Buried deep among the historic sites of the Gandhara and Indus Valley civilization and within its vast range of mountains, plains, and deserts, Pakistan is a treasure trove of archaeological finds.

Seventy-five years and still counting, Pakistan remains one of the most significant Asian states in terms of its industrious people, highly trained bureaucracy, and armed forces, and one of the largest Muslim countries globally. Historians rightly trace the creation of Pakistan to the strong foundation of Islam, the majority faith of its people, but at times tend to overlook the rainbow which the country is. Pakistan is blessed with immense cultural and religious diversity. Buried deep among the historic sites of the Gandhara and Indus Valley civilization and within its vast range of mountains, plains, and deserts, Pakistan is a treasure trove of archaeological finds. These gems include knowledge, performing arts, social festivals, and religious places of veneration; Buddhist temples and stupas, Hindu and Sikh temples, Christian churches, or the Atashgah of the Parsis (Zoroastrian) communities’ places of worship, and the Kalash and their unique language, religion, and lifestyle. The Kalash people claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great's invading soldiers. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has acknowledged six world heritage sites in Pakistan, with three in the province of Punjab, one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and two in the province of Sindh which range from the archaeological ruins of forts, and towns to the graveyards. Pakistan is home to some of the best museums in the world and artifacts in these museums depict the ancient culture and history of Pakistan which shall enthrall both history, culture buffs, and inquisitive tourists. Pakistan is blessed with a long range of mountains that are an attraction for geologists and mountain climbers from all over the world, among which the Thar and Cholistan deserts enthrall car and bike ride enthusiasts. 
There is an unmistakable impression in the land now called Pakistan of the various people who either traversed it for pure inquisitiveness: travelers to quench their insatiable thirst to understand different people; traders in search of its ‘hidden’ natural resources; religious missionaries, and Sufis imbued with the spirit to share their faith and the dialogue they had with the people; or the invaders, ever ready to conquer newer land. Pakistan overwhelms foreign visitors and even local tourists with its range of languages, cultural traits, clothes, variety of gastronomy, and the impact of different religions which continue to co-exist. At times, writers have made the mistake of narrowly categorizing the different ages in the land now called Pakistan as either Hindu or Muslim, as it may be advisable to place them in a wide cultural compass. Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrian, and other minor faiths have all left their distinct imprints on Pakistan as faith is as much a historical force as a cultural one. 
The writer in his posting in Rome, Italy has a personal experience of being inundated with requests by mountaineers for booking to scale the various top peaks that Pakistan is blessed with, including K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum-I and Broad Peak, and many others. While the leading Italian archeologists continued their excavations and shared them with the world, missing has been the utter failure of Pakistan to invite people around the globe, to market this religio-cultural treasure tourism kaleidoscope, especially to those who are in search of places where religions and cultures have co-existed for centuries and left their imprint for the visitors to wonder and enquire more. Millions of people around the world embark annually on spiritual journeys to soothe their souls. Global religious tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments in travel today. 
Buddhist Culture and its Glory
Buddhism is one of the world’s leading religions, attracting tourists who are either visitors or revere the Buddhist faith. They mostly visit Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Burma (Myanmar), Tibet (China), Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia. Although Buddhists living in Pakistan only amount to a few thousand who practice the Mahayana strand of Buddhism, the would-be visitor is surprised when Pakistan is added to the list of known countries to explore Buddhism. Buddhism in Pakistan can be traced to the third century BCE when it was introduced under the Mauryan king, Ashoka. Ashoka founded a university in Taxila that turned into a fabled seat of Buddhist learning and in time became a center of Buddhist religious activities that helped cultivate the faith, which eventually spread worldwide.  There are reports of a few Buddhists living in Azad Kashmir. 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has acknowledged six world heritage sites in Pakistan, with three in the province of Punjab, one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and two in the province of Sindh which range from the archaeological ruins of forts, and towns to the graveyards.

