Hindu temple being reconstructed after 64 years in Pakistan’s Narowal

A budget of PKR 10 million has been allocated for the reconstruction of a Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Punjab province, marking the first phase of its restoration after 64 years, a media report said on Monday (October 21, 2024). . ,

The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), the federal body that oversees minority places of worship in Pakistan, has started construction of the Baoli Sahib temple in Zafarwal town of Narowal, a town on the west bank of the Ravi river in Punjab. Puja was deactivated in 1960, Dawn News Informed.

Currently, there is no Hindu temple in Narowal district, forcing the Hindu community to perform their religious rituals at home or travel to temples in Sialkot and Lahore.

Ratan Lal Arya, former chairman of Pak Dharmasthan Samiti, said the ETPB’s control over the Baoli Sahib temple has rendered it dysfunctional and the Hindu community, which numbers more than 1,453 in Narowal, lacks a dedicated place for worship.

After the establishment of Pakistan, there were 45 Hindu temples in Narowal district, but with time they all fell into disrepair.

Arya said, for the last 20 years, the Pak Dharmasthan Committee has advocated for the renovation of the Baoli Sahib temple.

The government has taken steps to renovate the temple to meet the demands of the Hindu community, he said.

ETPB is overseeing the construction on four kanal land where boundary wall is a priority. On completion, the temple will be handed over to Pak Dharmasthan Committee.

Shoaib Siddal, chairman of the Supreme Court’s one-man commission, and Manzoor Masih, member of the National Human Rights Commission, have played important roles in this restoration effort.

Pak Dharmasthan Committee Chairman Sawan Chand said the renovation of the Baoli Sahib temple would fulfill a long-standing demand of the Hindu community, allowing them to perform their religious rituals at the site.

Hindus are the largest minority community in Pakistan.

According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, community-wise, there are more than 90 lakh Hindus living in the country.

The majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in the Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim counterparts.