ISLAMABAD, Apr 1 (APP):Ambassador of Indonesia to Pakistan Lwan Suyudhie Amri, along with his embassy staff visited the Buddha Cave located in Shaha Allah Dita here on Sunday.
The Ambassador while talking to media persons, said that Buddha Cave was a historical spot and a most beautiful place for local and foreigners visitors.
He appreciated the measures taken by the Deputy Mayor Syed Zeeshan Naqvi for preservation of this historical cave as a beautiful heritage spot.
Shah Allah Ditta, a village located in the outskirts of the federal capital, is named after a Mughal-era dervish and is renowned as much for its rich history, as it is for its natural beauty.
The village, which is believed to be more than 700 years old, was used as a route from Kabul to Gandharan city of Taxila by Alexander the Great and Sher Shah Suri, while Mughal rulers and other emperors often passed through, while traveling between Afghanistan and India.
Deputy Mayor Zeeshan Naqvi thanked the ambassador for visiting the historical place and said archaeological evidence indicates that the caves and the platform-like formations surrounding the area were first used for meditation by Buddhist monks and later by Hindu sadhus, before Muslim ascetics took over during the Mughal period.
The 2,400-year-old Buddhist-era murals on the walls of the caves bore testament to this fact, he said.
Deputy Mayor said that we were taking all possible measure to facilitate the visitors who came to see this historical place adding that proposal was under consideration to establish a park near this cave.
Shah Allah Ditta is also famous for its caves, which are located on the route leading towards Khanpur, and can be found next to the shrine and tomb of Shah Allah Ditta, himself.