Archeological Sites: Soothing the Souls
Even though many areas in Pakistan can rightly claim to have important Buddhist sites; however, the provinces of KP and Punjab stand out in that context. Gandhara is located around the Peshawar Valley and Swat River Valley, and Taxila is close to Islamabad, the capital city with over 50 archaeological sites in a 30 km radius around the Taxila Museum, renowned for its Gandharan art of sculpture, architecture, and education, as well as for its contribution to Buddhist culture and glory. Taxila Museum is home to the teeth and bone relics of Lord Buddha. The Fasting Buddha in the Lahore Museum and the Italian-led team of archaeologists in northwest Pakistan’s Swat Valley unearthed a roughly 2,000-year-old Buddhist temple in early 2022–that could be one of the oldest in the country–can suffice the interest of an overseas visitor to plan to visit Pakistan.  Unearthed in 2015, near Bhamsal Stupa in Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the world’s oldest 48 feet-long sleeping Buddha, which dates back to the 3rd century. As compared to countries in the region which have a large number of practicing Buddhists, who can be seen in deep meditation reflected in their chant and mantras, Buddhist sites in Pakistan are heritage sites, where calm attempts the same reverence to the visitor as watching the monks reciting the sacred scriptures. According to the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), around 2000 Buddhists visit the religious heritage in Pakistan, which is far below the tourism potential. According to a known expert on Buddhist sites, if the right steps are taken, “Pakistan may be the next big thing in Buddhist historical-site tourism”. 
The Sikhs: The Strength of Cultural Commonalities 
It amazes many people worldwide that annually, large groups (jatha) of Sikhs visit Pakistan to perform pilgrimage. The surprise is partially logical. The scale of killing that took place in 1947 at partition in then-divided Punjab has taken decades for the wounds to heal.  Now, the people of Pakistan and the Sikhs have left the past and moved on. They now take pride in that two of the holiest sites of the Sikh faith are located in Pakistan.  What would be more sacred and close to the heart of the Sikhs than Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism faith, who was born in a Hindu family on April 15, 1469 at Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib which is in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. This place, renamed Gurdwara Janam Ashtan, is situated at the site where the founder of Sikhism was born. Guru Nanak died on September 22, 1539 in Nankana Sahib.  He was known to be an avid traveler to places (including Mecca) to understand other beliefs, and later in his life, advocated the existence of one God and taught his followers that every human being can reach out to God through meditation and other pious practices.  His teachings were immortalized in the form of 974 hymns, which came to be known as ‘Guru Granth Sahib,’ the holy text of Sikhism. His teaching had a deep impact on his followers, which now included not only Sikhs, but Hindus and Muslims, and the influence was such that while arguing at his burial, the Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims tugged at the sheet covering Nanak’s body, they found instead a heap of flowers. According to Sikh hagiography, Guru Nanak's body was never found.
Panja Sahib
Hasan Abdal, located in the province of Punjab, also has a distinctive significance for the Sikhs and a place in their hearts. It houses the shrine of Panja Sahib, so named because the imprint of the right hand (panja) believed to be that of Guru Nanak, is preserved here on a rock. 
Sufism and Baba Granth Sahib
The third holiest site is the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, which also has a connection with Pakistan. The foundations of the Darbar Sahib, another name for the Golden Temple, were laid by the Muslim Sufi (fakir) Sain Mian Mir at the request of Guru Arjan Dev. Mian Mir resided in Lahore during the period of Emperor Jehangir, specifically in the town of Dharampura in present-day Pakistan, and is buried near Lahore. Sufi poetry had a huge influence on Guru Nanak, who used several symbols similar to those espoused by the Sufi saint Baba Farid, whose tomb is in Pakpattan, in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Baba Farid's compositions are ‘deeply sensitive to the feeling of pity, the subtle attractiveness of sin, inevitable death and the waste of human life owing to man's indifference to God and goodness’. In the Punjabi literary tradition, Guru Nanak is believed to be the second classical poet. It is through Guru Nanak that the poetry of Baba Farid found its way into the Guru Granth Sahib, considered the eternal, living Sikh Guru. Today, the Sikh holy book is the only written source of Baba Farid’s poetry. The Sikhs believe that the words of Baba Farid when entered the Granth Sahib, ceased to be poetry and became one with divinity. This was the highest status anyone could have been bestowed in the Sikh tradition, and this prestige was given to a Muslim saint.

