Documentary & Panel Discussion

• In collaboration with Serena Hotel

SWAT VALLEY

EXPLORING THE AMAZING ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES!

2 Days/ 1 Night

Foreign members: Please apply for their NOC well in time.

Described as “Udyana” (the garden) in ancient Hindu epics, Swat is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in northern Pakistan..The area is full of rich archaeological sites ,in an environment still intact and dominated by the calm majesty of Mount Ilam!

In 327 BC, Alexander the Great fought and won some of his major battles in the area, before crossing over to the plains of the Punjab. The famous Gandhara Buddhist civilization also flourished in this valley. There are many remains of Buddhist stupas, monasteries and settlements in lower Swat. In the area south of Barikot- in about 200 sq km- archeologists have documented more than 400 sites from proto-history to Islam!

In a joint venture, Italian ACT- Field School Project and Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan is working to promote community based ecotourism in the area of Lower Swat Valley.

Please Note: The trip involves hiking to reach to the view points on the archaeological sites , so wear appropriate walking shoes. Detailed trip joining instructions will be issued to the confirm trip participants well in time.

Trip Itinerary

Day-1

· Departure from Islamabad at 07:30 am

· En-route commentary about sites

· Visit archaeological site of Takht-e-Bahi near Mardan

· Carry refreshments for en route ( Lunch)

· Visit archaeological site of Bazira near Barikot

· Continue travel towards Mingora/Saidu Sharif

· Visit Shingardar Stupa.

· Arrival at Mingora/Saidu Sharif in the evening.

· Transfer to hotels.

· Dinner and night stay at hotel.

Day-2

· Breakfast at hotel.

· Visit Swat Museum

· Visits Batkara Stupa

· Visit Jahanabad Buddha

· Visit shops of handicrafts en route.

· Lunch at hotel along Swat river

· Return to hotel for rest

· Departure for visit to Muraghzar to visit White Place of Wali Swat

· Return to hotel and dinner and night stay at hotel.

Day-3

· Breakfast at hotel.

· Check out from hotel

· Arrival Udegram

· Visit archaeological sites of Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi’s Mosque

· Visit remains of Raja Gira’s Castle (short hike involve)

· Visit Galeghai cave and Buddha image on rock along the road.

· Departure for Amluk-dara Stupa.

· Visit Amluk-dara Stupa

· Carry pack Lunch to save time

· Stop en-route for tea etc.

· Estimated time of arrival of group at Islamabad at around 6:30 pm

Duration: 1 hr 54 min

Director: Mira Nair

Screenplay: Sabrina Dhawan

Award: Venice Film Festival: Best Picture Golden Lion Award

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah, Vijay Raaz, Tillotama Shome, Vasundhara Das, Parvin Dabas, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajat Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, Roshan Seth,Soni Razdan, Ram Kapoor & Renuka

Monsoon wedding is an International co production invoving production companies from several countries.Though shot on location in Delhi , it can be considered an Indo-US-French-Dutch Co-Production reflecting its diverse funding and production sources.

Mira Nair plunges the audience straight into the joys and chaos of a Subcontinent wedding where things get tense among the family members when hidden agendas, secrets, and fears threaten to cause disruption and destroy family relationships for good.

Set in present day Delhi, this comedy-drama focuses on the Punjabi Verma family – led by the harassed father (Naseeruddin Shah) and mother (Lillete Dubey) - who are about to celebrate their daughter's marriage. With days to go, the final preparations are chaotically put in place amidst the arrival of the extended family.

The main theme is the healing power of unconditional love- the struggle between modern and traditional ways is one of the primary undercurrents ...the director cleverly uses the wedding as a guide to examine the stresses and strains that families can face- based in any part of the world!

Mira Nair directs with unflagging energy, style and pizzazz, periodically whisking her crew out into the teeming streets for external locations and using the real-life crowds as a seamlessly integrated real backdrop for her family drama. The screen is filled with blooming marigolds, blossoming romances... but every time "Monsoon Wedding" starts to seem candy-coated, Nair mixes romantic optimism and conflict, with the movie mirroring the violent weather season during which it is set...

• In collaboration with Alliance Francaise

Self Drive

Butterflies rely on gardens for survival, while gardens benefit from the ecological services butterflies provide. It's a beautiful example of symbiosis!

Butterflies and gardens have a mutually beneficial relationship.

Butterflies need gardens for:

• *Food*: Nectar from flowers for energy and host plants for caterpillars to feed on.
• *Shelter*: Plants provide shelter from wind, rain, and predators.
• *Breeding*: Gardens offer a place for butterflies to mate and lay eggs.

Gardens need butterflies for:

• *Pollination*: Like bees, butterflies transfer pollen between flowers, aiding plant reproduction.
• *Pest control*: Some butterfly caterpillars feed on pests, like aphids and whiteflies, helping to regulate their populations.
• *Ecosystem balance*: Butterflies contribute to the overall health and biodiversity of the garden ecosystem.

By creating butterfly-friendly gardens, we can support these magnificent creatures and enjoy the beauty and benefits they bring to our outdoor spaces!

After a successful project in Karachi the "Butterfly Effect" project has come to Islamabad! We will have the exclusive opportunity to visit the brand new 'Butterfly Conservatory' in the Islamabad Model School for Girls (NIH branch). These important pollinators are not only good for your garden, they have also helped with the development of young students!

• Please bring along refreshments!

'Poetry in English from Pakistan, A 21st Century Anthology' by Alhamra Publishing, showcases the work of sixty eight contemporary Pakistani poets writing in English. In this volume with its extensive representation of contemporary local and diaspora poets, readers will discern the changing trajectory in metre, rhythm, tone and theme of this often-neglected genre. The collection, featuring poems written from the year 2000 to date, moves from senior, established voices to young, emerging poets. The editor’s notes at the end of the book give novice readers a rough guide to English poetry in Pakistan, which existed from the country’s birth (and before, as part of the Subcontinent).

