Khanpur Dam 5.66

QUICK FACTS
Khanpur Dam is located on the Haro River near the town of Khanpur (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), about 40 km from Islamabad. It forms Khanpur Lake, a reservoir which supplies drinking water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi and irrigation water to many of the agricultural and industrial areas surrounding the cities. It is 167 feet (51 m) high and has a water storing capacity of 110,000 acre feet.

BLUE-GREEN WATER & TOURISM:
The Blue-green water of dam attracts hundreds of tourists from all over the Pakistan. Every weekend, between 40,000 to 50,000 tourists come to Khanpur Dam. Most of them are businessperson who take off from work on Friday – this crowd is joined by the employees of private and public sector organisations on weekends, Saturday and Sunday. Tourists enjoy swimming, boating, cliff jumping and couple of other ground adventure activities and taking a stroll on the banks of the lake and canals.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES:
There are several Buddhist archaeological sites at a few distance from Khanpur Dam, that also invite the attention of locals as well as foreign tourists every year.

BHAMALA BUDDHIST COMPLEX:
Sculptures and heads dating back to second to fifth century AD had been discovered during excavation at Buddhist stupa known as Bhamala Buddhist Complex near Khanpur. During excavation, precious coins of Kushan period were also found around the stupa. Bhamala archaeological site had been declared national and world heritage site located near Khanpur dam. The ruins dated back to fourth century BC. The stupa is cross-shaped and looks like an Aztec Pyramid.

RAJON KI MASJID:
The deserted mosque, locally known as the ‘Rajon ki Masjid,’ (the official name being Rajgan Mosque) is believed to be over 100 years old. It is now only used for Eid prayers, as people use the newly-constructed mosques in the nearby areas for everyday prayers. It has a large prayer hall and a time-worn brick courtyard in need of restoration and rehabilitation.