Overview
According to Lay Buddhist Imran Shaukat, an activist promoting Buddhist tourism in Pakistan, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is currently home to Buddhist sites, featuring between 1,200 and 1,400 major and minor sites connected to the history of the Buddha and His era.
Imran Shaukat stated: “Unfortunately, we have not taken advantage of it; this area and its great potential remain untapped and unexplored. Our Swat Valley is one of the eight places where the Holy Relics of the Buddha were brought and housed, marked by a site in the valley; additionally, a 30-meter-long reclining statue of the Buddha entering Parinirvana was discovered in Haripur.”
According to Mr. Shaukat, Buddhism flourished in present-day Pakistan 2,300 years ago, when the region served as the center of a Buddhist civilization originating under the rule of the wise and virtuous King Ashoka (the Dharma-protecting King, 274–237 BCE), founder of the Mauryan Empire, who left behind a rich archaeological legacy of art and architecture
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PILGRIMAGE TO ANCIENT BUDDHIST SACRED SITES IN GANDHARA – PAKISTAN
DURATION: 11 DAYS – 10 NIGHTS.
