Photo: Ghalib khattak · CC BY-SA 3.0Field guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Swat Valley / Shingardar Stupa, Swat
Field guide · Heritage
Swat
Swat District · Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Shingardar Stupa, Swat
One of Swat's great Buddhist stupas, beside the Mingora–Barikot road, said to have been built by King Uttarasena to enshrine his share of the Buddha's relics.
Shingardar stupa rises beside the road between Ghalegay and Barikot, one of the largest Buddhist monuments in Swat. Tradition holds that it was built by Uttarasena, an ancient king of Swat, to enshrine his share of the relics of the Buddha. The stupa stands on a square plinth, with circular storeys above decorated with rows of arches; the drum and dome are about 12 metres high, and the base is about 27 metres across. It is built of large stones bedded in thin layers of slate, and was identified in British times by Colonel Deane and Aurel Stein. Traces of the monastery that once surrounded it lie beneath the houses to the east and south.
Why go
- ✦One of Swat's largest stupas, about 27 m across at the base
- ✦Said to hold King Uttarasena's share of the Buddha's relics
- ✦Circular storeys decorated with rows of arches
Visiting today
Shingardar is protected under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Antiquities Act, 2016, and easy to see from the roadside. Stop at the Ghalegay Buddha a few minutes away.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, April–May or late September to November. The stupa stands right by the road, and early-morning light on its stonework is the best time for photographs.
Getting there, Beside the main Mingora–Barikot road at Shingardar, between Ghalegay and Barikot, on the left as you come from Mingora.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Shingardar Stupa, Swat, within 5 km.
