Saiful Muluk

Lake Saiful Muluk is a lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley (34°52′37.34″N 73°41′37.71″E) near Naran. It is in the north east of Mansehra District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. At an altitude of 3,224 m (10,578 feet) above sea level it is amongst one of the highest lakes in Pakistan.

The lake is accessible by a 14 km road from Naran (which is accessible by a road from Mansehra via Balakot and Kaghan) during the summer months. On foot, the trek from Naran to the lake takes about 1-2 hours. The water is clear with a slight green tone. The clarity of the water comes from the multiple glaciers all around the high basin which feed the lake.

The weather here is moderate during day time while the temperature drops to minus degrees at night.

A fairy tale called Saiful Muluk, written by the famous sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, is associated with the lake. It is the story of prince of Persia who fell in love with a fairy princess at the lake. The impact of the lake beauty is of such extent that people believe that fairies come down to lake in full moon. A poet and writer from Balakot Ahmad Hussain Mujahid wrote the story of Saiful Muluk in prose depicting the local version.

Tourism

The Guardian ranked Lake Saiful Muluk as the 5th Best Tourist Destination in Pakistan. Mansehra District has had a flourishing tourism industry in the past due to its many mountain ranges and the Saiful Muluk Lake, however since the 2005 earthquake the region has seen a decrease in tourists. This lake is about three thousand feet above the ground level of Naran, this beautiful lake reflects many colors in minutes. Lately there has been an interest in building hotels in the area.

After earth quake

The 2005 earthquake had however brought some problems to the tourism industry whose popularity declined a bit since then. The lake is about ten thousand feet above the level of Naran and happens to reflect several shades of colors in minutes. Some recent developments have taken place in the building up of hotels around this area as well.

Transportation

This lake happens to be one of the greatest pleasures of Pakistan. If you are in this area, this beautiful place is a must visit. One can hire jeeps or trekkers to come to this place as walking all the way up become quite difficult. Young groups taking horse riding trips as well as boat rides up there are quite common. Coming to the banks one will find dry fruit vendors to refresh and recharge oneself.

View of Malika Parbat

The Malika Parbat is one of the best landscapes that one can witness from this place. If you are in this area this is one of the best places to be in. You will be entranced by the gorgeous beauty pervading through this area. The sources of streams here are the high glaciers of Malika Parbat and create extremely clear and beautiful streams. The air here is calm, cool and placid bringing you a great source of replacement. The flanking of the mountains around this high altitude lake is one of the best natural beauties that you can experience around here. The loveliest view of the entrancing Malika Parbat can be witnessed from the lake tour only.

Ridding & Trekking

Horses can be taken way up as young riders happen to enjoy that a lot. Walking up hill in that rocky and boulder laden terrain is however quite an ordeal. A person traveling here once would not be able to resist coming here over and over again. The panoramic view of this place is appreciated by all who come here. Whether you are a photographer or an artist or have just come here for the love of travel and appreciation of nature’s beauty, you would love to be here with any reason or excuse. A visit to this place really makes you understand the unveiling of true beauty of nature.

Visitors get spellbound by the ineffable and heavenly beauty of the lake while elders and locals of this area have always known the many myths and lores surrounding the lake. It is 5 mile ahead of Naran and can even accessed through two hours of guided trekking from Naran. Trekking in a group can be one of the most fun ways to reach there. The glacier crossing can be a mega experience if you know the right season to hit there.

One treasures the moments to be celebrated amidst the beauty of the lake which looks even more gorgeous in times of thunder storm and heavy rainfall. Having a great time and sharing meals by the shore can be one of the greatest joys that you would agree to be sharing in your life.

Fairy tale of Saif ul Mulook - Poetry

There is also a famous poem about the story written by famous poet Mian Muhammad Baksh who wrote the classic story into poetic verse. The poem entitled Saif-Ul-Mulook is written in the Potohari / Hindko language and very much popular in Potohar, Kashmir, regions as well as the rest of Pakistan. A poet and writer from Balakot Ahmad Hussain Mujahid wrote the story of Saiful Muluk in prose (Urdu) depicting the local version.

The story of Saif ul Muluk is that the Prophet Joseph (yosuf) is asked who will be the handsomest man after him and he has two seals made, and says that the man will be my descendant and will inherit these seals, and so after many years when Saif ul Muluk comes of age and is bequeathed these seals among many other treasures, on one of them is a picture of himself and on the other is a picture of the beautiful fairy Princess Badi-ul-Jamal, meaning the glory of the moon, he falls in love and thus begins his long arduous journey to find her. Later when he does find her, he learns that her soul is trapped in the tallest mountain of the lake which is now called "Saif ul Muluk" and the mountain is "Malka Purbat" which means "the Mountain of the Fairies" and that she is bound to Jinn, and he can only free her when the Jinn is dead, but he cannot defeat him using ordinary means, for the Jinn has hidden his soul in talisman of some sort and hidden it away, Saiful Maluk and his army succeed in finding the talisman and killing the jinn but igniting a 40 year war between the jinn of the earth and those who dwell in the spirit world.

The Land of the fairies, no doubt it earned its name just for nothing, as they say seeing believes. The breath taking view of the lake and the towering "malka parbat" meaning the Queen Mountain standing tall and invincible presents a classical picture of His art. "Thou art everywhere, I see thee in here". Love on first sight made me say this and I was awe-struck at its majesty and grandeur. The legend of the lake is very interesting and romantic. A Prince, Saif ul Malook fell in love with a fairy princess, Badr-ul-Jamal, whom he saw in his dreams. The prince was restless until a Dervish (holy man) told him where to find her (i.e. by the lake) and that he had to go through a tough exam to be able to marry the fairy because the prince was a human and she was a fairy. Thus the prince marched on his quest for the impossible in the name of love. He waited by the lake where there was no habitation, (there still isn't), no food, nothing. His long wait of 12 years, finally reaped harvest and one good morning he saw the fairy come to bathe with her maids and friends in the lake. The prince hid her wings as advised by the holy man. The fairy was very tense at not finding her wings. Eventually the prince appeared and told her about his tale of love and long wait, which moved the fairy and they agreed to marry. But there is always a villain. So a Deuo Safaid (the white giant) who was himself in love with the fairy got jealous and furious. In rage the giant cried and thus tear lake (ansoo jheel, approx. 2 miles away) was formed. The giant stepped angrily, the dam broke and the outlet to the lake Saif-ul-Mulook was formed. The prince and the fairy princess fled away in a cave (which still exists and its length is unknown to this day). The legend says that both the prince and the fairy live in the centre of the lake saif-ul-mulook, and on every full moon night they emerge mounted on a white flying horse, the Pegasus, from the centre of the lake.

Depth of Lake

The depth of the lake has not been measured to this day, the last effort they say was made in late 90s but the measuring chain weighing 5 tons went down and vanished and the mystery of the lake dares us.