29-03-2018
Almost an hour had passed since we left Dharmajika Stupa in Taxila, and our next destination was Giri, another Buddhist site. The female guide we met at Dharmajika suggested that we hire a guide from there to accompany us on a motorbike to reach Giri. Unfortunately, the guide demanded an exorbitant amount of money, leaving us with no choice but to navigate on our own. Fortunately, I already had the location pin for Giri.
The enchanting glen of Giri lies 8 kilometers northeast of Taxila, nestled at the foothills of Margallah. To reach it, we embarked on a rugged path that led us through a tumultuous torrent bed near two villages named Khurram Gujar and Khurram Paracha. The path was shrouded in a mysterious ambiance, with trees and untamed bushes flanking both sides. As we embarked on this journey, we came across a few camels laboring under the weight of colossal logs. Curiously, there was no human handler in sight, suggesting that the camels were well-trained to reach their intended destination. However, we encountered no one along the way who could guide us to Giri.
While traversing the path, a sudden jolt startled us as a large stone struck the side of our car. Adding to our predicament, our mobile signals vanished, cutting off our means of communication. Our progress continued, accompanied by a mounting frustration over our decision to venture to this place by car. Uncertain of our direction and contemplating a return, we realized the road was too narrow to maneuver our vehicle for a retreat. Suddenly, a cacophony of quacking ducks reverberated from a nearby distance, indicating our intrusion into their territory. Intrigued, we cautiously proceeded and eventually discovered that the road abruptly ended, leaving us at a dead end. Lost and gripped by a sense of fear, we encountered a cluster of black flags peeking through the bushes, marking the presence of a shrine. The inscription on the shrine read, "Sakhi Zinda Wali Sarkar."
Unbeknownst to us, we had inadvertently surpassed Khurram Paracha Village and arrived at "Bill Sharif Taxila." Devoid of any custodian or guardian, an eerie silence enveloped the vicinity. Suddenly, faint sounds of children's voices emerged from deep within the dense jungle. Anxiously, we cried out, "Is anyone here?" Alas, our calls went unanswered. The entire atmosphere and surroundings exuded an unsettling aura. At the shrine's entrance, we discovered a car partially buried in the ground, its backseat weighed down by concrete cubes. The purpose behind this peculiar arrangement eluded our comprehension. To our bewilderment, the shrine's domain was guarded by ducks, with no trace of human presence. A notice at the shrine's entrance explicitly stated that women were prohibited from entering the premises and that nobody could remain there after Maghreb.
In Pakistan, numerous shrines bear names like Zinda Wali Sarkar. These names stem from the myth of holy individuals who mysteriously vanished, prompting their devoted followers to construct shrines in their memory. The disconcerting ambiance of this particular place compelled us to promptly depart. Fortunately, after retracing our steps, we finally located Giri, which, as it turned out, was situated approximately 3 kilometers before the aforementioned shrine.
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| Shrines |
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| The burried Car |
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| The Gaurdian Ducks |
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| Signage |
