Chinar Bagh is a riverside park on River View Road in Gilgit, named for its chinar (plane) trees and best known for the Yadgar-e-Shuhada, the memorial to the Gilgit Scouts who died in the fighting that ended Dogra rule in 1947 and 1948. It is free, it takes about half an hour, and it is where Gilgit-Baltistan holds its main ceremony every 1 November.
This guide covers what is in the park, the dated history behind the memorial, what happens on 1 November, and how to fit a visit into a day in Gilgit.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Location | River View Road, beside the Gilgit river, central Gilgit |
| What it is | A public riverside park with a martyrs' memorial |
| Commemorates | Gilgit Scouts killed in the 1947 to 1948 fighting against Dogra forces |
| First built | Early 1960s |
| Rebuilt | Dismantled in April 2017, reopened 1 November 2017 |
| Annual event | Liberation Day ceremony, 1 November |
| Entry | Free, no ticket |
| Time needed | 20 to 30 minutes |
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What is at Chinar Bagh?
The park runs along the bank of the Gilgit river, shaded by the chinar trees that give it its name, with paths, lawns and benches. It is the city's own green space more than a tourist site, which is why most of the people you meet there are local families and students, not tour groups.
At its centre stands the Yadgar-e-Shuhada, the martyrs' monument. The local news site Pamir Times reports that it was first put up in the early 1960s in memory of the Gilgit Scouts who fought Dogra forces. In April 2017 the Gilgit-Baltistan government took the old monument down to rebuild it. The new one was inaugurated on 1 November 2017 by the then chief minister, Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman, and the Force Commander Northern Areas, Major General Saqib Mahmood Malik, on the 70th anniversary of the uprising.
The park also holds graves. Lonely Planet's entry for the memorial says Mirza Hassan Khan, Mohammad Babar Khan and Safiullah Beg, three of the officers associated with the 1947 uprising, are buried in Chinar Bagh. We could not confirm the names against an official source, so treat the grave markers on site as the authority.
The history behind the memorial
The Gilgit Scouts were raised in 1913 as a permanent local force of 656 men in eight companies, recruited from across the Gilgit Agency on the recommendation of the local mirs and rajas, and commanded by British officers. In 1947 the region was being administered for the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir by a Dogra governor, Brigadier Ghansara Singh.
The sequence that Liberation Day marks is short:
- 26 October 1947. The Maharaja accedes to India.
- 1 November 1947. The Scouts, under their commanding officer Major William Brown, overthrow the governor in Gilgit. Ghansara Singh is arrested. A provisional government under a local chief, Shah Rais Khan, takes charge and lasts about two weeks.
- 2 November 1947. The Pakistani flag is raised on the old tower in the Gilgit Scout Lines.
- 16 November 1947. A Pakistani political agent, Khan Mohammad Alam Khan, arrives and takes over the administration.
The takeover in Gilgit town itself is usually described as bloodless. The deaths the memorial honours came in what followed: a Scouts force under Captain Mathieson routed the 6th Battalion of the Kashmir State Forces at Bunji within days, and through 1948 the Scouts, about 1,600 strong by January under Colonel Aslam Khan, fought east through Skardu towards Kargil and Dras. That is why reports of the monument give the dates as 1947 to 1948 and not a single day.
The Gilgit Scouts were merged into the Northern Light Infantry of the Pakistan Army in 1975. The name survives in the Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts, re-raised in 2003.
What happens on 1 November?
1 November is observed across Gilgit-Baltistan as Liberation Day, and Chinar Bagh is the venue for the main official ceremony each year. A government notification quoted by the Daily Times in 2021 described the day as celebrated "with traditional zeal and fervour in Chinar Bagh", and the same paper reported the 78th Liberation Day ceremony here in 2025, with tributes paid at the memorial.
For a visitor this cuts both ways. It is the one day the park has a real sense of occasion, but expect a crowd, security checks around the official arrivals, and the chance of roads near the river being closed for part of the morning. If you want to watch, arrive early, carry your CNIC and expect to stand. Our guide to 1 November in Gilgit-Baltistan covers the wider day.
Early November is also cold in Gilgit, particularly in the morning shade by the river. Dress for it.
How to visit
Chinar Bagh is in the central part of Gilgit, a short taxi ride from the main bazaars and the city hotels; ask the driver for Chinar Bagh or the Yadgar, since both names are used. There is no gate fee and no ticket office. It is a public park used through the daylight hours; we found no published opening times, and the best light and the most pleasant temperatures are in the early morning and the last two hours before sunset.
A sensible visit looks like this:
- Walk the riverside path first, then come back to the memorial.
- Read the monument quietly. It marks real deaths and the city treats it seriously on ordinary days as well as on the anniversary.
- Do not climb on the plinth or the graves for photographs. Photography of the monument itself is normal; ask before photographing uniformed personnel.
- Carry water in summer. Gilgit sits at about 1,500 metres and is hot from June to August.
Most travellers see the park at the start or end of a longer trip north. It pairs naturally with the Kargah Buddha and the bazaars in a half day; our one day in Gilgit plan and the list of places to visit in Gilgit city show how the pieces fit, and the Gilgit and Hunza page covers the region beyond.
Is it safe?
Gilgit city is not covered by the UK government's warnings for Pakistan, which name the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas but not Gilgit-Baltistan itself. The practical point for Chinar Bagh is the calendar: political rallies and religious processions in Gilgit can close central roads at short notice, so check with your hotel before walking over on a day when something is planned.
Is it worth the stop?
On its own, no: Chinar Bagh will not be the reason anyone plans a trip to Gilgit. As part of a morning or afternoon already spent in the city it costs almost nothing to add, and it explains something visitors otherwise miss, which is why Gilgit-Baltistan counts its own liberation day separately from 14 August.
Skip it if you have a single overnight transit stop and arrive after dark. Make time for it if you are in Gilgit on 1 November, or if you are travelling with children old enough to be studying the 1947 period at school. Our overview of what Gilgit is famous for sets the memorial against the rest of the city's history.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chinar Bagh in Gilgit?
A public riverside park on River View Road, named for its chinar trees, which holds the Yadgar-e-Shuhada memorial to the Gilgit Scouts and is the venue for the 1 November Liberation Day ceremony.
Who does the Yadgar-e-Shuhada commemorate?
The Gilgit Scouts who died in the 1947 to 1948 fighting against Dogra forces, after the Scouts overthrew the Maharaja's governor in Gilgit on 1 November 1947.
When was the memorial built?
The first monument dates from the early 1960s. The Gilgit-Baltistan government dismantled it in April 2017 and the rebuilt memorial was inaugurated on 1 November 2017.
Is there an entry fee for Chinar Bagh?
No. It is a public park with free access and no ticket office.
When is the ceremony at Chinar Bagh?
On 1 November each year, Gilgit-Baltistan's Liberation Day. Expect crowds, security checks and possible road closures near the park that morning.
How much time should I set aside?
Twenty to thirty minutes covers the memorial and a walk by the river. Allow two hours or more if you are attending the 1 November ceremony.
