Gandhara - Pakistan's Buddhist Legacy (Exploring Taxila, Takht-i-Bhai and Shindagar (Swat))

Explore some of the main sites of the ancient Gandhara civilisation and hear from expert Gul Kalash about what the stones of Gandhara mean to her.
PAKISTAN, ONE OF THE LARGEST MUSLIM NATIONS ON EARTH, WITH A CAPITAL THAT TRANSLATES AS “CITY OF ISLAM”, BUT AROUND 2000 YEARS AGO THE PESHAWAR PLAIN IN THE NORTH WEST OF THE COUNTRY AND OVER INTO PRESENT DAY AFGHANISTAN WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT BUDDHIST CENTRE ON THE PLANET. INDEED, IT IS FROM THIS LOCATION THAT BUDDHISM SPREAD INTO CHINA. THE ART PRODUCED HERE WAS A UNIQUE FUSION OF GREEK AND INDIAN. THE NAME OF THIS CIVILISATION WAS GANDHARA.
THE CAPITAL OF GANDHARA WAS KNOWN AS TAXILA. IT WAS DESTROYED BY THE WHITE HUNS IN THE 5TH CENTURY BUT EXCAVATIONS OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS HAVE BROUGHT IT BACK TO LIFE, PARTICULARLY AT THE JAULIAN MONASTERY.
TAKHT- I BAHI LIES TO THE NORTH EAST OF PESHAWAR. IT IS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE SITUATED AMONGST AGRICULTURAL VILLAGES. LIFE IS HARD HERE.THE GUIDES AT THE MONASTERY NOTED THAT THERE IS LITTLE EDUCATION TO THE VILLAGERS AS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RUINS. FOR THEM IT IS MERELY A PICNIC SITE.
THE MONASTERY ITSELF HAS A HILLTOP VANTAGE POINT, LOOKING OVER THE PLAIN. DATING FROM THE 1ST TO THE 7TH CENTURY T IS REGARDED AS THE MOST COMPLETE OF GANDHARA’S RUINS. THE MAIN SITE WAS EXCAVATE IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY AND THE STATUES TAKEN AWAY TO MUSEUMS. THE ADJOINING HILLSIDES CONTAIN UNEXCAVATED PARTS OF THE COMPLEX. IN THE MAIN COURTYARD THERE WOULD ORIGINALLY HAVE BEEN 35 STUPAS AND 30 CHAPELS CONTAINING BUDDHA STATUES. AWAY FROM THE BLAZING SUNSHINE ONE FINDS THE MEDIATION CHAMBERS AND THE MONKS’ CELLS. TAKHT I BHAI BECAME A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN 1980.
ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO WITNESS THE UNIQUE FUSION OF BUDDHIST ARTWORK BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE CLASH OF GREEK AND INDIAN CULTURES IS THE PESHAWAR MUSEUM. ITS COLLECTION OF GANDHARAN ARTEFACTS IS PRICELESS.
Special thanks to Sayed Gul Kalash.
Filmed October 2023
Jonathan Wheeler
‪@TravelObscurer‬
(Sister channel to eye scotland)
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#gandhara #buddhisthistory