// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Gabral Valley say to its neighbor? "Let's valley date.
The Gabral Valley or Gujar Gabral (گبرال),[1] is a valley in the Upper Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located in the south slopes of the westernmost end of the Himalayas. Its lower end is at the town of Gabral, about 20 km north (by road) from Kalam and 120 km north of Islamabad, at an altitude of 2290 m. The valley covers about 38,733 hectares (387.33 km2).[2]
Gabral (Gujar Gabral) | |
|---|---|
 Gabral Valley, in Swat Kohistan, approaching Lake Kharkhari | |
  Gabral (Gujar Gabral) Location within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province  Gabral (Gujar Gabral) Location within Pakistan | |
| Coordinates: 35°41′N 72°24′E / 35.68°N 72.40°E | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Swat District |
| Tehsil | Behrain Tehsil |
The main part of the valley extends for about 38 km northwards of the town of Gabral. Its highest end is at 35°50′N 72°29′E / 35.84°N 72.48°E, about 6 km east of the peak of the Kharakali (or Kakhari; 5871 m).[3] The Swat River officially begins at Kalam through the direct confluence of the Gabral River and the Ushu River. Hundreds of houses are scattered through the southernmost 7 km of the valley, but some farms are seen for the next 7–8 km. A road runs parallel to the river for about 14 km, until 2 km below Lake Kharkhari.[4]
Entomology
[edit]The word Gabral derived from the Gawri word gha lit. 'small valley where stream flows'.[5]
Demographics
[edit]The Gujars are the main ethnic group in Gabral Valley and they own good amount of land in the valley.[2][1][6][7] Kohistani people, mainly Gawris and Torwalis, also inhabit the valley.[2]
Flora and fauna
[edit]The natural resources of the region include several medicinal herbs that are collected for local use and export.[8]
Kharkhari Lake
[edit]
Kharkhari (also spelled Karkaray) is a small lake in Gujjar Gabral Valley, about 400 m long and 250 m wide. It is traversed by the Gujjar Gabral River.[9][8] It is located about 41 km by road from the town of Kalam, 16 km north of the town of Gujjar Gabral and 9 km north of the Gul Bandaj bridge, at an altitude of 5160 meters.[8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Zanoni, Urs (1991). Potato Atlas and Compendium of Pakistan: Potato Production by Agro-ecological Zones. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. p. 166.
The alpine forests and pastures are common property of tribes. The Gujars in the Gujar Gabral valley represent a special case of tenancy as they pay no rent to the Kohistani landowners.
- 1 2 3 Hamayun, Muhammad (2005). "Ethnobotanical Profile of Utror and Gabral Valleys, District Swat, Pakistan". Ethnobotanical Leaflets. 2005 (1).
- ↑ Armin Beer, Erwin Lang and Helmut Hesse (1980): "A trip from Ushu to Chitral". Himalayan Journal, volume 36
- ↑ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ De Chiara, Matteo (2019). "Swāt Hydronymy at the Border between Iranian and Indo-Aryan Languages". Iran and the Caucasus. 23 (1): 64–74. doi:10.1163/1573384X-20190106. ISSN 1609-8498.
- ↑ Hamayun, Muhammad; Khan, Mir Ajab (2003). Studies on collection and marketing of Morchella (Morels) of Utror-Gabral Valleys, District Swat, Pakistan. Govt. Degree College Kotha (Swabi), NWFP, Pakistan.
Gujars: The Gujars are the major community of Gabral valley. They are the land owners in the valley but have no share in forest royalty. They are mainly farmers and keep cows and buffalows.
- ↑ Inam-ur-Rahim; Viaro, Alain Mario (2002). Swat: An Afghan Society in Pakistan : Urbanisation and Change in Tribal Environment. City Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-969-8380-55-7.
Gabral valley. The Gujars occupy the area of Gabral and the area between Kaidam and Peshmal. They also own lands in Gabral area in the extreme north of the valley.
- 1 2 3 Muhammad Hamayun, Sumera Afzal, and Mir Ajab Khan (2006): "Ethnopharmacology, indigenous collection and preservation techniques of some frequently used medicinal plants of Utror and Gujjar Gabral, district Swat, Pakistan". African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, volume 3, issue 2, pages 57-73. ISSN 0189-6016
- ↑ "Gujjar Gabrāl, Utrar, Kalam, Matiltan". Google Maps at 35.5368 N 72.2285 E. Accessed on 2019-03-18.
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