peshawar   -   Buddhist monks and nuns from Malaysia, Indonesia and China visited Peshawar Museum on Thursday and were excited to see the well preserved Museum which housed biggest collection of Ghandhara Art.

The delegation was welcomed and briefed by Director Archaeology and Museums, Dr Abdul Samad and senior officials of the department.

Samad said that Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, KP is working to launch this province as a hub of religious tourism.

The delegation visited its different sections and took keen interest in the cultural and Ghandhara art collection.

They were told that Peshawar Museum is the biggest facility of the Ghandhara Art in world. The authorities briefed the delegation about the history and antiquities preserved in Peshawar Museum.

Established in the heart of Peshawar some 150 years ago, Peshawar Museum has achieved a unique historical distinction of being a home to over 30,000 antiquities and a complete life story of Lord Bhudda, attracting thousands of tourists and followers of Buddhism every year.

The complete life story of Founder of Buddhism, Lord Buddha was kept preserved in the forms of statues and panels here.

Besides ancient dresses of Waziristan, tribes, cooking plates and antique jewellery, Peshawar Museum is a unique museum of South Asia where muzzle loaded guns mostly used by British Army and swords of freedom fighters, kings and warriors of the pre-partition era besides punched marked coins were put on display for tourists.

The Museum was first started as Victoria Hall in 1896 initially used as Dancing Club during colonial era and was later converted into Peshawar Museum in 1906.

The present main hall of the Peshawar Museum was built in 1906 in the memory of Queen Victoria.

The entire building of the museum has been recently renovated and conserved by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and was opened for tourists.