Katas Raj Temples

Katas Raj Temples
کٹاس راج مندر
कटासराज
The temples surround a pond regarded as sacred by Hindus
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictChakwal district
DeityShiva
Location
LocationChoa Saidanshah
StatePunjab
CountryPakistan Pakistan
Katas Raj Temples is located in Punjab, Pakistan
Katas Raj Temples
Shown within Punjab, Pakistan
Katas Raj Temples is located in Pakistan
Katas Raj Temples
Katas Raj Temples (Pakistan)
Geographic coordinates32°43′26.4″N 72°57′05.9″E / 32.724000°N 72.951639°E / 32.724000; 72.951639
Architecture
Completed7th century CE onwards[1]
Temple(s)12 (7 original)

The Shri Katas Raj Temples (Punjabi, Urdu: شری کٹاس راج مندر) (Sanskrit: कटासराज), also known as Qila Katas (قلعہ کٹاس),[2] is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways.[2] The temple complex surrounds a pond named Katas which is regarded as sacred by Hindus.[3] The complex is located in the Potohar Plateau region of Pakistan's Punjab province. The temples are located in municipal committee Choa Saidanshah, and are near the M2 Motorway.

The temples' pond is said in the Puranas to have been created from the teardrops of Shiva, after he wandered the Earth inconsolable after the death of his wife Sati.[3][2] The pond occupies an area of two kanals and 15 marlas, with a maximum depth of 20 feet.

Serial Kanpur Se Katas Tak was also shot here starring Saba Qamar in 2010 aired on Indus Vision. The temples play a role in the Hindu epic poem, the Mahābhārata,[4] where the temples are traditionally believed to have been the site where the Pandava brothers spent a significant portion of their exile.[3] It is also traditionally believed by Hindus to be the site where the brothers engaged in a riddle contest with the Yakshas, as described in the Yaksha Prashna.[5][4][6] Another tradition states that the Hindu deity Krishna laid the foundation of the temple, and established a hand-made shivling in it.

The temples were visited by India's former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani in 2005. In 2006, the Pakistani government began restoration works at the temples, with further improvements announced in 2017.

  1. ^ Bin Naveed, Muhammad. "Katas Raj". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Khalid, Laiba (2015). "Explore Rural India" (PDF). 3 (1). The Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development: 55–57. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2017. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ a b c Sah, Krishna Kumar (2016). Deva Bhumi: The Abode of the Gods in India. BookBaby. p. 79. ISBN 9780990631491. Retrieved 15 September 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference gop was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Shri Katasraj Yatra". Kailash Mansarover Sewa Samiti (All India Regd.). Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference bjp was invoked but never defined (see the help page).