Margalla Hills

Margalla Hills

The Margalla Hills --the foothills of the Hamalayas-- are a series of small elevation hills located north of Islamabad, Pakistan.

There are two stories which describe the origin of the word 'Margalla'. According to one source Mar means 'snake' in Persian and galla means 'herd'. Therefore Margalla means a place with a lot of snakes. According to the second source Margalla means to 'strangulate' because mar means 'hit' and galla means 'neck'. This is based on the fact that there were lots of bandits and robbers who used to hide in these hills and would strangulate the travelers in order to rob them.

The Margallas are excellent for hiking and cater for both the regular serious hikers and the less serious occasional enthusiasts.

Flora and Fauna

Margalla hills are home to various species of wild life including monkeys, exotic birds and carnivores such as rare and presently endangered Margalla leopards.

Commonly found animals in the Margallas include the Rhesus monkeys, jackals (often heard cackling at night near the hills), wild boars, porcupines, mongoose and the pangolin or scaly anteater. The wild boar in particular can be seen at some of the least expected places in the city. While they generally stay close to the hills, occasionally, particularly in winter when the hills are cold, they can be seen quite far from the Margallas. Often the boars will have small hide-outs in the green belts in and around the city. The increasing practice of throwing litter near the hills also attracts both monkeys and wild boar to come and forage through the rubbish. The wild boars can be quite large, very solidly built and usually travel in large groups.

Less common are Margalla leopards that usually remain high up in the hills. Even more rare is the elusive snow leopards. These beautiful animals confine themselves to the highest ridges of the range.

There are another group of animals that deserve mention. There are a number of known species of poisonous snakes in the area including cobras, Russell's Vipers and the kraits - known in local parlance as the half-minute killer. The snakes hibernate in the winter months but tread carefully in the hotter months and particularly the monsoon months when snakes abound. While they are to be found mainly in and around the hills, occasionally an overgrown garden is an ideal home.

Bird watching

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margalla_Hills#Flora_and_Fauna

Margalla hills is an excellent place for bird watchers. For details see Birds of Islamabad [1]

Hiking and trekking

For foreigners, it is advisable to go for hiking in a group, because a few incidents of mugging have been reported in the last few years. The safest and most frequented hike path is from the ZOO park to Daman-e-Koh. The best season for hiking is from February to April, when there is less rain and the weather is extremely pleasant.

Asian Study Group (a community service organization) conducts hikes from October to April. Details about hiking trails and further information can be found in the latest edition of the book called "Hiking in and around Islamabad" available at select book shops in F-7 Markaz, and Kohsar Market published by Asian Study Group for the Islamabad community.

Para-gliding and hang gliding

Facilities for para-gliding are provided by a private clubs based in Islamabad. [2], [3]

Popular picnic spots

• Daman-e-Koh - a view point above Islamabad
• Pir Sohawa - a restaurant place high above the city with great view
• Gokeena
• Mount Happiness
• Loh-i-Dandi
• Shahdara [4]

See also

• Margalla Hills National Park
• Islamabad
• Birds of Islamabad

External links

• UrbanPK