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!           

* These  beautiful   lakes are in kaghan and naran  valley ,north east cost of Mansehra District , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.Pakistan.

 * pictures are from google.

              After me thought  to  share about historic ruins great Taxila  city.  Taxila is several time  destroyed  and  rebuilt  by  different  rulers. Taxila is famous for its handicrafts.

Demetrius 1 of  Bactria

     Sirkup  is the name of an archaeological site on the bank opposite to the city  of Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan. The city of Sirkap was built by the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius after he invaded ancient India around 180 BC. Demetrius founded in the northern and northwestern Indian subcontinent (modern day Pakistan) an Indo-Greek kingdom that was to last until around 10.B.C. Sirkap is also said to have been rebuilt by king Menander. The second city site of ancient Taxila presently as Sirkap is named after  one of the wicked character of a folk legend,Raja Rasalu and his seven demons. The excavation of the old city was carried out under the supervision of Sir John Marshall by Hergrew from 1912-1930. In 1944 and 1945 further parts were excavated by Mortimer Wheeler and his colleagues. The remains belong  to four distinct super-imposed periods of Per-Greek, Greeks ,Scythians and  Parthian. The city founded approximately in the first quarter of second century B.C. by the Bactrian Greek King Menander. The city was well planned and fortified. The Parthian king  Gondophares following the Greek pattern rebuilt the city with its main street in the middle studded with shops and places of worship like Apsidal Temple ,Sun Temple and Double-Headed  Eagle Stupa and  kings palace close to the eastern gate. Christian Apostle Saint Thomas came to Sirkap in 40 A.D.and was received by the king in his Royal Palace. The famous traveler Apollonius of Tyana who visited Taxila in 44 A.D mentions “Taxila about the size of Nineveh and walled like Greek city. The narrow streets arranged well like that of Athens”.  It was under Parthian that “Gandhara  Art

In about 60 A.D., The Great Kushanas completely swept away the Parthian and carved a mighty empire in India extending up to river Ganges. They laid the foundation of the third city site of Taxila at Sirsukh in about 80 A.D.

Taxila was a famous center of Jainism in the ancient times, many sanctuaries and ritual abject relating of this religion were recovered during excavation here.

A special Stupa at Sirkap is the so-called 'Double-Headed Eagle Stupa'. The pilasters here are of a Greek design, "Corinthian columns". In the middle arch, a Greek temple is shown; in the outer, a shrine of a Hindu design can be seen. On top of these sanctuaries, a double-headed eagle is seated from which the name of the Stupa has been derived. This motive is rather odd, to say the least, as it is originally Babylonian. It seems to have spread to Scythia, and introduced in the Punjab by the Saca rulers .One round Stupa is present at sirkap. It is one of the oldest Stupas in indo-Pak. It is assumed that this Stupa was uprooted and thrown to its present location by a strong earthquake in the 1st century AD. When the new city was built later, The  Stupa was kept by building a protecting wall around it. 

Grand Trunk Road

I was thinking what to write for last few days.Today i went to Islamabaad on my way from Taxila an ancient city.So i thought to share  about the great oldest & longest major road Grand Trunk Road. For several centuries,it has linked the eastren and western regions of the Indian subcontinent, running from Bangladesh, across north  India,into  Purushapura (  Peshawar)   in Pakistan,up to Kabul, Afghanistan.It was initiated during Maurya Empire in 3rd century(B.C.E)& later renovated &entended in 16th century (A.D) by Sher Shah Suri a pashtun emperor who then ruled much of Northern India.
 Original portion of the Grand Trunk Road from 1539 to1545 (A.D).It is also called Sadak-e-Azam.Fruit trees were planted on either side of the road.Grain & fodder were supplied for Horses and Cattle at each  caravanserai.This road runs from Kabul (Afghanistan) to Calcutta (India).Me & my daughter  enjoy  a lot.My daughter    running around with  joy & all excitement.There  was  a market near by.We had our lunch in a small  road side hotel( Dhaba).I loved their  tea which we had after lunch.After lunch  we had small  walk  on this  ancient road.I was thinking about that time.Found myself  there &felt i am surrounded by them.I was having wonderfull feelings that time.It  will take a  while  to get back in a the real world.

Hyderabadi chicken Biryani

Ingredients:
 Chicken (cut into 12 pieces)=1 kg
 Plain Yogurt = 2 cup
 Long Grain Rice = 6 cup ( for 6 peoples)
 Red Chilli Powder = 1 teaspoon
 Ginger Paste = 1/2 tablespoon
Coriander leaves = Finely chopped , half cup
 Garlic Paste =1/2 table spoon
Lemon Juice (from 4 lemons)= 3 tablespoon
 Fresh Mint Leaves finely chopped=half cup
 Green Chillies (finely chopped)=4
 Whole Black Peppercorns = 6
Cardamom seeds =6
 Onions(medium, thinly sliced,fried them before use)=2
Oil = 2cups
 Salt (to taste)

Method

Wash chicken pieces with cold water and drain well. Seperately in a bowl mix together ginger paste, garlic paste, red chilli powder, plain yogurt,lemon juice, fried onions(half of them)oil one cup . Marinate chicken pieces in this mixture and set aside for 30 minutes.

 Rice

Boil rice in water in a large pot until rice is parboiled and drain. Now remove the pot  from  heat.
Now take  large pot.Heat it. Add  the remaining  oil ,fried onions,lemon juice,chopped mint, coriander leaves ,chicken & in the  end  make  one layer of rice.

Simmer

Simmer  the rice  for  ten mintues on high flame& then  low the  flame till  15 mints.After its tender mix it gently .(Use rotimaker for simmer to have  good  results. put flat rotimaker on heat. heat it  up put pot on it and  them simmer then  rice.)

Raita

Ingredients:
 Plain Yogurt = half kg
 Zera = A pinch
salt to taste
 Red Chilli Powder=1 teaspoon

Method

Take Yogurt in a  bowl ,add zera ,salt, red chilli powder mix them .

Sever 

Sever   delicious biryani  with raita .

Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken = 1kg
Oil = 1cup
Yoghurt= half kg

Tomatoes= 2
Salt to taste

Blackpepper  to taste
Onion (well chopped)=1

Garlicpaste =1 table spoon
Ginger paste =1 table spoon

Method

Clean chicken put it in a bowl now add onion ,garlic paste,ginger paste,tomato,salt,blackpepper ,mix them well.
Take a pan heat oil now.Put chicken in it  and cover it.Low the flame and cook it till chicken is tender .

Sever

Ingredients
Onion =1
Tomato=1
White radish =1

Method

Slice  them in round shape .Garnish it . now  sever  it with naan bread.

Kajal (Kohl)

Sweet friends today i want to share some precious kohl (kajal) case and a beautiful pouch.
kolh (kajal) is an ancient eyes cosmetic.
kohl is arabic word. Personally, i love it!
my makeup is imcomplete without it.
This silver case is made of pure silver.
Its also a gift  from my grandmom .
hurrayyyy  to  grandma.
The colorful pouch is  a gift from my afghani friend.
Embroidery is with silk twigs.
Afghani females  are so  good  in embroidery.
  kohl has been worn traditionlly since 3500 B.C .It was originally used as protection against eye ailments.

Plum sauce

Ingredients:

Plum :8 to 10 ( I prefer fresh ones) one can try dry also
 Suger =2 table spoon
Salt to taste
Red chillies = 2 table spoon
Water =half cup

Method

Take a  blender peel plums take out the seeds ,add  suger ,salt ,redchillies and water blende then very  well .

Sever 

Take a bowl & put the sauce in it .