Arkhal is a remote village in Chakwals Talagang tehsil, located on the left bank of the Soan River, approximately 42 kilometres northwest of Talagang town. From the surrounding hills, one can enjoy a beautiful view of the village and the Soan River. Its picturesque setting between the Soan River and the Qavala Nullah makes Arkhal one of the most magnificent villages in the Talagang region. Mud-plastered houses juxtaposed against the hills and the Soan River turn this village into a marvel of Talagang.
Despite its natural beauty, the village faces significant challenges, including a lack of basic healthcare facilities and the absence of a higher secondary school for girls. Arkhal is also noted for its shrines, historic mosque, and tombstones, which reflect the rich cultural heritage of the area.
### Visit to Arkhal Village
I visited Arkhal village with my friend, Tariq Mehmood Malik, a historian and author familiar with the history and heritage of every village in the area. Many of these villages face economic difficulties. In Arkhal, we interviewed several residents about the Jamia Masjid, shrines, and tombstones.
### Jamia Masjid Noorani
During the interviews, I learned that the Jamia Masjid Noorani is the oldest mosque in the village. It was probably built when the village was founded. Originally a small mosque, it was later renovated and expanded. According to Qari Umer Bilal Awan Mairvi, the current pesh-imam of the mosque, the mosque was rebuilt around 1930.
Stone brought from the nearby Arkhal hill was dressed and used in the mosque’s construction. The site from where the stone was extracted was called Kali Watey Wali Jagah. Villagers themselves carried the stone over. Two eminent masons of Arkhal, Mian Muhammad and Baba Gul Muhammad, constructed the mosque.
Stone was the main building material in pre-Partition buildings in most villages in Talagang tehsil. Mosques, mansions, and temples in the area were all built of stone, which was readily available from tributaries of the Soan River.
Although the mosque was rebuilt relatively recently, some original features remain. The western boundary wall is part of the original construction, built using both small and large dressed and undressed stone slabs by Mistri Mian Muhammad and Mistri Baba Gul Muhammad.
In addition, the mosque retains one of its original wooden doors, decorated with geometric and floral patterns. Both the lower and upper sections of the door feature geometric patterns, while the upper part includes bell-shaped designs. These patterns are also found in carved wooden doors of several old havelis and mosques in the Pothohar region.
### Similar Architectural Features in the Region
Wooden doors with similar patterns can be observed in stone-built mosques in Chakwal. Two mosques featuring bell-shaped patterns are located in Vahali and Haral village in Choa Saidan Shah tehsil. Both were constructed by Mistri Sher Muhammad, the most celebrated mason in Chakwal district, who hailed from Takiya Shah Murad village near Khanpur and inspired many masons in both Jhelum and Chakwal.
Jamia Masjid Noorani once had a wooden ceiling that was removed during reconstruction. Mosques in Talagang, constructed in the 19th and 20th centuries, often featured distinctive elements like wooden doors and ceilings. Some of the most impressive wooden ceilings can still be found in:
– The Shahi Jamia Masjid of Khichi village
– Jamia Masjid Farooq-i-Azam of Singwala village
– Jamia Masjid of Jasial village
### Historic Mosques in the Region
**Khichi (Khichian)** is a historic settlement in Talagang tehsil, about 27 kilometres from Talagang city on the Talagang-Khushsab Road. The village is famous for its Mughal-era mosque built in the second quarter of the 18th century. This mosque features remarkable inscriptions, wooden doors, pillars, and ceilings. The main prayer hall is covered with a wooden roof resting on decorative pillars featuring various floral designs.
There are four decorative pillars attached to the eastern wall; a similar number was likely on the western wall, indicated by volutes now concealed within the wall. Each pillar has a single volute carrying floral patterns.
Similar wooden ceilings and pillared halls can be seen in the Jamia Masjid of Chawli, Chakwal, and the Jamia Masjid in Maria Sharif, Pindi Gheb.
