Field guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Bahai (Maira of Rega)
Field guide · Heritage
Bahai (Maira of Rega)
Bahai, located in the Maira area of Rega near Sunigram, was once home to the largest known stupa in Buner, measuring about 240 feet east-west and 200 feet north-south.
Documented by Stein in 1898, the stupa mound was considered possibly one of the oldest Buddhist monuments in the region. Surrounding the mound were traces of monastic structures and debris. A nearby ancient stone-lined well, accessed by 23 steps, was also recorded and attributed to Buddhist times, despite local legends connecting it to Raja Birbal. Later surveys confirmed that landowners leveled the stupa mound to create farmland, destroying most surface remains. Inscribed stones and small artifacts were unearthed during this destruction but are now missing. The site was considered significant for understanding Gandharan Buddhist presence in Buner.
Why go
- ✦Buddhist heritage
- ✦Gandhara archaeology
- ✦history
Current Condition
Bahai’s colossal 240-foot stupa—once Buner’s oldest Buddhist monument—has been erased by deliberate leveling under KP Archaeology’s passive complicity, its sacred mound bulldozed into farmland and inscribed stones looted, leaving only a crumbling stepped well as a silent witness. Only forensic soil analysis and recovery of displaced artifacts can now reconstruct the scale and significance of this lost Gandharan landmark.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, Year-round; confirm local conditions and any festival dates before travel.
Getting there, In or near Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; confirm current local access before visiting.
