ISLAMABAD: July 10 (DNA): The Buddha Caves at Shah Allah Ditta are located in the heart of Margalla Hills on the natural route to the ancient city of Taxila. These caves are believed to be 2,400 years old. The Buddha caves are adjacent to a garden known as Sadhu ka Bagh. The village of Shah Allah Ditta is named on a dervish of Mughal era.
The Buddha Caves consist of natural rock of Kanjur stone. The Kanjur stone used for the construction of Buddhist Stupa at Ban Faqiran, was also extracted from these rocks. These caves were first used by Buddhist monks for meditation. After the decline of Buddhism in Taxila, Hindu sadhus occupied these caves and painted some images of Hindu deities on the walls.
There were many Hindu families living in Shah Allah Ditta Village before partition and the Caves were used by them for their daily worship. During the Mughal Period, Muslim ascetics took over the caves and built a square water tank on the water channel emerging from a natural water spring flowing since long. The water tank was constructed in lime stone laid in lime mortar.
Mughal rulers and other emperors often passed through this region on their way to India from Afghanistan.
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