'Temple with pond formed by tears of Lord Shiva': Uncovering ancient Hindu temple in Pakistan (WATCH)
By Deepu Mohan | First Published Aug 16, 2024, 5:34 PM ISTA social media influencer's video of an ancient Hindu temple in Pakistan has gone viral, revealing a well-preserved and lesser-known piece of the country's Hindu heritage. The temple features ancient buildings and a pond with a legend tied to Lord Shiva.
Before independence, Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of British India, where Hindu and Muslim communities coexisted. However, with the partition during independence, Pakistan separated from India, and East Pakistan later became Bangladesh. This division triggered one of the largest migrations in history, with Hindus from Pakistan and Bangladesh moving to India and Muslims from India relocating to Pakistan. These people left behind their houses and religious places they once held dear and the remains of some of these places can be seen even today.
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Recently, social media influencer Gosia, known as Voyagerka, visited Pakistan and shared a video of an ancient Hindu Shiva temple on her Instagram account. The video quickly went viral, with Gosia asking, "Have you heard about Hindu temple in Pakistan?"
The temple, called 'Katas Raj,' is located in Punjab, Pakistan, about two hours from Islamabad. In the video, Gosia explores the ancient structure, which looks more like a fort than a typical temple. Surrounding the temple are several historic buildings and a large pond. According to legend, the pond was formed by the tears of Lord Shiva after the death of his first wife, Sati. The pond, once famous for its clear waters, adds to the temple's serene ambiance, and the site is still well-maintained. Katas Raj has features of an ancient palace than that of a traditional Hindu temple.
With over 2.5 million views, the video has surprised many viewers who were unaware of such a temple in Pakistan. One commenter, identifying as a Pakistani Hindu, noted that there are indeed many Hindu temples in Pakistan. Another pointed out that Katas Raj is a UNESCO heritage site, which is why its preserved even today. He added that although there were over 300 temples in Pakistan in 1947, only 50-70 remain today.
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