**Jasial** is another village notable for its magnificent Jamia Masjid. It boasts a remarkable painted wooden ceiling that reflects the mastery of Talagang’s craftsmen.
The **Jamia Masjid Farooq-i-Azam** in Singwala village is also renowned for its exquisite paintings and woodwork. This mosque was built by Mistri Sirajuddin, a famous mason from Pachnand village in Lawa tehsil.
Such wooden ceilings were common in most stone-built mosques constructed in villages along the Soan River and its tributaries. Unfortunately, many mosques have been renovated or rebuilt, resulting in the removal of original wooden ceilings.
### Skilled Stone Carvers of Arkhal
The masons of Arkhal were also skilled stone carvers. Apart from the mosque, tombstones in the village cemetery attest to their craftsmanship.
The old village cemetery is located near the Government Girls Elementary School and contains several tombstones and cenotaphs marked by two tombstones on the northern and southern sides. These gravestones carry various floral and geometric designs, with notable representations of the musalla (prayer rug) and the lota (ewer). Some women’s graves have carved combs.
Similar decorative gravestones are found in many villages throughout Talagang tehsil. According to Sher Zaman Awan of Arkhal, most of these tombstones were engraved by Mistri Mian Muhammad, Mistri Baba Gul Muhammad, and Mistri Nur Akhmat.
### Shrines of Arkhal
There are four shrines in the village, two of which are located in the cemetery near the school.
The most popular shrine belongs to **Baba Pir Budhey Shah Hamdani**. According to Qari Umer Bilal Awan Mairvi, Baba Pir Budhey Shah Hamdani came from Chakrala village in Mianwali around 1925. This information was conveyed by his father, Fazl Ilahi, who was 97 years old at the time of his passing in 2018. Fazl Ilahi had thorough knowledge of the village’s history and heritage, including details about shrines, their masons, and even Hindu and Sikh shrines.
Baba Pir Budhey Shah Hamdani lived in the village for only four years before his death. Though his descendants wanted to bring his body back to Chakrala for burial, residents of Arkhal wished him to be buried there. His descendants agreed, and a beautiful tomb was built over his grave.
His *urs* (death anniversary) is held every March, featuring qawwali performances at the shrine, along with traditional sports and games such as bull races and kabaddi.
### Notable Residents and Sufi Affiliations
Through discussions with community members, I learned that Arkhal has produced two notable kabaddi players: Baba Sanwal Khan and Malik Jehangir Khan. Baba Sanwal Khan was a renowned kabaddi player and a devoted follower of the Maira Sharif darbar in Pindi Gheb.
Maira Sharif is famous for the shrine of Khwaja Ahmad, a deputy of Pir Pathan (d. 1850). Many residents of Arkhal follow Khwaja Ahmad Mairvi. Another notable disciple of Hazrat Sani (d. 1931), the first sajjada nashin of the Maira Sharif darbar, was Haji Suba Khan.
Today, many followers of the Maira Sharif Darbar identify with the suffix *Mairvi* as a sign of their Sufi affiliation. Maulvi Ahmed Mairvi was a disciple of Khawaja Faqir Muhammad Abdullah Mairvi (d. 1975). Moreover, Qari Umer Bilal Awan Mairvi follows Sahibzada Farooq Ahmed, the current sajjada nashin of the darbar of Khwaja Ahmad Mairvi.
### Other Shrines and Tribal Composition
Another shrine in the cemetery is dedicated to **Shah Chan Gilani**. The Awan tribe forms the majority of the village population. There are also a few households of Gilani Sadat in Arkhal.
The grave of **Baba Pir Charag Shah Gilani** is located in an enclosure that also contains the graves of his ancestors and descendants, signifying the historical and spiritual significance of the Gilani family in the village.
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Arkhal’s rich blend of natural beauty, architectural heritage, and Sufi traditions paints a vivid picture of life in this remarkable Talagang village. Its unique stone and wood craftsmanship, historic mosques, shrines, and community stories continue to inspire those who explore its past and present.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1350007-magnificent-markhal-village-of-talagang
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