Kargah Buddha

• 
• Located off Gilgit, this seventh-century archaeological site comprises a carved image of a large standing Buddha on the cliff in Karghah Nala.
• From the 3rd century to the 11th century, Gilgit was a Buddhist centre.
• A few metres away, a Buddhist monastery and three stupas containing Sanskrit manuscripts were also found during an excavation in 1931.

Ali Baig gurdwara

• A popular place of worship for Sikhs in Ali Baig village, the gurdwara was turned into the Muhammad Yaqoob Shaheed High School for Girls, as per a report by Pakistani archaeologists during the 2014 study.

Fountains and Gardens of Khuiratta

• Khuiratta and its surrounding areas are very popular among local tourists, with the shrine of Mai Totti Sahiba a venue for an annual three-day fair. 
• People from Kotli and other adjoining districts attend the festival in spring to watch sports, animal parades and horticultural displays. 
• The area has a number of natural springs and waterfalls.
• It is believed to have been an important place of worship for Hindus during ancient times.

Red Fort, Muzaffarabad

• Known among the locals as Rutta Qila or just qila, this site in Muzaffarabad was built by the Chak rulers, who anticipated threat to the city from the Mughals.
• The construction began in 1559. However, the Mughals annexed Kashmir in 1587, and the fort lost its importance.
• Later, its construction was completed in 1646 by Muzaffar Khan of the Bomba Dynasty, the founder of Muzaffarabad.
• Its architecture shows great craftsmanship, but most of the fort’s relics were stolen and a large portion was destroyed during the 2005 earthquake.

Ramkot Fort

• It is located on a hilltop on the banks of the Mangla Dam lake.
• The three sides of the hilltop are surrounded by the Jhelum River, which falls into the huge reservoir of Mangla Dam.
• It was built in the 16-17th century by a Gakhar named Toglu as recorded by traveller and geologist Frederick Drew in his book.
• Gakhars were a clan from the region renowned for their skill in building forts and fortified cities.

Sharada Peeth

• The much-revered Hindu temple, located in the Neelum Valley, is an ancient centre of learning dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sharada.
• There used to be an annual pilgrimage by Kashmiri Pandits to Sharada Peeth, but it was stopped after Independence.
• The temple-university played a key role in the popularisation of the Sharada script in North India, and Kashmir was sometimes called Sharada Desh because of its influence as a centre of learning.
• Its origins are uncertain — while some historians believe it was built under the Kushan Empire in the first century, others say it was built by Lalitaditya of the Karkota dynasty.

Sharada script It is a  writing system used for the Kashmiri language by the educated Hindu minority in Kashmir and the surrounding valleys. It is taught in the Hindu schools there but is not used in printing books. Originating in the 8th century AD, Sarada descended from the Gupta script of North India, from which Devanāgarī also developed. The earliest inscriptions in Sarada script, found in Kashmir and northeastern Punjab, are dated AD 804.

Why in News?

India has reacted strongly to reports of vandalism and defacement of ancient Buddhist rock carvings in Gilgit-Baltistan under Pakistan’s control.

News in detail

• The incident has brought focus on the priceless Buddhist heritage of Gilgit-Baltistan found in the rock carvings and engravings especially in areas like Hunza which were part of the Buddhist circle covering Ladakh and Tibet.
• The engravings have been in the news recently also because of the Diamar-Bhasha hydro power project that the Chinese and the Pakistani companies will construct nearby.

 

References:

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pakistan-occupied-kashmir-cultural-heritage-sites-6037466/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sarada-script

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-condemns-vandalism-of-buddhist-rock-engravings-in-gilgit-baltistan/article31742567.ece

https://pakistanhighlands.com/ramkot-fort/

https://tribune.com.pk/story/653419/seminar-archaeologists-urge-preservation-of-monuments-in-azad-kashmir/

https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-pak-mulls-opening-sharada-peeth-corridor-inside-pok-2733274

https://www.indiatv.in/india/national-india-warns-pakistan-over-vandalism-of-buddhist-archaeological-sites-in-pok-715914