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| Har Har Mahadev! | | Important event in Lahore's Shiva temple complex | |
BL KAK
New Delhi | February 17
An event of consequence was allowed by Islamabad in Lahore sector on Friday, Feb. 16. As many as 173 Hindu pilgrims from India were allowed entry into Lahore's Wagah railway station by Samjhota Express to participate in the traditional religious rituals of the Maha Shivratri festival. The festival was organised officially by the Pakistan government at the historic Katasraj temple in Pakistan's Punjab province.
The Hindu pilgrims, reports received from Lahore said, enjoyed freedom as they chanted 'Har Har Mahadev' mantra while participating in the Maha Shivratri festival. The Katasraj temple is the second most sacred Hindu site and the Pakistan government has allocated 1.8 million dollars for its preservation and rehabilitation.
Located on a hill in Chakwal district of Pakistani Punjab, Katasraj temple has historic and religious value for Hindus. The temple has been mentioned in Mahabharata--one of the three major Sanskrit Hindu epics. According to Hindu beliefs, both Katas and the Paskar (Ajmer) are the eyes of Shiva. It has been officially stated in Lahore that the Maha Shivratri festival is being celebrated at the Katasraj temple complex as part of a development project for Hindu sites in Pakistan.
India and Pakistan had agreed to jointly work on the development of the historic Katasraj temple complex in June 2005 during a visit to Katasraj by the BJP leader LK Advani. The puja at the renovated temple, whose foundation stone was laid by Advani in June 2005, was the first since 1947.
The conservation and restoration of the Shiva temple inside the Katasraj temple complex where a Shiva idol is installed is nearing completion. The first three-year phase of renovation of the entire complex has cost the Pakistani government Rs 60.3 million.
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