#soonvalley #saltrange #mahabharat
Amb Temples I Last Sign of Hindu Shahi Empire I Mahabharata Was Fought in Salt Range I Soon Valley

Special Thanks: Prof Ahmed Saeed Hamadani, Historian, Researcher, Author
Malik Gul Sultan Awan, Researcher, Genealogist
Syed Shakil Abbas Hamadani
Malik Muhammad Aslam Awan (Mehral)
Mian Muhammad Ehsaan, Amb Sharif
Music: Binu Kumar, Kerala, India
@SoundSFX (Under License)

The Amb Temples are part of an abandoned Hindu temple complex on the Sakesar mountain, located at the western edge of the Salt Range in Pakistan's Punjab province. The fort and temples of Anmb Shareef are located in tehsil Quaidabad. Most of the people consider these temples as a part of the area of Soon Valley because of its contiguity to the dhoks of Mahoriyaan but officially, it is designated in tehsil Quaidabad rather than tehsil Khushab.

Temples are situated about 8 km south of Sakesar peak. The temples were built during Hindu Shahi period. There are two temples in the fort, of which one is larger than the other. To the western axis of the large temple some 61 m ahead is situated a small temple. According to the report of Cunningham, there were three temples inside the fortification wall, two smaller and third comparatively large. Massive remain of long wall with a gateway, which may have been erected for defensive purposes can be seen.

These buildings hold a special interest for the archaeologists. Originally, the whole of this area was a fort in which there was one palace and two temples. Nowadays, only the palace and two temples exist. There used to be different statues in this fort but nothing is left of them now. The architecture of the temple is of Kashmiri style. The palace comprises of three floors but one can only approach the ground and the first floor. Each floor has a central hall.

The main temple is roughly 15 to 20 meters tall, and built out of brick and mortar on a square plinth. It is regarded as the "loftiest" of temples built by the Hindu Shahi empire. The temple ruins have three stories, with stairwells leading to inner ambulatories.

The temple is decorated with Kashmiri style motifs on its exterior, including a cusped niche. The structure of the main temple, differs from Kashmiri temples which typically have pointed tops. The main temple is instead similar in style to the nearby Kalar temple, and Kafir Kot temple in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The site was visited by Alexander Cunningham in the late 19th century, and was partly conserved in 1922-24 by Daya Ram Sahni. The temples had been looted over the centuries, with the last remaining statuary removed from the site in the late 19th century and placed in the Lahore Museum. According to local accounts, large temple had seven storeys, of which three survive. The site is popularly known as Sat Ghara.

In, south-west of temples, historical town of Amb sharif is situated. This town has important value in history. For long time there was no fixed pavement constructed to reach this town. However the area is rich in springs which make the town populated.

The magnificent tomb of ‘Hazarat Ibrahim Sarahi Wala’ is situated here. He always used to be in green dress, because of this wearing he was famous among Hindu population of Amb by the name of ‘Sarhi Wala Saint’.

Many miraculous things associated with him, it said that once a villager came to him and asked for permission for visiting Pakpattan, so he could pass through the door of Heaven present at famous Shrine of Baba Fareed. However, Saint refused to grant permission and asked villager to offer five time prayers in Mosque constructed by ‘Sarahi Wala’.

Once locals came to ‘Sarhi Wala Saint’ and told him about the shortage of water in springs. He took his bow and shot two arrows; it is said that where those two arrows fallen two springs started from ground. One spring was given to Hindu community and other to Muslims. The ‘Sarhi Wala Saint’ said at that time, when Hindu community of area will shift from this town this spring will stop. Locals told that after creation of Pakistan all Hindu community left the area and migrated to India, after this that spring dried up and never filled with water again.

The tomb of ‘Sarahi Wala Saint’ is recently renovated the interior walls are decorated with pieces of glass. The glass work is so magnificently done that you will find such craftsmanship very less anywhere else.

One more interesting thing about historical town of Amb is that people are very welcoming, in Amb there is no house constructed without guestroom.

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