In a profoundly distressing revelation, two historic Hindu temples in Pakistan, each bearing centuries of cultural and religious significance, find themselves subjected to shocking acts of disrespect and neglect.

Varun Dev Mandir: A millennium-old temple converted into a tourist toilet

The Varun Dev Mandir, an esteemed Hindu temple situated on Manora Island Beach in Karachi, is believed to be a millennium old and under the ownership of the Pakistan Hindu Council. This architectural gem has been shamefully converted into a tourist toilet.

Once a beacon of spiritual sanctity and intricate craftsmanship, the Varun Dev Mandir now stands neglected, desecrated, and abandoned. Its sacred walls and chambers, once the site of religious rituals until the 1950s, have been repurposed for public convenience, symbolising a stark disregard for religious sentiments and cultural heritage.

Despite the responsibility of the Evacuee Trust Property Board to safeguard such revered sites, the temple’s glory and sanctity have been left to erode. Bigotry within the administration, coupled with bureaucratic hurdles and jurisdictional disputes, has hindered any meaningful attempts at restoration. Appeals to authorities, including the Manora Cantonment Board and Pakistan Navy, have gone unanswered, allowing the decay to persist unchecked.

The appalling transformation of this ancient Hindu temple into a tourist toilet underscores Pakistan’s failure to honour religious diversity and protect cultural legacies. It stands as a stark illustration of the country’s inconsistency, as it professes tolerance while simultaneously showing disrespect to revered religious symbols and historical sites.

Unknown temple in Ahmedpur Lamma converted to animal farm

In another distressing revelation, a temple in Ahmedpur Lamma city in Punjab, Pakistan, is reported to have undergone a similarly disheartening fate. Once a place of worship, this temple is seen as being converted into an animal farm, adding to the plight faced by minority Hindu temples in the country.

The temple’s history or significance is not known, but the video circulating on social media indicates the temple is empty, and it is not clear which deity it was dedicated to. From the looks of it, it looks like a few decades to centuries old. 

The present owner of the land around the temple says the temple belonged to a Hindu named Mohan Bhagat. He also owned a haveli alongside the temple and used to be among the wealthiest people in the locality. He owned quite a bit of the property in Ahmedpur, he said. 

The unfortunate tale of these temples echoes the disheartening state of Hindus and Hindu temples in Pakistan. The Varun Dev Mandir faces degradation on one side, and the temple in Ahmedpur Lamma undergoes a different form of disrespect on the other. Unfortunately, global attention to safeguarding religious diversity and preserving cultural heritage in Pakistan will never be possible.