Katas raj mandir is a hindu temple located in choa saidan shah, chakwal. Located in the kallar kahar town near the m2 motorway in the district of chakwal, the katas raj temple complex is one of the. A guide to visiting top tourist attractions in punjab. The complex is located in the potohar plateau region of pakistans punjab province. I am not from master kanazawas organisation however this book is so valuable as a reference when unsure on a kata or just wanting some background. Most of the hindu pilgrims visit this temple to worship and pay pilgrimage. I called it the hidden shame to put more emphasis on the people to talk about this problem. The temple was built during the reign of hindu kings in the region several temples were built around 900 years ago or more, although the earliest of the katasraj temples dates back to the latter half of the 6th century a. It is situated about 40 kilometers from the city of chakwal making it a popular tourist place among people of. Katas raj is located about 16 kilometers 10 miles from kallar kahar on the road between kallar kahar and choa saidan shah, in district chakwal of province punjab, pakistan. The pond has been subjected to expansive media attention as well.
Katas temples are also known as katas raj temple is one on these historical. Surrounded by blue skies and dense vegetation, the temples stand in reverence to the gods and goddesses of hindu mythology. The most admired katas raj temples are located near chakwal in punjab, pakistan. Earlier on, the department of etpb took care of the pilgrims as they stayed in a college building across the temples. See more ideas about hindu temple, temple and pakistan. It is the only hindu site that has made it to the tentative list of unesco world heritage sites in pakistan. The katas raj temples near chakwal in punjab province of pakistan are attributed to the eras of the hindu shahis kings dating from about 615950 ce and are dedicated to lord shiva.
It holds in its rugged walls the history of 1500 years from buddhist era to british rule. A sacred hindu temple complex has been making news in pakistan. Katas raj, also known as qila katas, is a hindu pilgrimage site comprising several temples linked to one another by walkways. Katas raj temple is found concerning sixteen kilometers 10 miles from kallar kahar on the road between kallar kahar and choa saidan crowned head, in district chakwal of province punjab, pakistan. Heres some practical information in case you plan to visit katas raj temples soon. This is the vedic period of the iron age india, just a decade or so shy of the convulsive events detailed in. Search through the entire ancient history timeline. The temple complex surrounds a pond named katas which is regarded as sacred by hindus.
Historical records suggest many of the temples, constructed in the kashmiri. The historical katas raj temple near chakwal is one of the most important sites for pakistans hindu community and is used till this day by locals and hindus who travel from abroad for the. The katas raj temples a story of the pandavas brothers and lord shivas teardrop. Please help us cover our server costs for this year. Dont believe their lies, maybe water was taken from somewhere else. View all restaurants near katas raj temples on tripadvisor. Trip to katas raj temples the dos, donts and some rambling. The katas raj temples, also known as qila katas, is a complex of several hindu temples connected to one another by walkways. Besides being a place of veneration, katas raj is also believed to be one of the ancient education centres. It takes a little effort to reach katasraj by road one has to go off the m2 motorway islamabad lahore at the kallar kahar interchange, then follow the road to choa saidan shah for 24 km and after passing the cement factory the road passes through the temple complex, with the major temple complex and the pond on. These multiplex temples, and conglomeration of temples,standin homage to the deity and goddess of hindu folklore. Katas raj temples complex, chakwal directorate general.
He is believed to be the first muslim scholar to carry out extensive research on hindusim. The suo moto case of the katas raj temple pond daily times. The pond is named katas raj temple after kataksha, a sanskrit word meaning tearful eyes. Katas raj temples had always been on my list of places to visit. A brahmanical story said that the pond at katas raj temples was. Preface part one an introduction to katas 1 tesshu, or a model life 2 kata, or technique and the man are one part two the emergence of katas 3 closing japan and coming back to oneself 4 kami and japanese polytheism 5 the katas of the social orders in the edo period 6 breaking points in history part three the dimensions of kata. Third century bce the five pandavas brothers are in exile. When you dont trust your commissioner, you cant blame us for not trusting them. This complex is situated in katas village, 40 kilometres from the chakwal district of punjab. Pakistan to renovate katas raj temple mubashir zaidi karachi. Katas raj, a conglomeration of temples preserves at least 1500 years worth of history ranging from buddhist era to british rule in that particular space. The research paper is an attempt to study the historical significance of the temple and its current. Katas raj, a conglomeration of temples preserves at least 1500 years worth of history ranging from buddhist era to british rule in that particular.
