Saiful Muluk is a mountain lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley near the town of Naran in the Saiful Muluk National Park. At an elevation of 3,224 m (10,578 ft) above sea level, the lake is above the tree line and is one of the highest lakes in Pakistan. Jheel Saif UL Malook story is also fascinating to know.
Location of Saif UL Malook Lake
Saiful Muluk is located in the Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) north of Naran, in the northern part of the Kaghan Valley. Malika Parbat, the highest peak in the valley is near the lake.
The lake is accessible from the nearby town of Naran during the summer season, but access is limited in winter as heavy snowfall and landslides threaten to cut the lake off from the rest of the region.
Saiful Muluk was formed by glacial moraines that blocked the water of a stream passing through the valley. The Kaghan Valley was formed during the Great Pleistocene Period, dating back almost 300,000 years when the area was covered by ice.
Rising temperatures and retreating glaciers have left a large depression where the glaciers once stood. The melting water collected in the lake.
Access and Climate of Lake Saif UL Malook
Jheel Saiful Muluk is mostly accessible during summer, which is from May to mid-September. The weather remains pleasant during these months. However, access in winter is restricted due to the risk of heavy snowfall and landslides that separate the lake from other areas.
The road to the lake starts from the capital of Pakistan – Islamabad. From there you can either opt for local transport on a small budget or choose to travel privately. Accelerating your journey on the Hazara highway, you will reach the town of Mansehra from Abbottabad.
From Mansehra town, you have to take the upper Naran-Babusar road which leads directly to the Naran Kaghan valley via Balakot. After reaching the Naran Valley, tourists can visit Saif ul Malook through an exciting hike or a 30-minute adventurous and curvy jeep ride.
Best Tourist Attractions:
Popular as one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in the world, Saiful Muluk Lake has left many travelers speechless. It has a rich eco-diversity and carries many species of blue-green algae that give the lake its turquoise hue.
Lying in the mighty shadows of Malika Parbat, rumor has it that the depth of the lake is unknown to this day. However, research shows that the depth of Saif UL Malook Lake is about 34 meters (113 ft) and covers an area of 2.75 square km.
The water temperature in the lake remains below 10 degrees because it mostly receives glacial water. A large brown trout is found in the icy waters of the Jheel.
Not only does this lake look stunning in the brilliant daylight, but it also leaves an amazing impression on travelers with its beauty at night. Those who camp here at night have witnessed the Milky Way with billions of stars, which is why many fairy tales are associated with this place.
Jheel Saif UL Malook Story
The history of this beautiful lake is well-known and attracts visitors from all over the world. Jheel Saif UL Malook Story follows a prince who falls in love with a fairytale princess named Badi-UL-Jamal.
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, a Sufi saint and Punjabi poet, adapted the story into a poem. Saif-UL-Malook was an Egyptian prince. When Saif saw the photo of the fairy, he instantly fell in love with her. He then left his house and embarked on a six-year search for her.
One day a saint approached Saif in a street presented him with a Suleman cap and informed him that he would take him to the desired location.
The saint told the prince that he would find the fairy in the lake, but that he would have to pass several difficult tests and pray to win her because she was the queen of the fairies and he was human. Human sight cannot see a demon or a fairy because they are “fire-bearing”.
Saif reached the venue and immediately started Chilla. He was exhausted and weak after praying for 40 days without food or rest. It was the fourteenth night of the month and he thought he might see her tonight. She was stunning, with long black hair and dazzling blue eyes. She was simply magnificent.
Saif learned from Badi-ul-Jamal that she had been imprisoned in the castle of Koh Qaf by a white giant for the previous ten years. Seizing her, Saif tried to flee the valley after hearing the fairy queen’s story.
When the white giant learned of this, he caused turbulence in this lake out of anger, which resulted in a flood in the Kaghan Valley. They (the fairy and the prince) took refuge in a graveyard a few miles from Naran, but Saif and Badi-ul-Jamal sought refuge in a cave near the lake because of the flood.
According to legend, Lake Ansoo in the Kaghan Valley, a few miles from Saif-UL-Malook, was created by the tears of a white giant after he discovered that the fairy had disappeared.
According to the famous story, the fairy prince and queen continue to live in this cave and dance above the water surface on the fourteenth night of each lunar cycle.
Visitor Activities at Saiful Malook Lake:
Apart from the natural beauty that this place has, the area offers many other activities. At the lake, you can enjoy water sports, snow sliding on the glacier, and horse/pony riding.
A camping adventure is an experience. Locals offer boat rides on the crystal clear waters of the lake in their small wooden canoes. A simple walk around the lake with the smell of delicious food from the stalls can enrich anyone’s travel experience. The area has many restaurants offering local cuisine and a beautiful view of the lake.
In addition, the place has a lot of caves that can be found after a few minutes of walking. You can also head to the mesmerizing Lake Ansoo, which is said to be witnessed by a lucky few as it is mostly shrouded in mist – hence its late discovery.
