Amid singing brooks, hovering above lush green hills, Garam Chashma boasts of being one of the most popular tourism spots in Chitral district.
Located at an altitude of about 1,859 meters (6,100 feet), 45km northwest of Chitral, tourists from all over the county flock to the spring to relish not only its picturesque beauty, but also the mysterious healing powers hidden in its hot waters.
The hot water gushing forth from sulphuric rocks throughout the year is believed to cure scores of skin diseases and even boil an egg within five minutes. Private bathrooms are available for visitors keen on trying the traditional panacea for their ailments.
Amjad Iqbal, a local, said that the hot water is ideal for healing skin diseases, rheumatism and chronic headaches. He added that for the last many years, they have been experiencing a surge in number of visitors, majority of which are women. The locals are of the view that bathing in it is useful for women but not men. The visitors arrive here after March and patients are advised to take a number of baths daily for a couple of days, he added.
It takes three hours to travel the 45-km-long narrow, dilapidated and meandering road. The journey is trying and tiresome and exhausts many of their adventurous spirits by the time they reach the spring.
Last year, the flood nearly wiped out the access road. At various points, landslides made it hard for any vehicle to cross the slippery-stony places. Now tourists either have to hire powerful jeeps or risk travelling in their own cars, which is risky and not advisable.
Azfar Wayn, who had come to the spring with his wife, said they were hoping to find a cure for their skin disease. But they never expected the journey to be such a bumpy ride. His wife said, “The rough and difficult terrain made our hearts leap into our throats.”
A local council official said the locals have been deprived of the basic necessity of clean drinking water.
Atta Elahi, another official, said there are about 1,450 markhors in the surrounding hills.
The local government gets around Rs25 million from licenses for eight hunts. He added that if the concerned authorities give proper attention to local issues, the place can generate considerable revenue from tourism.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2011.
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