Madyan

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Madyan is located in Swat, Sarhad, Pakistan. It is one of the popular hill station in Pakistan. MADYAN IS SITUATED ON MAIN ROAD OF KALAM 32 MILES AWAY FROM THE MAIN TOWN OF MINGORA. THIS PLACE IS ALSO A COLD AND WELL KNOWN TOURIST SPOT OF SWAT. HERE YOU CAN FIND HOTELS AND GUEST HOUSES AT CHEAP RATES. ONE OF THE TROUT FARM IS ALSO THERE. THE AREAS TO VISIT IN MADYAN ARE CHAIL AND BISHIGRAM LAKE. MADYAN IS 4235 FEET ABOVE FROM THE SEA LEVEL. A place of such exquisite beauty and breathtaking mountain landscapes it is often called the 'Switzerland of the East'. Originally part of the Punjab, the British created this administrative region during the Great Game as a buffer state between British India and Russia. It runs for almost 700Km along the Afghan border and is populated mainly by Pashtuns (Pathans). Historically this area has great significance as it has always been the major gateway to the Indian subcontinent for all Invaders from the time of Alexander the Great.

The province is also the place where Buddhism reached maturity about 2000 years ago and it was from here that missionaries were despatched to Central Asia and China. Many monuments to that area remain and it has become something of a Pilgrimage area for Buddhists worldwide.

Dubbed as the worlds last Wild West the fascination of the tribal areas is also an attraction as is the historic Khyber Pass. Though a special permit is needed for both these areas and travelling without an armed guard is not allowed. Apart from the tribal areas the rest of the Frontier Province is run in tandem with the rest of Pakistan and the same sense of good law and order prevails.

The northern areas are also accessible through this province. There one can find the ancient Kalasha people with their fascinating rituals of merry making and dance. They follow an old pagan religion and are thought by some to be descendants of the army of Alexander the Great.

The provincial capital of Peshawar which is on the old silk route, also holds an air of both colonial and oriental charm with a kaleidoscope of peoples and colours.

The Karakoram Highway jointly developed by China and Pakistan is a monumental feat of engineering and runs from just after Islamabad all the way to the Chinese border. The route is through some of the most breathtaking mountain scenery in the world. It has also opened up once remote areas to tourism. Previously they were cut off for much of the year due to snow.