Katasraj Temple Chakwal Pakistan
It was a bright sunny day at the start of May 2012, when we (our middle school fellows group) decided to explore the historic temples near Chakwal district of Punjab; The weather was a little hot but the late spring breeze was moderating the environment; Partial cloudy sky was also making our hopes for a good afternoon. We were heading towards Katasraj Temple in Chakwal Pakistan.
By covering 270km distance via M2 Motorway, we reached there at 1230h; The sun rays were struggling hard for making their way from clouds; As we all had very light breakfast, we decided to have a full tummy lunch first, from a good restaurant; Luckily, we found AFC (can’t recall the exact name) The environment and quality of meal simply bashed our reservations about that place, as it was far away from the main city and we weren’t expecting such taste; After getting fresh and lunch (and some random group photoshoots outside the restaurant) our eyes start heading the temples of katas raj which was just hundred meters away;
Katasraj temple complex is believed to date back to the Mahabharata era. Dedicated to Shiva, the temple has existed since the days of Mahābhārata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile at the site. Most of these temples were built around 900 years or so ago, although the earliest of the Katasraj temples dates back to the latter half of the 6th century AD. The place has always been the site of holy pilgrimage for people of various faiths. Even nowadays, worshippers of all faiths perform pilgrimage to the mandir. The pilgrims bathe in the sacred pool and seek forgiveness as Hindu belief holds that bathing in the pond (especially on certain occasions) leads to the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation. (source Wikipedia)
I was disappointed again as I used to whenever I visit any historical place; The location wasn’t in very much healthy condition; The walls & surroundings were telling the stories of lack of care and maintenance by respective authorities; The groovy looking pond is now full of garbage and has lost it fantasy look; The interior of buildings is also so miserable; I and my friend jumped into a building from its rooftop (as we couldn’t find a decent entry door) to see its architectural style; The passages were very congested and rooms were small with low height ceilings;
You can find some other snaps of these temples here; Those who have already visited this place will surely get disappointed by its current condition; If you too have visited this place, kindly share your experience in the comments;
