DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36942#0283
MOHAMMAD NASIM KHAN
ROCK-CARVINGS AND INSCRIPTIONS AT HELOR DAS
The site of Thor North, locally called Khalat Das, is situated opposite
Thor village and rivulet, on the other (northern) bank of the Indus river.
There is no road nor bridge leading to it, and it is of no easy access.
You must either cross the Indus river on a wooden raft, with goldwash-
ers, as K. Jettmar, O. von Hinuber, and V Thewalt did when they made
the first preliminary survey of the site, or, starting from Hodar bridge,
walk more than 15 km along the right bank of the Indus (photo 1).
There is no path and you must make your way alternately on slippery
rocks and loose sand.
Leaving Hodar, you pass first a rocky spur which falls straight into the
river. Between that hill and the Sosul ridge you have to cross before
reaching Thor North, the river bank consists of sand mixed with stones
(photo 2). It is called Helor Das, meaning "open plain" in Gilgiti
(and Chilasi) Shina.^ Drawings and inscriptions may be seen at the
eastern end of this on both sides of the Hokar dry river bed (Helor
Das East), and at its western end, just before arriving at the Sosul ridge
(Helor Das West). I intend to give in this article a preliminary publica-
tion of a sample of drawings and inscriptions discovered in 1992 and
1993 during my first trips there. The numbering of the items is only
made for easy reference, as in v. HlNUBER 1989. In the final report,
which I am currently writing, each boulder will be given a specific num-
ber, and the numbering of items will begin anew for each rock.^
1 LORIMER 1924: 24, § 37.
2 The following conventional signs are used in the present article: ( ): correction; [ j:
restored aAyara; +: missing a/cyara; ///: defaced or illegible area; < >: addition.
201
ROCK-CARVINGS AND INSCRIPTIONS AT HELOR DAS
The site of Thor North, locally called Khalat Das, is situated opposite
Thor village and rivulet, on the other (northern) bank of the Indus river.
There is no road nor bridge leading to it, and it is of no easy access.
You must either cross the Indus river on a wooden raft, with goldwash-
ers, as K. Jettmar, O. von Hinuber, and V Thewalt did when they made
the first preliminary survey of the site, or, starting from Hodar bridge,
walk more than 15 km along the right bank of the Indus (photo 1).
There is no path and you must make your way alternately on slippery
rocks and loose sand.
Leaving Hodar, you pass first a rocky spur which falls straight into the
river. Between that hill and the Sosul ridge you have to cross before
reaching Thor North, the river bank consists of sand mixed with stones
(photo 2). It is called Helor Das, meaning "open plain" in Gilgiti
(and Chilasi) Shina.^ Drawings and inscriptions may be seen at the
eastern end of this on both sides of the Hokar dry river bed (Helor
Das East), and at its western end, just before arriving at the Sosul ridge
(Helor Das West). I intend to give in this article a preliminary publica-
tion of a sample of drawings and inscriptions discovered in 1992 and
1993 during my first trips there. The numbering of the items is only
made for easy reference, as in v. HlNUBER 1989. In the final report,
which I am currently writing, each boulder will be given a specific num-
ber, and the numbering of items will begin anew for each rock.^
1 LORIMER 1924: 24, § 37.
2 The following conventional signs are used in the present article: ( ): correction; [ j:
restored aAyara; +: missing a/cyara; ///: defaced or illegible area; < >: addition.
201