Elum Ghar
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Elum Ghar, also known as Mount Elum is a 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) mountain located between the Swat and Buner districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. Elum Ghar is the highest peak in the region, and is snow-covered most of the year. It is located west of Pir Baba's shrine in the Buner District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan.[1] The mountain was a significant pilgrimage site for Hindus that Hindu until 1947, and is believed to be the site where a previous incarnation of the Buddha gave up his life.[2]
History
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Elum Ġhar's peak is called Jūgyānū Sar, where Rām taḫt was believed to be located. Hindus used to worship Rām taḫt as they believe Rām Čandar spent part of his banbās "forest-dwelling" there.[3] This tradition is not mentioned in the Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki. Hindus used to celebrate Sawan Sangran every year at Rām taḫt. On the first night of Sawan they would hold vigil, worship, and recite their holy book. At dawn the paṇḍit would lead them up the mountain to Rām taḫt, where praśād would be distributed and circumambulation occurred. The site had shades for the Hindu pilgrims until they were removed by the Wāli of Swat, Miangul Abdul Wadud. The festival is no longer celebrated.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Elum Mountain". paktourismportal.com.
- ^ "Elum Mountain: Highest Peak in Buner". tripako.com. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ Sultan-i-Rome (2021). "Indigenous People of the Swat Valley". In Marine, Carrin; Michel, Boivin (eds.). Brill's Encyclopedia of the Religions of the Indigenous Peoples of South Asia. Handbuch der Orientalistik. Vol. 36. Brill.
- ^ Sultan-i-Rome (2012). "Religious Perspective of Pre-Muslim Swat". Journal of Asian Civilizations. 35 (2): 118–119.