Main image: Zarghun11, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There
Butkara I Archaeological Remains is one of the historical Places of the Buddhist Religion near Mingora Swat the distance of the Butkara I stupa from Islamabad via Swat Motorway is 306 Km and the distance from Peshawar to Swat is 217 km
By Air: The nearest airport that can be used for air travel Butkara I Stupa is Saidu Sharif Airport.
By Train: If you want to go to Butkara I Stupa by train from any part of the country, there is no train available to go to Butkara I Stupa So you can get off at Nowshehra Railway station or Peshawar station and go Butkara I Stupa by car, bus and Jeep
By Road: Through a car, bus and Jeep you can reach Butkara I Stupa from Islamabad via Swat Motorway in three hours. The distance of Butkara I Stupa from Peshawar is 217 Km and from Islamabad is 306 km.
What to Expect
Tourists who visit to this place will learn a lot about Buddhist sculptures and Buddhist religion. The can learn about the old Buddhist civilization. The valley under the shadow of Mount Elum is filled with views of forests, fields and clouds. The road winds with a fresh water stream which is picturesque in its own right. So the tourist can enjoy this areas as a picnic spot as well.
History
The Buddhist sacred precint of Buutkara identified as the monestry of Ta-Lo, mentioned by Sung Yun (520 AD) visited and described by the Chinese Buddhist pilgrims of the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries AC lies at the eastern end of the ancient capital of Udyana Meng-Chich-Li, present Mingawara.
The main Stupa stand in the middle, around it are crowded monuments Stupas, Viharas and columns, on the Northern side stands a great building and further to the north and west the inhabited area. The Great Stupa under event five reconstruction, each new one incasing the oldery from 3rd century B.C down to 10th century A.D.
Facilities Available
All the facilities are available near to Butkara I Archaeological Remains at about 1km distance from this site:
- A lot of hotels and motels are located on the road side of Mingora Swat with beautiful views.
- Bazaars with local foodis also available for the tourists.
- Landline and mobile connectivity makes it comfortable for the tourists to communicate.
- Local tourist’s guides are also available for tourist facilitation.
- Local and private transport is easily available 24/7.
- For security near police stations are also available.
