Area:
804,000 sq. km
Capital:
Islamabad
Population:
141.6 million
Government:
Federal Republic
Time:
GMT + 5 hrs
Religion:
Islam
Power:
220 V 50 Hz
Cities:: Gilgit
Gilgit and Chitral are the traditional rival polo teams, struggling against each other to win the title of the best polo teams of the Northern Areas. The teams of Afghanistan and Kashgar (China) have also been invited here several times for competition.
The matches provide the best opportunity to observe the zest, vitality, and fondness for festivities in the apparently dull mountaineers, as well as the combination of cultures. The thrill of the game is doubled when accompanied with the loud music produced by clarinet and drums played by bands, and the wild involvement of dancing, singing, and shouting folk, free to encourage or jeer at the players without any formal restrictions. The different musical notes indicate the varying situations of the game, and different signal tones are assigned to different players, signaling when they have scored. This allows people especially the women, confined to their homes to follow the current situation of the game.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Gilgit itself has no buildings of any historical interest. The only interesting place to visit here is the Gilgit Bazaar.The Gilgit Bazaar is the central business place for traders from Central Asia, Punjab, and Sindh. This is the only market town in hundreds of km, and is always crowded except on Fridays, when it is off. The small shops provide an extra ordinary range of goods, especially the spare parts for jeeps, tyres, and batteries. The market also offers a large range of equipments for people interested in hiking, trekking and camping, such as tough climbing boots, sleeping bags, ice axes and camp stoves. There are several bookshops selling every kind of local and international books and magazines. A lot of shops not only supply every kind of local handicrafts and clothing, but also lustrous silks from China. A lot of bakeries, fruit, and meat and vegetable shops can be easily located around the area. There also are a few markets for kitchenware selling porcelain pots and utensils.
The Chinese shop, is stocked every year in October with Chinese goods, when the annual truck brings supplies from Sin kiang-China to Gilgit under a border agreement. Correspondingly, a truck carrying Pakistani goods travels up the Karakoram Highway to China, promoting and promising the mutual friendship between the two countries.
The Raja Bazaar is the most colorful market in the area, having a number of spice and sweet shops, cafes and textile stores.
PLACES AROUND GILGIT
10 km west from Gilgit on the road to Punial is situated the famous 7th century Buddha Carving. The 10 ft Buddha figure carved or a rock is worth viewing. About a quarter of mile away from the Carving are a monastery and 3 stupas, which were excavated in 1938, catchy for people interested in historical architecture. The Gilgit Manuscripts having great historical importance were discovered in 1931. These Buddhist manuscripts, written in Sanskrit, hold the dates and names of the past rulers of the area. In 1939 and 1956, a few more manuscripts were found and were sent to the different museums in Rome, Delhi, Karachi and Britain.The 700-year old Victory Monument of Taj Mughal is situated at the distance of 11 km from Gilgit, is also worth visiting.
Naltar, 32 km from Gilgit and the ideal camping spot. It has clad pine forests and alpine meadows spread over 3,000 meters. Public Works Department rest house supplying the very basic need for tourists can be contact on the desire to stay here. The Lake at Naltar is an excellent fishing spot. The village is also the starting point for more energetic treks across the 4,000-meter Naltar Pass to the Ishokoman Valley, or across the 4,800-meter Daintar Pass to Chalt.
Shandur Pass is situated about 250 km from Gilgit at 3734 meters above the sea level. It is about a 1250 feet long pass, connecting Gilgit to Chitral. Its top is flat open summer pastureland having two small lakes. The pass is usually blocked from November to May due to heavy snowfall. Across the Shandur pass follows the River Gilgit west for 240 km. There, there is a scary and torturous dirt track, hardly wide enough for a jeep to pass, is cut along the cliff face on the south track of the river. Leading to the ancient kingdoms of Punial, Gupis, Ishokoman, and Yasin, the same road takes to the Ghizar valley.
The Punial valley is 56 km from Gilgit. Here, Singal is an ideal trout fishing spot.
The Hunza valley lies on a branch of the Silk Road from Kashgar to Kashmir. The origins of Baltit, the capital of Hunza, consist mostly of the Baltit fort and a small village at its feet. The fort was the royal palace until the 1940s, when new palace was built in Karimabad.
Karimabad, 112 km from Gilgit is marked for its terraced fields and fruit orchards. One can have the spectacular view of the peaks of Rakaposhi, Ultar, Balimo and a few other great peaks from here. A few hotels for accommodation are also available here.