Baba Farid's compositions are ‘deeply sensitive to the feeling of pity, the subtle attractiveness of sin, inevitable death and the waste of human life owing to man's indifference to God and goodness’. In the Punjabi literary tradition, Guru Nanak is believed to be the second classical poet.

Maharajah Ranjit Singh and Lahore 
For the Sikhs, apart from the holy sites, Lahore also figures among the historians, who take pride in the fact that the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), whose Samadhi is in a 19th century building that houses the funerary urns of the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh, is located adjacent to the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque, as well as the Gurdwara Dera Sahib, which marks the spot where the 5th guru of Sikhism, Guru Arjan Dev, died.
Language, Music and Sufism: The Cement that Binds 
The Punjabi language is also important, the most widely spoken language in Pakistan and across the border in East Punjab, India. The level of enthusiasm, a cultural trait to food, music, and village sports, especially Kabbadi or working with great gusto in the fields among the Punjabi speakers is the same across both sides of the border. Muslim Punjabi poets like Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah, who have their mausoleums in the Pakistani Punjab, are equally revered in the Indian part of the Punjab, which is reflected in the number of admirers from across the border who pay a visit to the mausoleums. The main Punjabi folk dance for men and women is typically performed, which is common in both parts of Punjab and is seen at times of celebration such as harvest, and related events. Similar to the nature, their weddings reflect their life’s philosophy; Punjabi weddings are colorful, especially the mehndi ceremony (use of henna on bride and bridegroom), fun-filled with lots of opportunities for singing very loud and dancing everyone’s heart out, sometimes over the top.
Kartarpur Corridor: Freeing from the Chains of the Past and Building a Bridge of Peace
The prayers of the Sikhs and the desire of their well-wishers in Pakistan were finally heard in 2019. After more than 70 years, Indian Sikhs are able to visit one of the religion’s holiest sites by crossing the international border with Pakistan. The Kartarpur Corridor is a 4.1 kilometer (2.5 miles) visa-free overland passage that links the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in northwest India’s Gurdaspur with the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan. The Sikh temple, known as a Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, is believed to be where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, lived and died at the start of the 16th century. The political and military leadership in the true spirit of Quaid-i-Azam, the founder of Pakistan who believed that people of all faiths living in complete harmony were unanimous in their decision to create Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate the Sikh pilgrims to visit their holiest sites. November 9, 2019 is a historic moment for many Indian Sikhs as it was the first time since partition that pilgrims were able to travel between the two temples. The opening coincided with Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday. On average, around 5,000 devotees from India use the corridor each day. Pakistan has formed a Project Management Unit (PMU) Kartarpur Corridor, a self-financing body, for the management of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur. This PMU is under the administrative control of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and has nine members, none of them Sikhs. Statistics show that other than the Kartarpur Corridor, an average of around 7500 Sikhs from India and around 2000 from Europe, the USA, and Canada visit Pakistan annually.

Muslim Punjabi poets like Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah, who have their mausoleums in the Pakistani Punjab, are equally revered in the Indian part of the Punjab, which is reflected in the number of admirers from across the border who pay a visit to the mausoleums.

