A POND OF TEARS
Katas Raj Temples, a place many people know. These are very beautiful temples with a green colored pond in it. Now is the time for you to know the truth about Katas Raj Temples:
The Sri Katas Raj Temples are the several Hindu temples connected in a walking distance at Kalar Kahar Rd, Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan. The temple compound is surrounded by a pond named Katas. This pond is very sacred to Hindus. According to the Puranas which is a Hindu religious text, the pond has been created by the tears of Shiva. Shiva roamed the Earth sadly after the death of his wife Sati. Katas is a size of 2 kanals and 15 marlas with a depth of 20 feet.
These temples also have a role in the Mahabharata. It is traditionally believed that the Pandava brothers spent their specific part of exile here. It is also illustrated in Yaksha Prashna that the Pandava brothers participated in a riddle contest with the Yakshas. Another tradition states the Hindu deity Krishna laid the foundation of the temple.
Lal Krishna Advani — India’s former deputy prime minister visited the temples back in 2005. In 2006, the Pakistani government began the restoration work of the temples. Many important announcements regarding Katas Raj temples were made in 2017. Following that 200 Indian pilgrims in Feb 2017 and 139 Indian pilgrims in 2018 were given visa’s by the Pakistani High Commission.
The name of the temples is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word Kataksha which means “tearful eyes”. Originally it was referred to as Viskung (Poison Spring). But, afterward, it was referred to Kataksha which meaning in Urdu and Persian is “ Chashm-e-Alam”. The Salt Ranges have archeological remains still hidden underground. Katas Raj temples were founded by Faxian, a Chinese monk in the 4th century. Xuanzang, a Chinese traveler visited the site and reported the presence of Buddhist Stupa in the 7th century referring to the 3rd century BCE King, Ashoka. Stupa was 200 feet tall and surrounded by 10 springs.
Post declination of Gandhara’s Buddhist empire. Hindu rulers took over the region. When the Hindu Shahi began in the 7th century, they started to establish temples at Katas Raj in the mid-7th-10th centuries. Hindu Shahi rulers made temples in northern Punjab, Potohar Plateau, Tilla Jogian, and Kafir Kot. According to the British engineer, Alexander Cunningham temples are around 66 BCE. It is also believed that founder of Sikhism religion, Guru Nanak also visited Katas Raj. The Sikh emperor Ranjit Singh also regularly performed the pilgrimage to the site.
After the birth of Pakistan, Indian pilgrims were welcomed to visit Katas Raj temples until the 1965 Indo-Pak war. This ban remained till 1984. Indian pilgrims were also forbidden to visit the site in 1956 and 1960. During this time, Katas Raj temples were on its worse. Local villagers littered in the pond. They also used the Katas for recreational purposes. Katas Raj temples are considered to be the 2nd most sacred place for Hindus in the Punjab region. The pond’s water is highly pure. It seems to be made of teardrops. Hindus regard the pond to be a purifier for their sins. Pakistani Hindus celebrate their rituals and festivals here. It was reported in 2012 and again in 2017, the water level of the pond is decreased. It happened due to the nearby factories consuming water and lowering the water table. The Pakistani government shut down the local cement factory to maintain the water level. This was a very good step to save the national heritage!