Culture & Heritage

  Yishkook Old Settlement

It is being related that there was an old settlement with the name of Yishkuek (the grey spring,) in Chipursan valley. This settlement was in a fortress and the fortress included nine iron gates. Yishkuek comprised of 600 households, three hundred tent dwellers and three hundred proper house dwellers. This land was very fertile with great produces, from the wheat to other crops and livestock. The people, therefore, were rich. The people were properly paying taxes to the Raja of Gilgit anf later Mir of Hunza. Local people now relate different stories about this old settlement. It is said that a time came when these people became very luxurious and arrogant and did not pay attention towards the God's great boons/blessings; and the arrogance reached to its climax.

The Rvayezhuy, means the lake of Ravay, was a big lake at the time of the settlement of Yishkuek. Herein, was a habitat of a gigantic crocodile with nine heads. When the people of Yishkuek reached to the height of arrogance the crocodile appeared and demanded the inhabitants of Yishkuk for the food to eat otherwise all the dwellers would be eaten and the fortress of Yishkuk would be destroyed. The food of the crocodile included a live person, around 40 kg of butter, and a bull. The period is unknown whether it was per day, or per week or per month. The taxes levied by the crocodile were fulfilled through rotary system.

In rotation, the turn of a household came, and these household members were very pious and God frightening. The members of this household included the husband and his wife along with their young daughter. While discussing about a person from this house, the husband presented himself voluntary and said that both, his wife and daughter should survive and he would be the lump of the crocodile; on the other, his wife denied this suggestion and voluntarily presented herself for this purpose. But their daughter disagreed with both of them and said that both of them could produce a daughter so that if she is absent, the gulf could be filled later; so she sincerely offered herself and did not heed the proposals of either of her parents. However, finally their daughter convinced the parents. Now, the parents took their daughter to the Rvayezhuy; and with great sorrow the girl was left on the bank so that the crocodile would come out of the lake and eat her and other concerned contributions.

The girl, on the one hand, frightening of the crocodile's eating; and, on the other, proud of her volunteer on behalf of their parents, was waiting for her consequences. In the meanwhile, a great saint appears on the spot that is thought to be the Bobo Ghundi. The girl surprisingly asked the man referring him as 'father', and stressed him to leave the place because the crocodile is in the lake and she is a contribution for it; otherwise, the crocodile would also eat him. In response, the holy man hearted him 16 and assured that he would kill the crocodile. After such conversation, the holy-man, put his head in the girl's lap, asked the girl to see whether there is any lice in his hair. The girl started searching in his hair; in the meanwhile, the water of the lake started waving and the crocodile raised its head sooner it arrived at the bank of the lake. The girl started tearing. The tears dropped on the face of the holy man and he woke up; the girl intimated him about the crocodile's arrival. The holy man stood, took his swords out and cut the head of crocodile. Sooner the second head was raised and that was also cut. In the same manner, the holy man cut all the nine heads of the crocodile, and the lake became bloody. Thus, the girl escaped and the holy man told the girl to leave the place and tell the dwellers of the Yishkuk to live peacefully and there won't be any calamity provided that the people would again forget the blessings of Almighty Allah. Before the disappearance, the holy man gave his sword-case (cover) to the girl, and said the girl referring her as his daughter 'take this nayam with yourself and show it when the need would require, because firstly the people would not believe that the crocodile has been killed; but later when they will see the bloody lake then every strong man would claim that he had killed the crocodile. At his moment the nayam would be needed.'

The girl now reached back to the fortress of Yishkuk. Her parents became nervous to see her, and the other dwellers started cursing her that the crocodile would reach here in fortress and destroy it. This sincere daughter tried to convince them but they did not heed her, even she was tortured both physically and mentally. At this moment, one of a wise person suggested that the people should go to the spot and review the place whether or not the crocodile is survived then they should treat the girl and her parents. Accordingly, the spot was examined and the found out that the crocodile was dead and the lake is full of blood. The situation abruptly changed, and the jubilancy came. Now each strong person wrongly claimed that he had killed the crocodile, and the quarrel began. At last, the girl, as directed by the holy man, asked those people that they should be calm and not quarrel, the naywn of sword is with her, if any sword fits into it, the concerned sword holder has killed the crocodile. Thus, all claimants tried their best to fit their swords into the nayam but could not get through. At this moment, the holy man reappeared on this spot/screen; the girl pointed towards him, and said 'this was my holy father who killed the crocodile, and the holy man entered his sword into the nayam and that fitted fully in it. Thus, the arguments of the concerned people became false and they embarrassed. The holy man advised the people of Yish Kuek and said that when there would be any trouble again then call him by Ya-Ali, one of the great names of Allah Keeping in view the advice of the great saint, who is considered to be the Bobo Ghundi, the dwellers of Yish Kuek acted upon them for sometimes. But sooner, the people forgot the blessings of God through such a holy person as the source of relief, the people attempted to test the advice of the saint. They once again became arrogant and disobedience, and started shouting "Ya-Ali" in jockey manner to call the great holy man. The holy man appeared in order to give salvation to the concerned dwellers of the fortress. and the people surprised and made pretension that the forces have come from the south; thus, they accompanied the holy man upto Reshipzhrav in the Chipursan Valley. But could not find anyone. Thus, the holy man raged and made his finger prints on a boulder in Reshipzhrav, which is known as Panja Shoh, means the five fingers' prints of the king, as it seems that five fingers have its sign upon the boulder in print form. This sign of the holy man has been surrounded by walls and is a small shrine in Reshipzhrav. After returning back from this spot, it is said that holy man left the tuqum, horse's blanket under saddle, which is known as the Khijime Ghar and imprinted on a stone, in Yarzirich while entering this village. When the holy man arrived back in Kirmin, he left his saddle here, which is imprinted on the stone. When the holy man reached in Sherisabz, he left his joyi namoz here. It is said that he cursed these people for their wrong doing again and then disappeared. After sometimes, their came flood from the Yish Kuek valley and destroyed the entire fortress and settlement of Yish Kuek; and there remained no signs; and this natural calamity was witnessed by a grandfather of the Gulbast ktor, whose name is said to be Bieg Murod.

Back to heritage

© copyrights Zulfiqar Ali Khan All rights reserved-2006