MINGORA: The schoolchildren visited the seventh century rock-carved Buddha statue in Jahanabad area in Mangalore here and said they learnt about an important chapter of Swat history, which was not part of the programme of their study.

The Bacha Khan High School students, both boys and girls, closely looked at the statue and learnt about its history from experts.

“We not only impart modern education to our students but also educate them on the cultural heritage and history of their own land. The rock-carved statue in Jahanabad is one of the iconic and important figures of the history and so, today we brought some of our students here to help them learn and understand the rich cultural heritage and history of this land,” said principal Mehnaz Ali.

She said without imparting education on history and culture, schools and colleges could never produce good students.

The students said Swat valley was full of wonders of history, archaeology and culture dating back to over 5,000 years but unfortunately, the textbooks didn’t carry any information about it.

“Today, we learnt that the gigantic statue belongs to seventh century when Buddhism was the popular faith here. The rock-carved statue is a good example of art and geometry but ironically, very few students know about it,” said ninth-grader Bushra.

The students said they not only learnt about history and art but also enjoyed the serenity and scenic location of the area.

“We climbed ancient stairs and saw a spring before reaching the statue. The way to the statue is very beautiful, especially when it is covered with yellow and orange leaves due to the autumn season,” Hajra of fifth grade said.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2017