THE 3RD CENTURY BC. POSSIBLY WAS BUILT BY THE MAURYAN EMPEROR ASHOKA TO HOUSE SOME OF THE ASHES OF THE LORD BUDDHA. IN SUBSEQUENT CENTURIES IT WAS ENLARGED FIVE TIMES BY ADDING NEW SHELLS AROUND THE ORIGINAL STUPA, EACH NEW STUPA COMPLETELY ENCLOSING THE OLD ONE INSIDE. IN 1955 ITALIAN EXCAVATORS EXPOSED THE SUCCESSIVE LAYERS, WHICH SHOWED THE EVOLUTION OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES. THE FIRST STUPA WAS ENLARGED THREE TIMES BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. BACK TO HOTEL IN THE EVENING FOR OVERNIGHT STAY.

DAY 6: SAIDU

AFTER BREAKFAST DEPARTURE TO JAHANABAD TO SEE HUGE SEATED FIGURE OF FOUR METER HIGH BUDDHA. THIS WAS CARVED IN THE 7TH CENTURY ON THE FACE OF A LARGE ROCK ON ONE SIDE OF THE RIVER. ONWARD DRIVE TO MADYAN AND BAHRAIN. BACK TO HOTEL IN THE EVENING FOR OVERNIGHT STAY.

DAY 7: SAIDU \ ISLAMABAD

MORNING DEPARTURE TO ISLAMABAD MORNING DEPARTURE TO ISLAMABAD, EN ROUTE VISIT SHAHBAZ GARHI THE FAMOUS ASHOKAN INSCRIPTIONS, CARVED ON TWO ROCKS ON A HILL ABOUT 300 METRES TO THE LEFT. THE ASHOKAN INSCRIPTIONS DATE FROM THE THIRD CENTURY BC AND ARE THE OLDEST SURVIVING WRITINGS OF ANY HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE SUBCONTINENT.  THE MAURYAN EMPEROR ASHOKA (272-231 BC) RULED OVER MOST OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT FROM HIS CAPITAL AT PATALIPUTRA (NOW PATNA) ON THE GANGES, IN INDIA. HE WAS A BUDDHIST, BUT TOLERANT OF ALL RELIGIONS. ASHOKA ORDERED A SERIES OF EDICTS TO BE INSCRIBED ON ROCKS AND PILLARS ALL OVER HIS EMPIRE; TWO OF THESE ARE IN PAKISTAN, AT SHAHBAZ GARHI AND AT MANSEHRA. ARRIVE ISLAMABAD IN THE EVENING CHECK-IN HOTEL FOR OVERNIGHT STAY.

DAY 8: DEPARTURE

FREE FOR SHOPPING TILL DEPARTURE TO THE NEXT DESTINATION.

END OF TOUR & SERVICES

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