Type: Archaeological Site - Stupa & Monastery
Province: Punjab
District: Rawalpindi
Period: Historic
Relative Chronology: 1st - 5th Century CE
Description: A Buddhist period archaeological site, locally known as Kalawan or the Caves because of presence of three small caves in the hill side used by the farmers for preserving their hay and grains. The age of the buildings at Kalawan by the type of their masonry combined with other evidence, is indicated to be the early Kushan period. The Stupas and monastic quarters arrayed with varying sizes and dimension look with prominence among the other celebrated Buddhist monuments around Taxila. Kalawan has a vihara monastery, which is the largest in northern India. An inscription, recording the enshrinement of relics as a gift to the Sarvastivadin School, was found in a chaitya hall mentioning the date of "the 134th year of Azes," which corresponds to 77 CE.The Kalawan monastery, together with the Dharmarajika display an original kind of architectural arrangement in which an image shrine is built opposite the entrance.
Latitude: 33.727830000
Longitude: 72.853060000
Ownership: Federal Government
Legal Status: Protected by The Antiquity Act 1975 (As amended in 1992)
Title of Publication: Archaeological Sites and Historical Monuments Protected Under the Antiquities Act, 1975
Published In: Federal Department of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad
Year of Publication: 1987
Bibliography/Reference: Khan, Ahmad Nabi
