Daman-e-Koh Ialamabad

Daman-e-Koh is a viewing point and hill top garden north of Islamabad and located in the middle of the Margalla Hills. Its name is a conjunction of Urdu & Persian words: Daman, which means center and Koh, which means hill. Daman-e-Koh therefore meaning center of the hill.

It is about 2400ft from sea level and almost 500ft from the city of Islamabad. It is a popular destination for the residents as well as the visitors to the capital.

Daman-e-Koh is a midpoint for tourists on their way to the higher view point Pir Sohawa which is located at the top of Margalla Hills at an elevation of about 3600ft. There is a plan to construct a chairlift from Daman-e-Koh to Pir Sohawa.

Monkeys are a common sight during winter. Cheetahs are frequently reported to descend from higher hills of Murree during snowfall.

The Southern spot is the main attraction as it provides a panoramic view of Islamabad. The visitors experience a unique view of Faisal Mosque, the newly constructed Seventh Avenue (Islamabad) and Rawal Lake.

Telescopes are installed for keen observers. There is board installed with original map of Islamabad.

Redevelopment

In 2007, Capital Development Authority, under the leadership of Kamran Lashari further developed the viewpoint by upgrading the restaurant, widening the car-parking and providing other necessary facilities including electric-powered cars to facilitate access for tourists between northern and southern spots.

References in literature

Daman-e-Koh is described in the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

Posted by

KHAWAJA UMER FAROOQ

Posted on

March 21, 2013

Posted under

Catla, Islamabad, Korang River, Margalla Hills, Murree, Pakistan, Rawal Lake, Rawalpindi

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Rawal Lake

Rawal lake in Islamabad. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rawal Lake (Urdu: جھیل راول‎) in Pakistan is an artificial reservoir that provides the water needs for the cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Korang River along with some other small streams coming from Margalla Hills have been set to form this artificial lake which covers an area of 8.8 km². Korang River is the outlet stream of Rawal Dam. Rawal Lake is located within an isolated section of the Margalla Hills National Park.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]

Recreation

The area around the lake has been planted with flowering trees and laid out with gardens, picnic spots, and secluded paths. The terraced garden and the lake are used for picnics, fishing and boating. The highest point in the garden offers a panoramic view of the lake, Margalla and Murree hills, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Boating, sailing, water skating and diving facilities are organized by private clubs.

To the west of the lake is the Islamabad Club, which offers different sporting facilities.

Wildlife

The reservoir is of considerable importance for wintering waterfowl, especially Anas platyrhynchos.

Resident mammals include the common fox, Pangolin, Porcupine, Jungle cat, Jackal, Wild boar and yellow-throated marten.

Reptiles include indian cobra and Russell’s viper.

It is a good place for birds watching, as the majority of Birds of Islamabad are found here.

Fishery

There are 15 fish species belonging to 11 genera that present in Rawal Lake. The fish species in Rawal lake and its tributaries include: Doula (Channa channa), Rahu (Labeorohita), Thaila (Catla catla), Mori(Cirrhinus mrigala), Carp fish (Cyprinus carpio)and Talapia(Tilapia mossambica).^[8]