Kafirkot Temples

The ruins of an ancient Hindu fort and five temples above the Indus near the Chashma Barrage.

GPGreenPak Field GuidesSourced from Green Tourism Pakistan · 2 min read

Kafir Kot is a ruined hilltop fort with five small temples inside its walls, on a spur of the Khasor range overlooking the Indus near the Chashma Barrage. It was destroyed by the Ghaznavids in the 11th century.

Why go

✦Five ruined Hindu temples inside a stone fort
✦Walls of huge rough-cut stone blocks
✦Views over the Indus near the Chashma Barrage
✦Carved stone said to have come by river from Khushalgarh

About

The site is often called the northern Kafir Kot, to tell it from the southern one at Bilot Sharif, about 35 km to the south. Both are ancient Hindu forts; local legend gives them to the last Hindu rajas, Til and Bil. The temples are carved from a honeycombed, drab-coloured stone not found in the nearby hills, which is said to have come down the river from Khushalgarh. Sculptures from the site are now scattered among museums, with one of the largest collections in the British Museum.

History

The Mianwali District Gazetteer of 1915 described the Kafir Kot forts as “of great antiquity and interest”: an outer wall of rough stone blocks, some very large, enclosing groups of carved buildings like small Hindu temples. The forts were large enough to hold a sizeable garrison.

How to Reach

In Dera Ismail Khan District, on a spur of the Khasor range above the Indus near the Chashma Barrage.

Responsible Travel

Treat the site as protected heritage: do not scratch, climb or remove material, and follow caretaker instructions.

Planning tip

Best Time to Visit, October to March. Summers in the lower Indus valley are very hot.

Getting there, In Dera Ismail Khan District, on a spur of the Khasor range above the Indus near the Chashma Barrage.

Allow, One to two hours on site.

What to Do

◆Walk the line of the outer defensive wall

◆Look at the carving on the temple stones

◆Take in the view over the Indus

◆Combine it with the southern Kafir Kot at Bilot Sharif, 35 km south

Nearby

Straight-line distance from Kafirkot Temples, within 5 km.

Nothing else genuinely close by (within 5 km of Kafirkot Temples) is published yet.