Readers familiar with the genre will note a recent return to traditional poetic form, a movement initiated by diaspora poets, now taken up by the local writing community. The large representation of the former group is testament to the scale of migrations westwards from Pakistan.

In scope and size, this twenty first century anthology endeavours to give students and readers of poetry an overview of the poetic scene and documentation of work which does not always reach publication!

'Poetry in English from Pakistan, A 21st Century Anthology' by Alhamra Publishing, showcases the work of sixty eight contemporary Pakistani poets writing in English. In this volume with its extensive representation of contemporary local and diaspora poets, readers will discern the changing trajectory in metre, rhythm, tone and theme of this often-neglected genre. The collection, featuring poems written from the year 2000 to date, moves from senior, established voices to young, emerging poets. The editor’s notes at the end of the book give novice readers a rough guide to English poetry in Pakistan, which existed from the country’s birth (and before, as part of the Subcontinent).

Readers familiar with the genre will note a recent return to traditional poetic form, a movement initiated by diaspora poets, now taken up by the local writing community. The large representation of the former group is testament to the scale of migrations westwards from Pakistan.

In scope and size, this twenty first century anthology endeavours to give students and readers of poetry an overview of the poetic scene and documentation of work which does not always reach publication!

The mesmerizing mountainous territory of Gilgit- Baltistan is renowned for its history and and stunning scenery!

With their own unique traditions and languages the cusine of Gilgit -Baltistan mirrors the region's cultural mosaic, reflecting a vibrant blend of influences from Central Asia, the Middle East and South Asia... each dish carries a story of tradition , heritage and centuries old practices...

We will start with 'Balay soup' - a traditional soup with homemade noodles, followed by 'Sharte Chap Shorro'-

a delicious pastry filled with meat. The main dishes will be 'Chap Ulu Alo' and 'Channa Pulao'...winding up with the delicious 'Rabri Pasta' dessert!

• Our guest Chef Musarrat is originally from the valley and runs a small catering business offering a taste of her local cusine.

Adventure Club & Trips –KHEWRA SALT MINES & KETAS, KALLAR KAHAR

Day Trip

Foreign members: Please apply for their NOC well in time.

-The Salt Range comprises of two rows of low lying rugged hills that run east to west between the Soan and Jhelum rivers from the Grand Trunk Road near Jhelum city to the River Indus near Kalabagh. This area is said to record 600 million years of the earth’s history. Its name comes from the vast deposits of rock salt exposed and mined at Khewra. The salt was left behind when the sea, which extended over the Indus plains and the Potohar plateau, evaporated 600 million years ago. The rocks and fossils found around the salt range provide a complete record of the history of the Earth.

-The Salt Range Wetlands Complexcomprises of a series of adjacent lakes – Kallar Kahar, Khabbeki, Ucchali, Jhalar and Namal.These lakes provide an important wintering ground for migratory birds and are core habitat for the endemic Punjab Urial. –

The ‘Katas Raj’ temple complex is located in the Potohar Plateau-. The temples' pond is said to have been created from the teardrops of Lord Shiva, after he wandered the Earth inconsolable after the death of his wife Sati. .The temples play a role in the Hindu epic poem, the Mahābhārata, where the temples are traditionally believed to have been the site where the Pandava brothers spent a significant portion of their exile. Another tradition states that the Hindu deity Krishna laid the foundation of the temple…

Historically this region is also very rich…Alexander the Great passed through the Salt Range on his way to fight battle with King Porus on the banks of the Jhelum River in 326 BC. In the 3rd century BC, this area became part of Ashoka’s Buddhist Empire. Towards the end of the Buddhist period, in the 6th century AD, there was a kingdom in the Salt Range called Singhapura,probably centered at Ketas. From 7thto 10th centuries, the Salt Range was part of powerful Kashmiri Hindu kingdom. Mahmood Ghazni invaded the region in the early 11thcentury. The local tribes were converted to Islam at this time...

Pl. Note: Wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately. Bring refreshments.

TRIP ITINERARY

· Departure from Islamabad at 08:00 am.

· Travel on Motorway M-2 and enjoy the dramatic scenery of Salt Range

· Visit Khewra Salt Mines

· Visit fhe historical temples of Ketas Raj

· Drive to Kallar Kahar

· Short stay at Kallar Kahar(for tea and enjoying scenic beauty of this area)

· Return travel to Islamabad

· Arrival at Islamabad at around 7:00 pm.

Pl. Note: NOC will be required for foreigners/ diplomats

Patriata and Kotli Sattian on the eastern side of Murree Hills present some of the most beautiful places for exploring nature. Due to the close proximity to Murree which is the central point of activity for tourists, this area has fortunately remained less explored!

There is an old track that connects the Kotli Sattian to Patriata through the hills. The track passes through the Phofandi -a hill top near Kotli Sattian and on a clear day it presents spectacular views of the Himalayas in the East.

The coaster will drop us off at Burj - near Kotli Sattian- and pick us up at the Patriata top.

Wear sturdy shoes; bring sufficient refreshments/ water.We will picnic at the Phofandi Top!

Hike Rating: Moderate with a distance of around 8Km.

A family ride

Come join us on this relaxing ride to investigate the 'Jungle Track'

- an exciting addition to the Shakarparian Park!

An off-road track that- within minutes- takes you away from the hustle and bustle of city life to a calm and remote silence as you wind your way through trees and foliage!