Cave of Saiful Malook awaits adventurers

The fabled hollow where a prince and a fairy hid from an ogre has yet to be explored and charted

BALAKOT: Related to famous romantic folklore Saiful Malook the Cave of Saiful Malook in Naran Valley awaits government attention to make it an adventure tourism spot.

The cave, where according to the long poem written by Sufi poet Mian Mohammad Bukhsh (1830-1907), two lovers, Prince Saiful Malook and fairy princess Badiul Jamal, hid from an evil ogre, still attracts few tourists, but there is not much publicity about it.

According to local people, the cave has not been properly explored and documented. Light is a major distractor for common people. Not everyone is willing to enter short opening to a dark and uncharted hollow.

Nudged between two hills on Saiful Malook Road, people squeeze through the thin entrance with some difficulty, but as one enters the cave begins to expand.



Some people have defaced the entrance with graffiti, which is no less than an insult of the historical site. The cave has not been marked on the map, due to which tourists reach the cave through great difficulty only with the assistance of a seasoned guide.

Despite having knowledge about the cave, tourists remain unable to visit it. People linked with tourism in Naran Valley placed the burden on government.



They said that recognising the importance of cave of Saiful Malook, if government preserve and renovates it, make proper lighting arrangements and place tourist guides here, not only will it increase the income of tourism corporation but more and more tourists will head to the cave and will get a chance to know the romantic folklore.

The interest of tourists in the folklore of Prince Saiful Malook and Fairy Princess Badiul Jamal can be gauged by the fact that at the lake, storytellers make a livelihood by reciting the saga penned by Mian Mohammad Bukhsh who had also authored Punjabi classic Mirza Saheban.

Some tourists listen to the story with great interest and give tips from few hundred to even thousands of rupees to storyteller.

K-P government is taking great measures for the expansion of tourist industry in the province however, historically important, the cave of Saiful Malook is yet not in their sight.

Every year, tourists in great numbers come to the lake due to its historical importance. Tourists both national and international visit the lake.

Translated by Laila Raza

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2017.