Field guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Pipplan Stupa
Field guide · Heritage
Pipplan Stupa
The Buddhist archaeological site in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, dates from the 1st to 5th century CE and is located on Jaulian Road, surrounded by Pipplan Hills.
It features a well-preserved monastery with a courtyard, monks' cells, assembly hall, kitchen, and a stupa complex. The main stupa is notable for its three-tiered structure, originally decorated with Ionic pilasters and a Dhyani Buddha figure. Smaller votive stupas are also scattered around the main stupa. Excavations led by Sir John Marshall revealed a detailed layout of the monastery and stupas, which were built using heavy masonry. The site is protected under The Antiquity Act 1975 (amended in 1992) and the excavation results were published in Frontier Archaeology, Vol VI in 2016.
Why go
- ✦Buddhist heritage
- ✦Gandhara archaeology
- ✦history
Current Condition
The Pipplian Stupa near Taxila is an ancient Buddhist site facing deterioration due to natural wear, with limited preservation efforts currently in place.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, Year-round; confirm local conditions and any festival dates before travel.
Getting there, In or near Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; confirm current local access before visiting.
