Gabral Valley
The Gabral Valley (gujjar' Gabrāl; lit. 'Small valley where stream flows')[1] is a valley in the Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located in the south slopes of the westernmost end of the Himalayas. Its lower end is at the town of Gabral, about 20 km north (by road) from Kalam and 120 km north of Islamabad, at an altitude of 2290 m. The valley covers about 38,733 hectares (387.33 km2).[2]
Gabral | |
|---|---|
| Gabral Valley, in Swat Kohistan, approaching Lake Kharkhari Gabral Valley, in Swat Kohistan, approaching Lake Kharkhari | |
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| Country | Pakistan Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Swat District |
| Tehsil | Behrain Tehsil |
The main part of the valley extends for about 38 km northwards of the town of Gabral. Its highest end is at Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found., about 6 km east of the peak of the Kharakali (or Kakhari; 5871 m).[3] The Gabral River, a tributary of the Utrar River, runs through most of the valley. Hundreds of houses are scattered through the southernmost 7 km of the valley, but some farms are seen for the next 7–8 km. A road runs parallel to the river for about 14 km, until 2 km below Lake Kharkhari.[4]
Demographics
[edit | edit source]Major
[edit | edit source]The Gujjar are the main and major ethnic group in Gabral Valley.[5] They speak Gujari, Pashto and Kohistani languages and own lands in the region.[6]
Minor
[edit | edit source]Other minor tribes/communities in the valley are Koshitanis and Ajars.[6]
Flora and fauna
[edit | edit source]The natural resources of the region include several medicinal herbs that are collected for local use and export.[7]
Kharkhari Lake
[edit | edit source]
Kharkhari (also spelled Karkaray) is a small lake in Gabral Valley, about 400 m long and 250 m wide. It is traversed by the Gabral River.[8][7] It is located about 41 km by road from the town of Kalam, 16 km north of the town of Gabral and 9 km north of the Gul Bandaj bridge, at an altitude of 5160 meters.[7]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Armin Beer, Erwin Lang and Helmut Hesse (1980): "A trip from Ushu to Chitral". Himalayan Journal, volume 36
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c Muhammad Hamayun, Sumera Afzal, and Mir Ajab Khan (2006): "Ethnopharmacology, indigenous collection and preservation techniques of some frequently used medicinal plants of Utror and Gabral, district Swat, Pakistan". African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, volume 3, issue 2, pages 57-73. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "Gabrāl, Utrar, Kalam, Matiltan". Google Maps at 35.5368 N 72.2285 E. Accessed on 2019-03-18.