Since the opening of the Corridor, millions of pilgrims have not only visited the holy sites, but the joy it has given to the emotional reunions of families separated by the India-Pakistan partition in 1947 flashed across the media, giving hope for people-to-people contact. Both Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister and late Khushwant Singh, a famous writer, took pride that their birth place is in Pakistan. The Sikh population in Pakistan is not many and most are settled in KP, followed by Sindh and Punjab. 
Hinduism: A Prominent Minority 
Hinduism is a major world religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. If the Indus Valley civilization (3rd-2nd millennium BCE) was the earliest source of these traditions, as some scholars hold, then Hinduism is the oldest living religion on Earth. Its many sacred texts are in Sanskrit and vernacular languages. The Gandhara kingdom of the northwest and the legendary Gandhara people are also a major part of Hindu literature, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Many Pakistani city names (such as Peshawar and Multan) are known to have Sanskrit roots. 
Hindus comprise 1.6 percent of Pakistan’s population which makes them the biggest minority group in the country. A majority of them live in the Sindh province of Pakistan, which is reflected in the centuries-old temples, uniquely built houses, and eye-catching handicrafts. Camel hair art and carving, called gulkaru, is a skill found in abundance in Tharparkar and their handicrafts can be found in all major towns and cities in Pakistan. The women of Tharparkar are distinct in their brightly colored clothing and bangles worn up to the shoulders of married women. The majority of Hindus in Pakistan are satisfied that they are culturally free and are allowed their desired freedom to celebrate their festivals and pray in the manner their belief dictates. Mullahs in their areas are never known of being critical of the Hindus and their temples, even though there have been isolated cases of forced conversion of Hindu girls, which have been condemned by the state and human rights groups in Pakistan. Out of 365 Hindu temples in Pakistan, 13 are being managed by the ETPB, leaving the rest to the responsibility of the Hindu community. There is a panchayat in every major city in Sindh that deals with festivals, maintenance of temples and other community issues, and even Dharamshala. The now abandoned monastic complex at Tilla Jogian used to be an important pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Sikhs alike. Located approximately 25 kilometers from the city of Jhelum, this historical site dates back to the 1st century BC. For centuries, Hindu yogis and ascetics meditated on this mountain summit in the Salt Range. In the 16th century, the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak is believed to have spent time meditating here. According to historians, Mughal Emperors Akbar and Jahangir also visited Tilla Jogian during their respective reigns.
The Hindus in Pakistan take a certain pride that the Shri Katas (raining eyes) Raj Temples, one of their holiest sites is located in Pakistan. It is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways. The temple complex surrounds a pond named Katas which is regarded as sacred by Hindus. The complex is located in the Potohar Plateau region of Pakistan's Punjab province alongside the road that connects Kallar Kahar to Choa Saidan Shah near the village of Dulmial. The temples' pond is said in the Puranas (ancient Hindu texts) to have been created from the teardrops of Shiva after he wandered the Earth inconsolably after the death of his wife, Sati. The temples play a role in the Hindu epic poem, the Mahābhārata, where the temples are traditionally believed to have been the site where the Pandava brothers spent a significant portion of their exile.  Another tradition states that the Hindu deity, Krishna laid the temple’s foundation, and established a hand-made shivling in it. Katas Raj is also the place where Alberuni attempted to measure the circumference of the Earth, studied Sanskrit and wrote his renowned Kitab-e-Hind. In 2006, the Pakistani government began restoration works at the temples and further improvements continue. The temples were visited by India's former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani in 2005 who was born in Sindh, Pakistan, and spent a part of his youth in Karachi. 
Public Service
Prominent members of the Hindu community in Pakistan include Justice Rana Bhagwandaas (late), former chief justice of Pakistan; and late Jogendranath Mandal, who was one of the legislators in the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan and also served as the country's first Minister of Law and Labour and also was the second Minister of Commonwealth and Kashmir Affairs; and Deepak Perwani, a leading fashion designer in the country.

(To be continued...)

The writer holds a Masters in Political Science (Punjab University) and Masters in Diplomatic Studies (UK). He has served in various capacities in Pakistan’s missions abroad and as an Ambassador to Vietnam and High Commissioner to Malaysia. He is on the visiting faculty of four mainstream public universities in Islamabad and Adviser to the India Centre at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad.
E-mail: [email protected]

Did you know that April 18 is World Heritage Day?
World Heritage is the shared wealth of humankind. Protecting and preserving this valuable asset demands the collective efforts of the international community. This special day offers an opportunity to raise the public's awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve it, as well as draw attention to its vulnerability.
On April 18, 1982 on the occasion of a symposium organised by International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in Tunisia, the holding of the "International Day for Monuments and Sites" to be celebrated simultaneously throughout the world was suggested. This project was approved by the Executive Committee who provided practical suggestions to the National Committees on how to organise this day.
The idea was also approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) General Conference who passed a resolution at its 22nd session in November 1983 recommending that Member States examine the possibility of declaring April 18 each year “International Monuments and Sites Day”. This has been traditionally called the World Heritage Day.

Source: The Global Development Research Center