Jamal Garhi, where the wind meditates

Perched high on a rugged hilltop in Mardan, the nearly 2,000-year-old Buddhist monastery of Jamal Garhi still carries the spirit of meditation and learning that once flourished there. Crowned by its circular stupa, this ancient sanctuary was once a beacon of meditation, teaching and spiritual refuge. Its timeless stones, now weathered by wind and neglect, hold clues to a rich Buddhist heritage waiting to be rediscovered. Today Jamal Garhi invites invites travellers and history enthusiasts alike to pay homage to its timeless stones.

The monastery, which dates back from the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD, is located northeast of Mardan city, about 15 kilometres along the Mardan–Katlang Road, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It lies on the western offshoot of Paja Hill at an elevation of around 150 meters above the surrounding plains.

Alexander Cunningham was the first British archeologist to discover the site in 1848 during his visit to Shahbaz Garhi, a historical area of Mardan district known for Ashoka’s edicts inscribed on boulders.

Later in 1852 and 1870s, British experts excavated the site and recovered antiquities. During the excavation of the site in 1907-08 and then in the 1920-24 conservation process, more statues were discovered.

The statues, coins and other antiquities recovered from the site have been preserved for display in museums London, Kolkata, Lahore and Peshawar, revealed officials of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, KP.

“Some scholars believe that the ruins belong to the Mauryan Empire because its main stupa is round in shape,” shares Fawad Khan, assistant director at the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, KP. “Generally, Gandhara stupas from the Kushan period discovered at other historical sites are square, while stupas from Ashoka’s period (272 BC to 232 BC) are round, such as the Butkara Stupa in Swat and the Dharmarajhika Stupa in Taxila. The structure of the main stupa makes the site unique and attractive.”

Most of the materials and evidence including coins and Gandhara art obtained from the site during excavations are from the Indo-Parthian period, he added, which is why the site is attributed to that era. An inscription from the same period was also recovered from the Takht Bhai monastic complex.

The ancient site is divided into two main parts: the stupa area and the monastery complex. In the stupa area, there is a main circular stupa, circumscribed by closely packed chapels, and two votive stupa courts, the upper and lower votive stupa courts.

According to archaeologists, the chapels contained statues of Buddha, depictions of the life story of Buddha, and statues of gods and goddesses. The kitchens, courtyards, meditation rooms, a meeting hall, dining halls, and the monks’ quarters are among the important constructions of this complex.

“Although there are parks and picnic spots in the surrounding areas but they do not provide the same mental peace and the majestic, historical vibe that one can find in these ruins,” believes Ashfaq Ahmad, a visitor.

He shared that whenever he has some leisure time, he visits the historical site with his friends and family.

“Some of the text on the signboards installed by the department has peeled off, and this is the reason that visitors cannot understand the structure of the site and require a guide to tell them details,” informs Ahmad.

He added that despite its historical importance, the site is visited mostly by local people, while visitors from other provinces of the country and foreigners are not seen at the ruins. “The government should pay more attention to these historical sites, and promote them for people from the rest of the country and abroad,” says Ahmad. “Visitors on the other hand must take care also to conserve the ancient ruins for the future generations and not destroy them in any way.”

Before succumbing to the effects of time and neglect, the Buddhist ruins of Jamal Garhi thrived for about 500 years as a monastery and centre of Buddhist learning. Situated near the Thareli Buddhist archaeological site, Shahbaz Garhi, Seri-Bahlol, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Takht Bhai, these ancient remains collectively make Mardan district a prominent tourism hub in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. According to an employee of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums KP, a delegation of Sri Lankan Buddhist monks visited Jamal Garhi in 2021, but no foreign delegation has visited the site since then.

“In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three of the oldest Buddhist archaeological sites are Butkara-I in Swat, the ruins of Jamal]Garhi, and the Dharmarajika Stupa in Taxila,” says Dr Ghayur Shahab, a faculty member at the department of archaeology at the University of Malakand.

He added that a statue of Buddha, known as the Fasting Buddha, was recovered from Sikri, a nearby village, in the outskirts of Jamal Garhi, in 1907. It was taken to the Lahore Museum, where it is displayed with a detailed note about its discovery.

Dr Shahab said that visits by foreign tourists are very important for the exposure of the site, but unfortunately NOCs are not issued to them to visit the Jamal Garhi and Thareli Buddhist remains due to security issues in the area.

About more excavation, preservation and restoration of the site, Fawad Khan said that prior to 2011, archaeological sites were under the jurisdiction of the federal government. After devolution of the departments, the provincial directorate carried out excavation and restoration work and the recovered antiquities from the site that were preserved in Mardan Museum.

Khan added that under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) Project, land has been acquired for various historical sites and further preservation work will be done at the Jamal Garhi ruins as well.

The KP government has proposed the addition of the ruins of Jamal Garhi and Barikot ancient archeological site to the world heritage list. The proposal was discussed in July this year, in a meeting between a UNESCO delegation and officials from the culture, tourism, and archaeology department of KP.

As Jamal Garhi waits for its turn on the world heritage list, its wind-swept stones still bear witness to centuries of meditation, learning and artistic devotion. Whether seen as a sacred relic, an archaeological trove or a future hub for responsible tourism, the monastery stands at a crossroads between past and future — a reminder that preserving such places is not only about conserving ruins, but also about keeping alive our historical heritage.

Abdur Razzaq is a Peshawar-based multimedia journalist. He tweets @TheAbdurRazzaq

All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer