Food n Fundas!: Prince Saif ul Malook and Badri Jamala

The Land of the fairies, no doubt it earned its name, as they say seeing is believing. The breath taking view of the lake and the towering "malka parbat" meaning the Queen Mountain standing tall and invincible presents a classical picture of creator's work(Allah).Me was there in early 90 's for two hours & am still mesmerized. There is story or legend about this place we heard there from local people and read about it in storybooks.

. The legend of the lake is very interesting and romantic. A Persian Prince, Saif ul Malook fell in love with a fairy princess, Badr-ul-Jamal(means glory of the moon), whom he saw in his dreams. The prince was restless until a Dervish (holy man) told him where to find her by the lake and that he had to go through a tough exam to be able to marry the fairy because the prince was a human and she was a fairy. Thus the prince marched on his quest for the impossible in the name of love. He waited by the lake where there was no habitation, (there still isn't), no food, nothing. His long wait of 12 years, finally reaped harvest and one good morning he saw the fairy come to bathe with her maids and friends in the lake. The prince hid her wings as advised by the holy man. The fairy was very tense at not finding her wings. Eventually the prince appeared and told her about his tale of love and long wait, which moved the fairy and they agreed to marry. But there was a Safaid Deuo (the white giant) who was himself in love with the fairy got jealous and furious. In rage the giant cried and thus tear lake (ansoo jheel, approx. 2 miles away) was formed. The giant stepped angrily, the dam broke and the outlet to the lake Saif-ul- Mulook was formed. And the Deuo captured her. Took her to Malka Parbat( Mountain of Fairies) she was bound there. And she only can be free when the Deuo is dead, but he cannot defeat him using ordinary means,for the Deuo has hidden his soul in talisman of some sort and hidden it away ,Sail-ul-Malook and his army succeed in finding the talisman and killing Deuo . But igniting a 40 year war between the Deuo of the earth and those who dwell in the spirit world.

In some sayings, the Deuo stepped angrily, the dam broke and the outlet to the lake Saif-ul-Mulook was formed. The prince and the fairy princess fled away in a cave (which still exists and its length is unknown to this day). The legend says that both the prince and the fairy live in the centre of the lake saif-ul-mulook, and on every full moon night they emerge mounted on a white flying horse, the pagasus, from the centre of the lake. The depth of the lake has not been measured to this day,the last effort they say was made in late 90s but the measuring chain weighing 5 tons went down and vanished and the mystery of the lake dares us!