PESHAWAR - Despite allocation of hefty amount for Archeology and Museum Department, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf government has failed to utilise these funds for the betterment and beautification of the archeological sites of Takhtbahi Ruins, where tourists frequently visit to get inspiration from Budhist era construction.The Buddhist Monastic Complex of Takhtbahi was founded in the early 1st century. Owing to its location on the crest of a high hill, it escaped successive invasions and is still exceptionally well preserved.
The Buddhist Ruins of Takhbahi era a monastic edifice, founded in the early 1st century A.D. is spectacularly positioned on various hilltops ranging from 36.6 meters to 152.4 meters in height, typical for Buddhist sites.
The Buddhist monastery was in continual use until the 7th century AD. It is composed of an assemblage of buildings and is the most complete Buddhist monastery in Pakistan. The buildings were constructed of stone on Gandhara pattern using local dressed and semi-dressed stone blocks set in a lime and mud mortar.
Today the Ruins comprise a main stupa court, votive Stupas court, a group of three Stupas, the monastic quadrangle with meditation cells, conference hall, covered stepped passageways and other secular buildings.
During a visit to the site, this correspondent witnessed a dilapidated road from Takhtbahi Bazaar leads toward the Budha Relics and no step was taken by the current government to beautify the site.
The hilly area needs dense plantation and forestation, which could provide temporary shadow for those who sometime visited here for picnic.
There is a shortage of police staff for maintain law and order and keep the visitors away from damaging the relics.
Despite the repeated warnings of the site attendants, visitors damage the walls and relics of the site. One of the site attendant Umar Wahid told The Nation that he is tormented by the rude behaviour of the visitors as despite repeated instructions, they throw garbage in the courtyards of the Ruins. "They have no sense to keep the area clean for foreign visitors who come to see the beautiful Monastic sites of Budha," he added. He said that they are facing shortage of police personnel who can stop people from damaging the site.
The Relics of Takhtbhani lack facility of proper tourist huts where visitors could seat and enjoy few moments in the hilltop area. The site also lacks clean drinking water facility as visitors bring water along with themselves from Takhtbahi Bazaar. When contacted Advisor on Sports and Archeology Amjad Afridi made an excuse and said that at the moment he is enjoying a party and could not provide details. After contacting on the second consecutive day, he was reluctant to give any comment and switched off his mobile phone.
When this scribe tried to contact Director Museum Dr Samad Khan, he was not present in his office. The absence of all the staff members to provide any detail regarding the performance of the department shows the triviality and non-serious attitude of the PTI minister for their department.