Though overshadowed by other, more prominent Buddhist sites in Pakistan, the 2,500-year-old Buddhist caves of Shah Allah Ditta village attract hundreds of visitors each weekend. The caves themsleves and the amenities surrounding them, however, appear to have been neglected by the authorities, and plans for the regulation, conservation, and development of the site have yet to be put into action.

The caves, known locally as Sadhu ka Bagh, are located next to the to the shrine and tomb of Shah Allah Ditta, a Mughal-era dervish, in the Margalla Hills—part of the Himalayan foothills—located just north of Islamabad. The caves contain 2,400-year-old Buddhist murals, as well as Buddhist relics dated to the 8th century. According to archaeologists, the caves, and the natural platform-like formations surrounding them, were used for meditation by Buddhist monks, Hindu sadhus, and Muslim ascetics (during the Mughal period).

The centuries-old murals and the road leading to Shah Allah Ditta village (itself 700 years old), however, are crumbling away under the extreme weather conditions and unregulated tourist and research activities, and require immediate conservation and maintenance efforts to be preserved.

In June, the executive committee of the Prime Minister’s Endowment Fund approved Rs3.6 million (US$27,000) for the preservation and promotion of the site, but so far no steps in this direction have been taken.