Sunset over fields and trees in Charsadda

City guide

Charsadda: Ancient Pushkalavati

A river-plain town north-east of Peshawar where the mound of Bala Hisar hides the 'Lotus City' of Pushkalavati, an early capital of Gandhara, and the home of Bacha Khan's non-violent movement.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Peshawar Division)
Swat, Jindi and Kabul rivers
Altitude about 276 m
Best season: October–March

Explore Charsadda View on map

Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Charsadda at a Glance

120,170Population (city)2023 Census

1.84 millionPopulation (Charsadda District)2023 Census: 1,835,504

24 mDepth of the Bala Hisar sequenceMid-2nd millennium BCE onwards

29 kmFrom PeshawarNorth-east, on the Peshawar plain

About Charsadda

Charsadda lies on the flat, well-watered plain of the Peshawar Valley, about 29 km from Peshawar and 276 metres above sea level. Three rivers, the Swat, the Jindi and the Kabul, run through the district and feed its canals, making it one of the most intensively farmed corners of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The name is usually explained as "four roads", from char (four) and sadda (road). The town has grown together with neighbouring Prang.

The 2023 Census counted 120,170 people in Charsadda city and 1,835,504 in Charsadda District, which has three tehsils: Charsadda, Tangi and Shabqadar. Almost everyone speaks Pashto as a first language.

Charsadda's fame is twofold. Archaeologically, it is the site of Pushkalavati, the "Lotus City", one of the earliest capitals of Gandhara. The great mound of Bala Hisar on the edge of town holds a 24-metre-deep sequence of occupation from the middle of the second millennium BCE to the later first millennium CE, explored by Sir John Marshall in 1902, Sir Mortimer Wheeler in 1958 and joint Pakistani–British teams in recent decades.

Politically, Charsadda is the home of Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known as Bacha Khan, whose village of Utmanzai was the heart of the Khudai Khidmatgar ("Servants of God") movement, a non-violent Pashtun movement that opposed British rule. Bacha Khan University in the town bears his name. Today Charsadda is a busy farming and market town, known across the province for its jaggery sweets.

Under Charsadda's fields lies one of the deepest archaeological records in the north-west, a city that was old when Alexander came.

Places of Interest

Ancient mounds, political history and busy bazaars.

Bala Hisar moundThe citadel mound of ancient Pushkalavati, rising above the fields on the edge of town. There is little to see but earth and potsherds, yet it is one of the most important archaeological sites in the north-west. Ask locally about access.Shaikhan DheriA second mound near Bala Hisar where a later, planned city of the Indo-Greek and Kushan periods was laid out after the older citadel.

UtmanzaiBacha Khan's home village, now a town of 34,257 people (2023 Census), where the Khudai Khidmatgar movement was based.

Bacha Khan UniversityThe town's public university, named after Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

Rajjar bazaarAbout a kilometre north of the city, Rajjar has become a sweets market famous for its gur-based mithai.

The three riversThe Swat, Jindi and Kabul rivers wind across the district before joining and flowing on to the Indus, pleasant for winter walks, dangerous in monsoon floods.

Food and Sweets

Rajjar mithaiCharsadda's signature sweet is made with pure gur (jaggery), traditionally with butter and flour and now also with desi ghee and milk. One Rajjar family business dates its recipe to 1930. It is a winter, Ramzan and Eid favourite.

Chapli kebabThe Peshawar Valley's flat, spicy minced-meat kebab is everywhere in Charsadda's bazaars.

Gur and sugarcaneJaggery from the district's sugarcane is sold in blocks across the province in the crushing season.

QehwaGreen tea with cardamom is the drink of every hujra and guest room.

A Short History of Charsadda

Mid-2nd millennium BCE
First settlement
People settle on the site of the Bala Hisar mound; occupation continues for some two thousand years.
6th century BCE – 2nd century CE
Pushkalavati
The Lotus City serves as one of the early capitals of Gandhara under a succession of rulers.
327 BCE
Alexander's campaign
Alexander's forces take Peukelaotis, the Greek name for Pushkalavati, on their march towards the Indus.
1902 and 1958
Excavations
Sir John Marshall and later Sir Mortimer Wheeler excavate at Bala Hisar; Wheeler suggests a Persian-era foundation.
1929 onwards
Khudai Khidmatgar
Bacha Khan's non-violent movement, based at Utmanzai, mobilises Pashtuns against British rule.
12 August 1948
Babara
Police open fire on a Khudai Khidmatgar rally at Babara near Charsadda; the number killed remains disputed, with some accounts putting it at around 600.
21st century
New research
Pakistani–British teams return to Bala Hisar to study its long sequence and the ancient environment of the Peshawar Valley.

Getting There and Around

By road

From Peshawar or Mardan

Charsadda is a short drive from Peshawar across the plain, and roads link it with Mardan, Nowshera and the motorway network.

By air

Via Peshawar

Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar is the nearest airport.

By wagon

Frequent minibuses

Minibuses and wagons run regularly between Charsadda, Peshawar and Mardan.

Around town

Rickshaws

Rickshaws and Qingqis serve the town, Prang, Utmanzai and Rajjar.

Plan Your Visit

Best time to visit

October to March

Winter is mild and the season for jaggery sweets. Summers are hot and humid, and the monsoon can bring river floods.

Where to stay

Peshawar

Charsadda is best visited as a half-day trip from Peshawar, which has a wide choice of hotels.

Etiquette

Conservative society

Charsadda is a traditional Pashtun town; dress modestly, ask before photographing people and never photograph women without permission.

Advisories

Check before you go

The district has seen militant attacks in the past. Check current travel advisories and local authority guidance, and heed flood warnings in July and August.