72 years later, A 1000 year old Shawla Tej Singh temple in Punjab has opened for worship.

72 years later, A 1000 year old Shawla Tej Singh temple in Punjab has opened for worship. Punjab authorities have opened a 1,00...

72 years later, A 1000 year old Shawla Tej Singh temple in Punjab has opened for worship.

Punjab authorities have opened a 1,000-year-old Hindu temple in the eastern city of Sialkot for "worship" for the first time since partition,on the demand of the local Hindu community.

According to the book "THE HISTORY OF SIALKOT" by the late Rashid Niaz, the Shawla Tej Singh temple, located about 100 km from Lahore in the congested Dharoval area of ​​the city, is more than 1,000 years old.

ETPB spokesman Amir Hashmi said, "Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB)", which looks after the holy places of minorities in Pakistan, has opened the Shawla Tej Singh temple after partition on the demand of the local Hindu community.

He said that since there was no Hindu population in the city earlier, the temple was closed for worship.

The temple was partially damaged during attacks on temples in response to the Babri Masjid in 1992, he said, adding that the ETPB recently underwent renovation of the temple on the instructions of the chairman of the board, Dr. Amir Ahmed.

ETPB Deputy Director Fraz Abbas told that the renovation work of this temple is still going on and the board is expected to be completed soon.

"The temple has been opened for worship for the first time since partition. Some 2,000 Hindus are residing in this area and are very happy to visit their centuries-old place of worship. Now a good number of local Hindus are coming here Hindus are expected to visit this temple from other parts of the country as well.

Abbas said that Indian Hindus visiting the temple will also be taken. Local Hindu leaders Ratan Lal and Rumish Kumar have welcomed the government's move to restore the temple and open it to minority communities.

Hindus are the largest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, there are 7.5 million Hindus living in Pakistan. However, according to the community, more than 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.

Most of the Hindu population of Pakistan is inhabited in Sindh province where they share culture, tradition and language with their Muslim peers.