They endorse the construction of several temples which will endure in modern day history as sites of our wandering, including the beautiful katas raj temples surrounding the katas lake. Offers something other kata books dont full japanese terms and explanations, plus history, application and background to the katas. Recorded as per history in the 11th century, albirunipersian scholar and mathematician from the court of mahmud ghaznavi landed in katas raj to study hinduism. Their books also are stated to have been chiefly copied from the buddhist literature.
The first largescale renovation of katas raj in 2005 took place in this context. Katas raj temple complex is a sad monument to pakistans unease with its. An extremely venerated site among hindus from within and across the border, katas raj temples hold an elevated. Katas raj temples the oldest hindu temple in pakistan ststw. Katas raj temples chakwal 2020 alles wat u moet weten. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in. Built by the hindushahi kings of punjab, the sacred pond around the temple is significant because it is believed that the. It is set regarding forty kilometers from town of chakwal creating it a wellliked traveller place among individuals of chakwal. This file is licensed under the creative commons attributionshare alike 3. Albiruni in his encyclopaedic book kitabulhind, talks extensively about indian. There is a brahmanical story which says that shiva. Assorted temples are connected to one another by walkways. Katas raj temple history in urdu chakwal historical places justuju ka safar chakwal pakistan ka shayad woh wahid zila hai jis ki zameen ke qadam qadam par hazaar ha sala qadeem tareekh dafan hai.
Located at an altitude of 2000 feet, the whole complex covers a space of around 260 kanals. The temple of loh is one of the lesser known sites in the lahore fort, and. The sacred waters of the katas raj temples the express. Architectural katas are intended as a smallgroup 35 people exercise, usually as part of a larger group 410 groups are ideal, each of whom is doing a different kata. Visiting the beautiful katas raj temples in pakistan. Katas raj for decades was in a bad state as it was neglected by the government until lal krishna advani, indias former deputy prime minister visited the temples in 2005 where later a grant was approved for the restoration of this. After the process of restoration began, a further 32 rooms for the accommodation of hindu yatrees were also.
The fort itself is located on a small hillock and overlooks the entire temple complex. Near katas raj one doesnt even get a decent signal from zong, ufone, warid, and jazz, let alone a 3g4g one. Katas raj temples narrate 1500 years of the religious history of. Thousands of years old katas raj in pakistan holds rich. It is situated about 40 kilometers from the city of chakwal making it a popular tourist place among people of chakwal. Just over a month ago the supreme court of pakistan took suo moto cognizance i. A moderator keeps track of time, assigns katas or allows this website to choose one randomly, and acts as the facilitator for the exercise. Haroon khalid is the author of three books walking with nanak. Dating back to 615950 ce, katas raj temples exist on the outskirts of chakwal in the province of punjab. Along the m2 motorway, near the town of kallar kahar, lies a piece of our forgotten history. As such they constitute one of the most important hindu pilgrimage sites in pakistan and are still in use to this day by members of the hindu community both in the country and those who make the journey there every. One night i got a call from a few friends, asking if i wanted to go with them to visit the site. It is said that this is the region called dvaitavana in the epic and here is where the pandawas lived during their exile and also where the series of questions. Sadly, katas raj has further deteriorated in the last 2 years.
Needless to say, these temples have stood the test of time and are still present after 1500 years. According to historians, katas raj temples are the second largest holy place after jawala mukhi for hindus. The katas raj temples near chakwal in punjab province of pakistan are attributed to the. Basically, katas raj is a temple complex consisting seven ancient temples called satgraha, some. We are a nonprofit organization and we would rather spend the money on our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. The temples form a complex surrounding a pond named katas which is regarded as sacred by hindus. As the history books suggest, the site where this fort is located once housed a fortified structure that was mentioned in the writings of iranian scholar and polymath albiruni back in the 11 th century. A brahmanical story relates this site directly to shiva, whose unconsolable grief at. On taking the exit at kallar kahar and driving on to the chooa saidan shah road yeah, its a weird name for sure, mostly because of chooa, reminding me of chooha in about 25 minutes time, you reach the temples.
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