Khaplu

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Khaplu
ཁལུ་
خپلو
Khaplu
Location in Pakistan
Coordinates: 35°10′N 76°20′E / 35.167°N 76.333°E / 35.167; 76.333Coordinates: 35°10′N 76°20′E / 35.167°N 76.333°E / 35.167; 76.333
Country Pakistan
Province Northern Areas
District Ghangche
Elevation 8,532.504 ft (2,600.707, m)
Population
 • Total 83,200
Time zone PST (UTC+5)
 • Summer (DST) GMT+6 (UTC+6)

Khaplu (Urdu:خپلو) (Khapalu,[1] Balti: ཁལུ་) is the administrative capital of the Ghangche District of Gilgit-Baltistan. Lying 103 km (64 mi) east of the town of Skardu, it was the second-largest kingdom in old Baltistan of Yabgo dynasty. It guarded the trade route to Ladakh along the Shyok River.

Khaplu Valley of the Shyok River is 103 kilometres (64 miles) from Skardu and six hours by jeep. There is a sprawling village perched on the slopes of the steep mountains that hem in the river. Many famous mountains, such as Masherbrum, K-6, K-7, Sherpi Kangh, Sia Kangri, Saltoro Kangri and Siachen etc. are located here. The town is a base for trekking into the Hushe valley which leads to Masherbrum mountains.

History

If you can rightly call Baltistan as a hidden country, this applies to much more in the eastern part of the Baltistan Khaplu. The first mention of this former small kingdom called Khápula we find Mirza Haidar's (1499-1551) famous work Tarikh-i-Rashidi (p. 410), in which the author lists as Khaplu district of Balti (stan). Khaplu was also due to close political and family ties with the royal family of Ladakh, in this neighboring country in the 17th and 18th century proven to be very well known. However, was open to Europe Khaplu probably the first time ever called Chílú by Captain Claude Martin Wade (1794-1861), who mentioned this in a UK published in 1835 in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal essay. Moorcroft-Trebeck (her book was published in 1841) have Khaplu described as follows (Part II, p 264): "Kafalun is a province west of Nobra, on the left bank of the Shayuk" Godfrey Thomas Vigne has Khaplu 1835-1838 Be the first Europeans visited, relying in particular on the local mountain fortress commented that he was still in an intact condition vorfand (Part 2, pp. 317f). Alexander Cunningham(p. 28ff), who has not visited Baltistan, published in 1854 a brief geographical description of Khaplu and a genealogy of the rulers of this country. Thomas Thomson Khaplu traveled in November 1847, and briefly described as a place of remarkable beauty for Tibet (p. 210ff). Knight reported on his visit to Khaplu following (p. 253). "This fair spot what Kapalu, the richest district in Baltistan, and Regarded as a very Garden of Eden by the Balti people" Jane E. Duncan reached Khaplu in 1904 and held there for three weeks. Your detailed report on their stay in Khaplu is well worth reading even today. De Filippi, who reached Khaplu 1913, characterized the site as follows: "It is, perhaps, the loveliest oasis in all the region." For further information on Khaplu was on the travel report by Arthur Neve (p. 99f) referenced. Recent descriptions of the place can be found in the guidebooks Arora, pp. 211f, Lonely Planet, pp. 306f and Beek, pp. 252ff.

Geography

In contrast to Skardu and Shigar the territory of Khaplu not focused on a single large river valley, but was spread over three valleys of Shayok, namely on the territory of the present town Khaplu, the valley of Thalle River and the Hushe / Saltoro valley. The area around the mouth of the river in the Thalle Shayok formed the western border of the kingdom. Today Gangche district whose administrative center is located in Khaplu, covers the places Balghar and Daghoni addition to the mouth of the Indus in Shayok and includes the former Kingdom of Kiris as a military bulwark of the West against the incursions of the archenemies Skardu and Shigar the mountain fortresses of Kharku were next to a castle in Balghar and saling been built. In eastern Hushe / Saltoro Tal was in Haldi another fortress. Most important defense system was viewed as militarily impregnable fortress in the town of Khar Thortsi Khaplu

Tourism

Khaplu has called many names like “ Shyok Valley”,” Ghangche” and Little Tibet. In Khaplu there are many historical places like Chaqchan Mosque a most beautiful mosque in Asia (700 years old founded by Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, the first Islam preacher in this area),[2] Raja Palace is a beautiful building, is the last & best Tibetan style palace in Pakistan, and Khaplu Khanqah, is attributed to Mir Mukhtar Akhyar was built in 1712 AD / 1124 AH.[3] Khaplu is the gateway to Masherbrum Peak, K-7,[4] K-6, Chogolisa for mountaineers and Gondogoro la, Gondogoro Peak, Saraksa Glacier, Gondogoro Glacier, Masherbrum Glacier, Aling Glacier, Machlu Broq, Thaely La, Daholi lake, Kharfaq Lake, Ghangche Lake and Bara Lake for trekkers, Khaplu is a very beautiful place for hiking like Khaplu Braq, Khaplu Thung and Kaldaq. One most grade opportunity for rafting on Shyok River, as well as the rock climbing places like Biamari Thoqsikhar and DowoKraming (Hot Spring).

Architecture

The most important religious monuments in Khaplu are the great Khanqa prayer hall, which was built by Sayyed Mohammad, a saint of the Islamic Nūrbkahshīya sect, in 1712, the Astana grave monument of the saint in the immediate vicinity of the large prayer hall and the Chakchan Mosque . The Astana grave monument has been perfectly restored by the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan and thereby saved from total disintegration. The Chakchan Mosque in Khaplu is the largest and most important of the traditional mosques in Baltistan. After Klimburg (p. 155) its establishment as the Amburiq Mosque in Shigar Islamic missionary Sayyed Ali Shah Hamadani is attributed (14th century), which is considered historically as not secured like the Aburiq Mosque.

Transport

Khaplu is approachable by only one method that is road . The normal road route into Khaplu is via link road from the Skardu Valley from it. There are also four or five other road links to Kashmir and Ladakh.[5]
A famous all-weather road, the Khaplu-Drass road linked Khaplu with Drass, a city in Ladakh. Since the annexation of Gilgit Baltistan by Pakistan, the road has been closed.

Notes

  1. ↑ '32FA8813C33E3774E0440003BA962ED3'&Diacritics=DC Khapalu (Approved) at GEOnet Names Server, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  2. ↑ culture of Batistan, Hassan Hasrat
  3. ↑ History of Baltistan, Hassan Hasnu
  4. ↑ Baltistan in History ,Banat Gul Afridi
  5. ↑ Baltistan aik nazar, usaf Abadi

References

External links

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