MINGORA: People who love nature, peace and adventure also visit the shrine of Banjeer Baba here as it is located in the mountainous area amid thick forests.

Some of them visit the shrine for prayer to bless them with children.

Perched on the top of a hill, the shrine is located at the confluence of Swat district, Buner and Mardan at about 10 kilometres from Jahangir village of Barikot tehsil.

The shrine can only be accessed after four to five hours trek in the mountains.

“Those who want children bring small puppets made of cloth and put them on the grave and ask Banjeer Baba for prayer to bless them with kids,” said Zareen Khan, an elder of the area, adding that some other believers visit the shrine to ask for domestic animals. “Those who ask for domestic animals fix wooden sticks in the courtyard of shrine,” he said.

Mr Zareen, however, said that he did not believe in such myths.

About the history of saint, he said that there was no written record, but he had learnt from his forefathers that Banjeer Baba was in the forces of Mahmud of Ghazni who fought the battle in Swat valley with Hindu Shahi King Raja Gira in the 11th century in which he had embraced martyrdom and was buried here.

“We had heard about the scenic beauty and pleasant weather of the mountains of Banjeer so this time we planned to hike to the site where the sceneries gave a look of magical beauty,” said Nadeem Iqbal, who visited the area with his friends.

The site is also famous for numerous bird species. “The small stream running in front of the shrine amid a grove of trees is enchanting while the serene environment gives spiritual reflection to the visitors,” said Ziaullah Khan, another visitor.

Irfanullah, a teacher visiting the site along with his friends, said that he enjoyed the trek and beauty of the site.

“We came across small streams of glittering water, rushing waterfalls, long caves and thick forests before reaching the site,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2018