Restoration work on Bhamala Stupa begins
Renovation and maintenance work on the Khanpur Bhamala Stupa project, funded by the World Bank Group, has started.
Khanpur Assistant Commissioner Noorul Haq met the Department of Archaeology officials Nawazuddin and Gul Nabi at the Bhamala Stupa site to discuss the project.
The officials decided to hand over additional land to expand the project of the Department of Archeology. For this project, the Archaeology Department required land in the area of Bhamala Stupa, on which the administration had previously imposed Section 4 on the purchase of land. However, the necessary steps have now been taken to hand over the required land to the Archeology Department.
The assistant commissioner said that the road from Khanpur city to Bhamala Stupa would also be constructed under this project - easing travel difficulties encountered by tourists. “Due to the hilly terrain, vehicles are often damaged and visitors face severe difficulties. They often miss the route and go to another hill,” he added. With the construction of the road, all the problems would be solved, he added.
Haq said that apart from the renovation of Bhamala Stupa, the arrangement of a ticket house, tuck shop and parking for tourists is also part of the plan. He added that necessary steps had been taken in this regard.
Separately, according to sources from the archeology department, the project would create employment opportunities for locals and increase foreign exchange as a large number of Buddhists, including foreign nationals, would flock to the area.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2022.