The 'Murree' of Sindh: The magical Gorakh Hills

It's not everyday that you find places in the wilderness that help you make peace with your existence. It is this very yearning for internal calm which makes people, like myself, pack our bags and hit the road.

I believe that with each journey I have undertaken, there is a part of my soul which awaits me at a place I have never visited before. For me, travelling is a way of reconnecting with nature and, most importantly, myself.

My most recent destination, Gorakh Hill Station was one of the most sublime travel experiences I have had so far.

Take a look: The guise of Gorakh

At an altitude of 5,690ft in the Kirthar Mountain Range, which is 94 kilometres away from Dadu city, the Gorakh Hill Station is situated on the highest plateau of Sindh. These plateaus are only capable of sustaining nomadic lifestyles, as wildlife here is not very common.

Dry shrubs and bushes dot the landscape of Gorakh. —Photo by author

The word "Gorakh" literally means "wild". It is believed that the name was given by a prominent Yogi known as Gorakhnath from the 11th century.

The region is barren, with minimal agricultural activities and only native plants in sight. That said, Gorakh has been the epicentre of a great deal of tourism in recent years. Largely, for being the only place in Sindh to receive snowfall in the winters.

Also read: In sync with summer — Uphill to Gorakh

It is generally believed that the roads leading to interior Sindh are severely damaged and that the highways also are not well-maintained, leaving people to encounter many potholes and bumps along the way.

On the contrary, my experience was quite different. To their credit, the National Highway authorities have managed to do a great job in maintaining the road till Wahi Pandhi, which comes two hours before Gorakh.

The road leading to Wahi Pandhi. —Photo by Syed Hasan Ali

The agriculture on the way to Gorakh. —Photo by author

While heading towards Wahi, I came to the Dadu district and the famous Sehwan Sharif. The latter has been associated with spirituality and the Sufi culture ever since Syed Muhammad Usman Marwandi, also known as the Sufi Saint Hazrat Lal Shabaz Qalandar, set foot in the region in 1251 AD.

Since then, Sehwan has been regularly visited by devotees, irrespective of their religion. The shrine of the saint is considered to be a place of great healing power.

The shrine of Sufi Saint Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan Sharif. —Photo by Omar Shaikh

Where most parts of Sindh are parched and barren, Sehwan's tranquil landscape, with her fields of yellow mustard leaves, is desolately beautiful.

From Wahi, it is mandatory to make your way with jeeps and 4x4 as the altitude starts to increase.

Snaking our way towards Gorakh. —Photo by Syed Hasan Ali

It is the last established locality in Kirthar after which begins the road to Kacho. The roads in this vicinity are bumpy and have several ditches.

Notwithstanding, the sheer beauty of the roads' engineering has to be admired, which can only be done from an altitude of 2,500-3,000 ft — a view point in the midst of the road to Gorakh.

Snaking our way towards Gorakh. —Photo by author

Finally, we arrive at the Hill Station. —Photo by Syed Hasan Ali

I found out that one may spot rabbits, snakes and other reptiles here. The locals also told me about the already-endangered cheetahs of Sindh that were sighted here, but soon perished after hunting them turned into a craze.

Also read: From Badro to Bodho — A road less travelled

The region is still a good prospect for bird watchers. I saw three migratory birds in the region namely the Western Reef Heron, the Black-winged Stilt and the Egret.

I also came across three other distinct bird species: the two-tailed black Brango, the magnificent white-throated Kingfisher, widely known as the Neelkanth, and the winter bird White Wagtail.

As we went ahead, the road uphill became steeper but the view was still mesmerising.

The view from the road leading to the Hill Station.

The clouds descended upon the Kirthar mountain peaks, just like it happens in the Himalayan Range from Nepal to Pakistan, sans the snow.

The red mountains almost looked like the Grand Canyon in the United States, or the Ayers Rocks in Australia. When the sun set and the nearby peaks were blurred by fog, it was like standing in front of the Trebevic Mountain in Bosnia.

Locally, Gorakh Hills is often compared to the summer capital of Punjab and referred to as the Murree of Sindh, but in my opinion, it is nowhere close.

I was captivated by this hill station!

Gorakh Hill's highest point. —Photo by author

I would not recommend leaning against those handrails. —Photo by author

With approximately nine hours on the road, I finally made it to 5,690ft above sea level at the highest point in Sindh.

Unfortunately, I missed the sunset by 20 minutes. But I was able to see the sun descend when I was on the road — and this wasn't a bad deal at all either.

The sunlight refracted from one mountain peak to another, like a golden valley of sorts.

Once the sun sets, visitors set up their camps, light up bonfires, have dinner and spend the night stargazing. The moon is fully visible and so is the constellation, '3 wise men' — all the ingredients for the perfect night under the sky.

The Golden Valley. —Photo by Syed Hasan Ali

Our camps at the Hill Station. —Photo by Syed Hasan Ali

I slept for about four hours under the open sky and woke up at 4:30am when the sun was about to rise. I found my slice of heaven in the very instant that the sun shone on the foggy peaks of Gorakh Hills.

On our way down Gorakh Hill. —Photo by Syed Hasan Ali

Dry plantations in the desert. —Photo by author

Ahmed Saeed Khan is a Business Consultant. He has freelance exposure as a public speaker, theatrical director, social worker and travel blogger.

He tweets @akhanster