The Karakoram Highway is situated 112 km on the east bank of the River Hunza. This is the best place to view the world's highest peaks. With the opening of the Karakoram Highway leading to China, the population of Gilgit has increased manifold; causing a swell in its population.
Rakaposhi, the world's 27th highest peak, a 7788-meter gigantic mountain, rises straight on the horizon among the fields.
The famous peak of Nanga Parbat, 8125-meters, is also situated here, famous for its beauty and charm.
The Yasin Valley 160 km from Gilgit is the best area for people interested in hiking and trekking.
GETTING THERE
The city is linked with Islamabad and Rawalpindi both by air and by road. PIA hosts several flights to Gilgit from Islamabad everyday, taking about 70 minutes to reach there. The flights take off only in clear weather, and are mostly cancelled due to the bad weather conditions, when clouds cause obscurity in the route. The flight to Gilgit is supposed to be the one of the most dangerous ones, for the narrow valley surrounded by the 1,525 meter mountains is too close to make a proper approach by air.Despite danger, the flight from Islamabad to Gilgit is also one of the most exciting ones. When the planes fly over the Kaghan valley, Babusar Pass, the 55 million years old Karakoram and Himalayas ranges of mountains, it enables one to witness the peak of Nanga Parbat including the 121 peaks over 7,000 meters stretching range after range as far as one can see. Flying across K2, the second highest mountain in the world is the most enchanting part.
For traveling by road, NATCO, the Northern Areas Transport Company, provides various buses, minibuses, and wagons to Gilgit from Rawalpindi, taking about 17 hours to reach the destination. A few private companies also run hirable jeeps, wagons and vans for traveling to Gilgit. Public jeeps run twice a day from the Punial Road bus stop beyond the Agha Khan Polo Ground. And NATCO buses wagons and jeeps leave from NATCO in the mini bazaar. Ponies can also be hired for having the most down to earth rides in the hills.
The best time to visit the city is from May to the mid of October, when the valley grows full of scenic interests and at the peak of beauty.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Accommodation :
Gilgit Serena Lodge provides the best accommodation facilities for tourists. It is well equipped with all the imaginable luxuries such as AC, Satellite TV, direct-dial telephone and Safe Deposit Box. Its services include currency exchange, postage, laundry, medical, and traveling etc. It has also got an excellent restaurant, coffee shop, banquet hall, barbershop, swimming pool, and a several boutiques. For officials, best conferencing and meeting facilities are also available.Climate :
Climatically, Gilgit experiences all the four seasons. The prevalent season is winter, occupying the valley eight to nine months a year. The winter season is severe for the temperatures fall lower than the freezing point due to the heavy snowfalls in the area. As a result of this extremity in the weather, the grip of the soil weakens up, resulting in landslides and devastating avalanches.The summer season is brief and hot. The piercing sunrays raise the temperature up to the 30s, still but it is always cold under the shade.
Gilgit, like most of the Northern areas, lacks rainfalls, for the monsoon breaks against the Southern scarp of Himalayas. Rainfall in here averages only 12 to 24 cm a year. The water supply for the irrigation of the cultivate land is made by the rivers, abundant with melting snow water from higher altitudes.
The spring season from March to May makes its presence clearly felt by spreading forth a variety of fragrant flowers and aromatic shrubs around. The most common and the most impressive flowers of the season are the clematis, wild alpine roses, phloxes, chrysanthemums, and the pink denticulate.
The orchards of Gilgit grow a rich variety of fruits like Apples, Apricots, Cherry, Melons, and even Grapes at lower altitudes.
The common trees in the area are the Poplars, Birches, Larches, Willows, and Pines. It is really wonderful to see the blossoming trees of cherry, apricot, and walnut trees in the blooming season.
The orchards of the valley, surrounded by mountains themselves, further arrest the terraced fields of glowing golden wheat, maize and millet.
The wild life of Gilgit consists of the finest wildlife in the world, most of the species of animals and birds in urgent need of protection. The unique animals like Markhor, Marmot, and the endangered species of the White Snow leopard is found here. The specialty of the Gilgit wild life is the Marco Polo sheep, obviously discovered by Marco Polo when he visited the area in 1273, is found at the heights of 1,180 meters in the mountains.
Eagles, magpies, partridges and the charming orange-crested hoopoe are the common birds, adding to the beauty of the area.
The rivers, streams, and lakes of Gilgit are famous for fishing; abundant of edible fishes especially trout.
Overall, Gilgit is the great pleasure ground for adventurers, hikers, polo lovers, and especially for the Nature loving people. If you are one of those mentioned above, you must not let the opportunity to visit Gilgit at any cost.
