Postcard from the Manthal Buddha - a rock and a desert

The Manthal Buddha can be found just outside the village of Manthal, near Sadpara Lake.  Buddhism came to the region in the late 7th century.  Buddhists travelled throughout the Indus Valley, and you can see rock carvings and stupas across Gilgit-Baltistan.  Two of the most famous sites are the Manthal Buddha and the Kargah Buddha (the subject of a previous blog).

The Manthal Buddha was carved in the 9th century, during the ‘golden age of Buddhism’ in the region.  The rock is in the shape of a triangle and is approximately 6 meters wide and 9 meters high.  The carving on the rock shows a meditating Buddha surrounded by smaller Bodhisattvas (past buddhas) and two standing Maitreyas (future buddhas).  At the bottom of the rock are some Balti inscriptions. The carving is a Mandala, a representation of the universe and an aid to meditation.   The local village Manthal is named after the carving.

The Buddha Rock is surrounded by a wall and there is a custodian.  I was pleased to see that the local government has taken steps to preserve and protect the site.  Some Buddhist sites have been vandalised in Pakistan as they are considered to be un-Islamic.

On the way back to Shigar we stopped to look at the Sarfaranga Desert, known as a cold desert, during the winter it can be covered with snow.  The landscape is dry and dramatic.  Desert surrounded by mountains.  We visited in late spring, and you could feel the warm wind crossing the sand.  It is hard to imagine that snow could fall here.  Maybe one day I can return to photograph what would be an amazing sight of a desert covered in snow.  

Manthal Buddha and custodian

Sarfaranga Desert, mountains to the front and back

Sarfaranga Desert

Sarfaranga Desert