Arore Hill (Kalka Hill): The Three Ancient Hills of Rohri, Sukkur

Arore Hill rises on the eastern bank of the River Indus beside the village of Aror (also spelled Alor or Arore), a few kilometres from Rohri in Sukkur District, Sindh. It is one of three landmark hills that, according to the old British-era gazetteers of Sind, surround the Rohri district, and it stands directly above the ruins of a city that was once the capital of all of Sindh. The weathered limestone slopes are quiet today, but few places in Pakistan carry so many layers of history in a single landscape: prehistoric stone-tool workshops, a Buddhist stupa mound, a hilltop Hindu shrine and the early Islamic ruins of Aror all lie within sight of one another.

The Three Hills Around Rohri

Nineteenth-century gazetteers and settlement reports of Sind record three prominent hills around the Rohri district:

• Laheri Hill at Rohri — the limestone ridge that overlooks the old city of Rohri itself.
• Shadi Shaheed Hill at Kandhra — the hill near the town of Kandhra, north of Rohri on the N-5 highway, named after a local shrine.
• Kalka Hill at Arore (Aror) — the hill this article is about, crowned by a temple and looking down on the Aror plain.

All three share the same terrain: weathered limestone of great natural variety and beauty, carved by wind and rain into ridges, caves and pinnacles. Before the railway and the modern city of Sukkur existed, these hills were the natural landmarks by which travellers crossing the Indus valley fixed their position.

Arore Hill and the Lost Capital of Aror

The hill takes its name from Aror, the ancient capital of Sindh, whose ruined walls and mounds still spread across the plain below. Aror served as the seat of the Rai dynasty of Buddhist kings for centuries, and later of the Brahmin Chach dynasty, whose story is told in the famous Chach Nama chronicle. In 712–713 CE the Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim advanced up the Indus and took Aror, ending the rule of Raja Dahir’s line; the battle of Raor, one of the decisive engagements of the conquest of Sind, was fought on the riverbank near the city.

Aror remained an important town under Arab rule, but two disasters emptied it. A great earthquake in 962 CE wrecked much of the city, and the River Indus afterwards shifted its channel away from Aror’s harbour. Trade and population moved across the river to Rohri, which grew into one of the great commercial cities of medieval Sindh, while Aror slowly returned to the dust. Today the hills are the only features of that landscape that look the same as they did in the time of the Rais — which is exactly why the gazetteers gave them such careful notice.

The Kalka Devi Temple on Kalka Hill

Kalka Hill is named after the Kalka Devi temple that sits on its slopes, dedicated to the Hindu mother goddess Kalka (a form of Kali). For generations the temple has drawn pilgrims from Rohri, Sukkur and the surrounding villages, particularly at festival times, when lamps and offerings brighten the hillside. The shrine is a living reminder that the Aror landscape has been sacred ground for Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims in turn across more than two thousand years.

Weathered Limestone and the Stone Age Rohri Hills

Geologically, Arore Hill belongs to the Rohri Hills system, which is famous far beyond Sindh. Archaeologists have documented flint mines and stone-tool workshops here dating back roughly 4,000–4,500 years, among the largest prehistoric tool-making sites in South Asia — a subject covered in detail in our article on the Stone Age discoveries in the Rohri Hills. The same limestone that preserves these ancient workshops was quarried for centuries to build the houses of Rohri and Sukkur, and its weathered ridges remain a favourite subject for photographers and geologists alike.

Visiting Arore Hill Today

Arore Hill is one of the easiest heritage landscapes in Sindh to reach:

• By road: Aror lies about 6–8 km east of Rohri and roughly 15 km from central Sukkur; any rickshaw or car from Rohri can reach the site in under half an hour. Sukkur is well connected by the N-5, N-55 and M-5 motorway — see the Sukkur city guide for transport and hotel options.
• Best season: November to February, when Sukkur’s weather is cool and pleasant. Summers regularly cross 45 °C, so avoid midday visits from April to September.
• What to combine: the Kalka Devi temple, the stupa mound and city ruins of Aror, and a walk along the old Indus channel; a full-day heritage circuit with Rohri’s bazaars and the Lansdowne Bridge back in Sukkur.
• Practical tips: carry drinking water, wear sturdy shoes for the limestone slopes, and ask locally before photographing the temple during worship.

Why These Hills Deserve Protection

The Aror hills face slow but real threats: stone quarrying on their flanks, encroachment around the ruins, and a lack of signboards that leaves most visitors unaware of what they are walking on. Proper fencing, signage and a small site museum would turn Arore Hill into one of Sindh’s flagship heritage walks. Until then, responsible visitors — carrying their rubbish home and respecting the shrines — are the best protection the hills have.

References

• Chach Nama, English translation by H. T. Mirza (1971) — the Arabic chronicle of the conquest of Aror.
• Richard F. Burton, Sindh and the Races that Inhabit the Valley of the Indus (1851) — early descriptions of the Rohri hills.
• Gazetteer of the Province of Sind (1907) — source for the three hills of Rohri, Kandhra and Aror.
• sukkur.net: Aror (Alor): The Ancient Capital of Sindh.