Written by: Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro
Posted on: August 07, 2024 | 
| 中文
Baltit Fort, Hunza (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The swastika symbol was widespread among different ancient cultures and communities. Its earliest evidence in South Asia is found in the Indus Civilization. Like humans, symbols also migrate from one place to another, shedding their original meaning and adorning their buildings and rituals. As it migrated to new communities, it became a sacred symbol for them. These communities adopted it as their amulets, using it in their structures, rituals, arts and costumes.
Altit Fort (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The swastika symbol appears in the Islamic architecture of Central Asia and Persia. I have seen its representations in the Jami Mosque of Isfahan. It became a recurrent motif in medieval Sindh. This symbol has been a source of fascination and I have been documenting it since 2001. I discussed it in my book, The Kalhoras of Sindh: History, Nobility, and Tomb Architecture (2024), published by Dr. N.A Baloch Institute of Heritage Research Jamshoro. Professor Emeritus Dr. Ahmad Hasan Dani, Jurgen Wasim Frembgen and others discussed this symbol in their publications. Noted archaeologist Muhammad Arif wrote a paper titled "Swastika in Baltistan," which was published in the Journal of Central Asia in 1992. The paper was based on a survey he conducted in the Northern Areas (Gilgit-Baltistan) in 1988. The swastika symbol appears in rock art and Islamic architecture in Pakistan. It is a recurring motif in Muslim monuments in Sindh’s Makli and other regions of Pakistan. The swastika motif is also found in many tombs in different places in Sindh, which I will discuss in another article. The symbol is also found in wooden monuments in Gilgit-Baltistan, which are known for their intricate ornamentation. Like other regions in Gilgit-Baltistan, numerous wooden monuments exist in the Hunza, Nagar and Gojal valleys.
Swastika symbol engraved on a door frame in the Baltit Fort (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
These wooden monuments feature floral, figural and geometric designs. The swastika is a prominent design found in rock art and wooden monuments in Gilgit-Baltistan. It is mainly used for decorative purposes. Many wooden structures in Hunza, Nagar and Gulmit feature the swastika, including the Ghulwating Mosque in Hunza's Baltit village. The Ghulwating Mosque is constructed on a raised platform made of stones. It is built using the cator and cribbage construction technique. The cator and cribbage construction techniques were common in mountain communities in Gilgit-Baltistan. The Ghulwating Mosque has two arcades and a flat roof. Most of the mosques in Hunza and Nagar adopted two arcaded construction techniques, although there are a few exceptions. Like other wooden structures, the Ghulwating Mosque is noted for its exquisite ornamentation. The exterior walls of the Ghulwating are covered with elaborate carvings representing a variety of motifs, including the swastika. Apart from depictions of swastikas on the exterior walls of the mosque, one can also find representations of swastikas on arcade panels. There is also a frieze of swastikas above and below a window of the mosque.
Ghulwanting Mosque in Baltit village (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Apart from the Ghulwating mosque in Baltit, one can also see depictions of Swastika on a pillar of the Rupikutz mosque in Ganish village. There are several mosques in Ganish village which carry the names of the lineages which include Budinkutz, built by Budin; Shaikutz, built by Shai; Kuyokutz, built by Kuyo I; Kuyokutz II; Yarikutz, built by Yari; Mamorokutz built by Mamoro; Rupikutz built by Rupi and Balkhankutz built by Balkhan. Each mosque is a masterpiece of local craftsmanship with external influences visible in ornamentation.
Jurgen Wasim Frembgen (2017) also discusses in his book, The Arts and Crafts of the Hunza Valley in Pakistan: Living Traditions in the Karakoram, that a depiction of a Swastika is also found in Sherekuts Mosque in Ganish. He believes that the swastika appears in various royal palaces, private houses, mosques, and embroideries of Hunza and Nagar. I have seen depictions of swastikas in structures of two royal forts, Altit and Baltit. One learns from Islamic Architecture: The Wooden Style of Northern Pakistan by Professor Emeritus Dr. Ahmad Hasan Dani (1989), that the craftsmen from Baltistan built the Altit Fort. There are a few wooden doors in the Altit Fort that depict swastikas. The most prominent place representing the swastika motif is the lintel of the door leading to the fort's interior. Moreover, one finds swastikas on a door frame of a guard room lying below the defensive tower. The entire door frame carries a series of swastikas, a unique feature that is not found in any other monument in Hunza. It is remarkably engraved. Apart from the Altif Fort, one can also find a swastika motif in the Baltit Fort.
Swastika and cross motifs in the Altit Fort (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
Apart from Hunza and Nagar, the wooden monuments of Gojal Valley also represent the swastika motif. The most prominent and earliest structure is the old house of Qirghiz Bai in Ghulkin village, which has been restored and converted into a museum. Qirghis Bai is said to have been the first Wakhi settler in the village. The carvings in this house are even better than those of the other wooden monuments in the Gojal Valley. The most marvelous carving is of a bird on the base of a pillar. A majority of carvings reflect a tinge of pre-Islamic designs. The swastika motif is also carved on the bases and shafts of the pillars, and on the door frame of the house. It is also interesting to see some of the stupa-shaped designs, which further reflect how the motifs of a Buddhist community, once dominant in these regions, were adopted by the Wakhi and other communities living in the valleys and villages of the Karakoram, Hindu Kush and the Himalayan Mountain range. Stupa-shaped designs are also seen in Ganish wooden monuments. The representations of the Swastika motif in wooden monuments of Hunza, Nagar and Gojal valleys provide a comprehensive understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the symbol in Gilgit-Baltistan.
A closer view of Baltit Fort (Picture credits to Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro)
The writer is an anthropologist. He has authored 15 books on Pakistan’s cultural heritage and anthropology. He tweets @kalhorozulfiqar
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