Dawar
The ancient capital of the Dards, Dawar, located on the left bank of the Kishenganga River is the central township and valley’s administrative center, where a small bazaar — with dry goods shops, produce sellers and a few “hair saloons” — is surrounded by houses and fields. Almost all the shops, houses and restaurants are made of large wooden planks with just the basics when it comes on amenities part.
If it not for the packets of chips and packaged water bottles, you would feel like you have traveled back in time. This is a sign of how a place without many of life’s modern conveniences can still be easy to live in. This is how the life of a rural village supersedes the hustle and bustle of the big cities.
On the mountainous side you will find an upland called ‘Gow Chari’ (meaning grazing land), where you would feel the lush carpet of pine needles and aura of this place way more better than the persian rug in a luxurious apartment. This place is just like Khandyal Lotuh, where you can see whole valley in a single frame with hawk eye, but with more natural amenities high on spirit, tone, feel and flavor- the grazing domestic animals, labors working on fields, the majestic Habba Khatoon Peak, the cold breeze blowing down from mountain, the smell of Pine trees etc. In its lap the Shrine of Baba Abdur Razaq Shah is located which is considered as one of the most sacred shrines in Gurez Valley.