Kallar Kahar

Kallar Kahar sits in a bowl in the Salt Range with a shallow saline lake at its centre, fed by springs and holding no outlet, which is why the water is brackish and the shores crust white in dry seasons. The lake attracts migratory waterbirds in winter, and the surrounding gardens and orchards are known for peacocks that wander freely and for loquat and citrus groves. On a rise above the lake is Takht-e-Babri, a stone platform which the emperor Babur records having had cut in 1519 while camped here, described in his memoirs; it is a modest thing but a rare direct link to that text. The motorway passes immediately by, which makes Kallar Kahar the standard stop between Islamabad and Lahore, with a service area and restaurants, and boats work the lake on weekends.

Background

Kallar Kahar is a town in Chakwal District, in Punjab, Pakistan, and the capital of Kallar Kahar Tehsil, one of the district's administrative subdivisions. In his memoirs the emperor Babur called Kallar Kahar a "child of Kashmir", for its natural beauty and pleasant weather, and Takht-e-Babri, in his words, was a "charming place with good air". The area was once a natural sanctuary of peacocks, but their numbers have fallen as more people have come to live around the mountain and as the birds have been caught illegally.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kallar Kahar"

What's there

• The salt lake - a shallow brackish sheet with white-crusted margins.
• Takht-e-Babri - the stone platform cut for Babur in 1519.
• Peacocks and gardens - birds in the orchards around the lake.
• Winter waterbirds - migratory ducks and waders on the shallows.

When to go

October to April, with winter best for birds and comfortable temperatures. The lake shrinks and looks poor in dry summers. Weekends bring crowds from the motorway. Early morning is best for the peacocks and for birdwatching.

Things to know

Water levels fluctuate and in a dry year the lake can look like a muddy salt flat. Development around the shore is unplanned and litter is a problem. Takht-e-Babri is a low stone platform with minimal interpretation, and many visitors walk past it without realising what it is.

Nearby

Katas Raj temples are close; Khewra salt mine lies south.