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Visit Guide to Rani Gat Buddhists Ruins

Ranigat, belonging to the period of first-sixth century AD and protected under the Antiquities Act 1975, has been a celebrated part of folklore songs and stories of which still echo from the coffee-hued ruins in Total in the Buner district. Pakistan ‘Rani’ is a Hindi word that means ‘Queen’ while ‘gat’ is a Pashto word which means a ‘huge rock’.

Main image: Birdy866, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Getting There

You can easily travel to Rani Gat by Car by Daewoo Coach,

By roads: You can easily Travel to Rani Gat from different province and cities of Pakistan by a large network of roads. You can reach Rani Gat by Bus, Car, Coaches, and Daewoo from different parts of the country. It is mainly connected with capital of Pakistan (Islamabad) by Motorway M-1 and Via National Highway.

By Train: You can travel by train to Nowshera from where you can Rani Gat Bhai by public transport or in your car.

By Private Transport: The most direct and recommended route is the M1 Motorway (155 kilometers, two hours). Another is the old Grand Trunk Road route via Attock and Nowshera (167 kilometers, three hours). The most historically interesting is via Tarbela Dam, Swabi, Mardan and Charsadda (242 kilometers, five or six hours) Tarbela Dam may be off-limits for security reasons check for the latest information. Finally, the most attractive drive is through Fateh jang, Kohat and Darra (232 kilometers, five or six hours). Darra is in the tribal territory and foreigners need a permit to stop there, though they are usually allowed to drive through.

What to Expect

Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Amazing historical place with the height of 500 stairs to be covered to explore the area and amazing views that need a guide to tell you the whole story of the place and the myth about Rani who ruled the place with her lioness and the reign lasts for centuries. This area used to be a fairyland for foreigners and many, including Japanese, came here for studies in ancient times to learn Buddhism. Rani Ghat is the largest site in the Gandhara region comprising of 4-kilometer radius.

History

Ranigat is a collection of 2nd century CE Buddhist ruins spread over an area of 4 square kilometers which dates from the Gandhara civilization. Ranigat is located in the valley Buner of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

According to the archeologists, Ranigat remained the center of Buddhist art and culture for centuries. Ranigat has been a celebrated part of folklore, with songs and stories having been written about it. Rani Gatt (lit. the queen of stones in a Pashto) is a 2500-year-old Buddhist archaeological site belonging to the Gandhara civilization located in district Buner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Raniagut is good evidence of the Buddhist past of the area. The site is located on top of a hill, accessible by climbing the stairs constructed by the Japanese. The main attractions include; Stupas, a big rock erected by the ancient people at some distance that they probably used to worship. The city or the town was beautifully designed and stones from the local mountains have been extensively used.

Facilities Available

  • Local guides are available
  • People of Buner Ranigat are very hospitable
  • Hotel and Guest House are available in Buner Ranigat
  • Buner Ranigat can be accessible thought local transport and can book a car on rent.
  • Wi-Fi service is available in Buner Ranigat
  • Tourism Department helps the Tourist/ Visitors through providing broachers in both Urdu and English languages. The local Police and the local Guides can speak multi languages (i.e local languages, Urdu, English and some of them can speak Chinese also).
  • There is a bus stand in Buner Ranigat for public transportation.
  • Filling stations are available in Buner Ranigat which includes Petrol and Diesel.
  • Taxis are available in Buner Ranigat on daily rent basis.
  • Shops are available in Buner Ranigat