Hindu Temples
219. A Temple Without a Name: Traces of the Past in Vijh
It is not uncommon to see a spire of a Hindu temple protruding from behind shops or the shoddy construction of haphazardly built houses in Pakistan. Now, after the passage of 78 years, in most cases this is just what remains of once sprawling temples. That too is due to some legal niceties which prohibit…
216. Shri Sanatan Dharma Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Chiniot.
Chiniot is a historic city in the north-central Punjab province of Pakistan, about 165 kilometers west of the provincial capital, Lahore, near the banks of the Chenab River. It is an important historic town of Punjab, and its origins are ancient. During the Mughal rule, it was an important centre of administration and trade and…
213. Sanatan Dharam Temple, Sargodha.
Most of the cities and towns, and even many villages of Pakistan, are dotted with Hindu temples. Their conical spires, in almost all cases, though surrounded by chaotic urban structures, still stand tall and testify to their existence. One such temple, though abandoned and forgotten, stands in all its glory in Block No. 19 of…
197. A Hindu Temple at Wan Bhachran, district Mianwali!
Wan Bhachran is a small town located about 25 km southeast of Mianwali, on the Mianwali–Khushab Road. It is famous for its baoli (stepwell), which has recently been repaired and restored to its original form. For more details, you may visit 187. Baoli of Wan Bhachran! (District Mianwali). I visited this town on 20 September…
188. Arya Samaj Temple and a Janj Ghar (Wedding Guesthouse) in Khushab!
On September 20, 2025, I was wandering in Khushab in search of a few old buildings. A young man suggested that I meet Shehzad Aslam, who owns a shop in the main bazar. I met him, and indeed he turned out to be a man of extensive knowledge about the history of Khushab and its…
180. Two Temples and A Samadhi in Gulyana, district Rawalpindi.
Rawalpindi is a district in north Punjab, and geographically it is part of the famous Potohar Plateau, which has an ancient prehistoric archaeological history. Tens of thousands of years-old human settlements have been found here. For at least three millennia, it has been a centre of famous civilizations, Gandhara being one of the most famous…
178. Gurdwara Singh Sabha & A Temple in Chak Jhumra!
God knows what I was doing in Chak Jhumra on that summer day on July 13, 2017, and how I happened to discover this gurdwara. Now, after eight long years, I cannot recall at all. Later on, I completely forgot about it and even lost its pictures somewhere in the digital space of my computer….
160. Temple of Kalyan Das Suri, Rawalpindi.
Before independence and the partition of the country in 1947, Hindus formed nearly one-third of the population of Rawalpindi city. They were an influential community and constructed many beautiful houses, several of which still survive today. These buildings remind us of the multi-religious character of the city in the past, as well as the rich…
123. Shiwala Teja Singh Temple in Sialkot
Sialkot is an ancient city and its history dates back to almost five thousand years. The Gazetteer of the Sialkot District of the year 1894-95, gives the following account of the settlement of this area: In the earliest days we are informed the whole surface of the country was waste and studded with thick forests,…
121. A Tour of Mandi Bahauddin (Three Gurdwaras and A Temple)
On July 27, 2019, I had the opportunity to visit Mandi Bahauddin at the invitation of my dear friend and brother, Irfan Ahmed. I had explored the area around Mandi Bahauddin many times in the past, but never fully explored the city itself. It was a family visit, and I was just looking forward to…
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