பாகிஸ்தானின் ஹிந்து கோவில்கள், திருடர்களால் தொடர்ந்து சூறை - இஜாஸ் அன்வர்

சரித்திரம் நெடுகிலும், ஹிந்து கோவில்கள் மதப்பற்று மிகுந்த முஸ்லீம்களால் சூறையாடப்படுவது குறித்து வருந்தியிருக்கிறார், மதவெறி குறைந்த ஒரு இஸ்லாமியர்.

அவருக்கு எமது வாழ்த்துக்கள்.

Hindu religious sites in Pakistan have been targeted by looters: historian
June 27th, 2008 - 4:18 pm ICT by ANI - Email This Post Email This Post

Lahore , June 27 (ANI): Pakistan art historian Prof Dr. Ejaz Anwar has said that Hindu religious sites in Pakistan have always been the target of looters throughout history.

The surviving sculpture at the Katas Raj temple which depicted Hindu deities and seemed quite old is also in a serious threat of being stolen as the site provides an ideal ground for smugglers to work at, he told the Daily Times.

The statue was carved in the same red sand stone the whole Ramachandra Temple was constructed with.

He said the sculpture might have survived so long as it was present in a corner and could have escaped relic thieves eyes.

He urged the authorities to protect the sculpture and save it from being stolen.

The sculpture is precious and should be preserved as a heritage. It is a great asset for archaeologists. (ANI)

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/hindu-religious-sites-in-pakistan-have-been-targeted-by-looters-historian_10065162.html

Only one Hindu relic left at Katas Raj temple

* Temple pundit fears smugglers have eye on last surviving relic

By Afnan Khan

LAHORE: The ancient Hindu temple at Katas Raj, some 40 kilometres from Chakwal, has been robbed of all its relics, save for a stone carving depicting a god and a goddess, who are sitting, and two female slaves standing on either side.

The sculpture, which has been defaced and marred by the ravages of time, is part of a wall in the right balcony of Ramachandra Temple, also known as the Temple of Snakes.

Pundit Javed Akram Kumar, who is also chief of the Katas Raj Parbandh Committee, told Daily Times on Thursday that the statue showed Lord Shiva and his wife, the goddess Satti, sharing a moment of love with two servants standing beside them.

He said Lord Shiva is one of the three main Hindu gods, the other two being Brahma and Vishnu. The three together are called ‘Trimurti’ and complete the cycle of life. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer. Shiva is also known for his strong love for his wife, Kumar said, adding that their love was the reason for the creation of the Katas Raj Temple.

Kumar said Shiva cried so bitterly on Satti’s death that his tears filled two ponds, one of them at Pushkara in Ajmer, India, and the other one at Ketaksha (now Katas Raj). Ketaksha means ‘raining eyes’ in Sanskrit.

Kumar accused the Punjab Archaeology Department (PAD) for lack of interest and not providing the temple enough security. He said the temple had been a continuous victim to smugglers of ancient sculptures. He said the surviving statue was priceless and was also in threat of being stolen.

Sculpture in threat: “The smugglers are powerful people, equipped with all kinds of modern tools, including stone cutters, diggers and metal detectors. They have already stolen all stone and wooden artefacts from the temple. Now they have their eyes on this sculpture, which is evident by the fact that it has been chipped from all sides. I will not be surprised if it is plucked out soon,” he said.

Kumar said that the temple could have been a major tourist attraction, if the government had paid attention to it and advertised it. He said the temple was one of the most ancient sites in the country. He said the Katas valley had been famous for its beauty and centuries ago, there used to be a Sanskrit University in the valley which had produced many eminent scientists, including Alberuni, who had written his book ‘Kitab Al Hind’ at the university.

Kumar added that there had been a Buddhist stupa at the site, which had signs of an ancient civilisation that lived in the area centuries ago.

PAD Director General Shahbaz Khan told Daily Times that he had seen the temple and that his department was mapping the site. He said he would be able to comment on the history and details of the sculpture only after the mapping was complete. He said the site had already been looted and destroyed and had nothing to offer to smugglers and relic thieves.

Khan said that his department was running a project to preserve the site and that the project would be completed by next year. He admitted that the security at the site had been ‘loose’, but his department had recently put barbed wire around the temple. He added that the department was hiring staff who would take care of the temple.

“We will not increase the number of idols in the temple since we are not preserving the site as a Hindu temple on religious grounds, but as a historical and cultural monument,” the PAD DG said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\27\story_27-6-2008_pg13_7