Field guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Swat Valley / Tokar Dara Stupa
Field guide · Heritage
Swat
Swat District · Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Tokar Dara Stupa
A five-storey Buddhist stupa and monastery at Najigram in Swat.
Tokar-Dara Stupa features a significant Buddhist monastery, with a central stupa that is remarkable for its five-storey structure. The first storey has a quadrangular design, while the upper four storeys are circular in shape. The stupa's construction is substantial, and it is surrounded by smaller votive stupas of varying shapes and sizes. The monastery itself lies to the south of the main stupa. The site dates from the 1st to the 5th century CE and is protected under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Antiquities Act of 2016. The site is an important example of Buddhist architecture in the Swat Valley, as detailed in the publication Buddhist Architecture In the Swat Valley, Pakistan by Domenico Faccenna and Piero Spagnesi (2014).
Why go
- ✦A five-storey Buddhist stupa of the 1st–5th century CE
- ✦Ringed by smaller votive stupas
- ✦A monastery to the south; protected since 2016
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, April–May or late September to November. The five-storey stupa in Swat is best seen in dry weather; keep off the masonry.
Getting there, Near Najigram, Barikot, Swat, about 1 km from Abba Sahib Cheena.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Tokar Dara Stupa, within 5 km.
