There are several Hindu temples in
Multan, a city in the
Punjab province of
Pakistan. The temples, known as
Mandir
A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...
s, exist because the population of
Multan followed
Hinduism,
[Multan - Punjab.gov.pk](_blank)
Buddhism and tribal religions before the arrival of
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
. In 997 CE,
Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, took over the
Ghaznavid dynasty empire established by his father,
Sultan Sebuktegin, In 1005 he conquered the
Hindu Shahis in
Kabul in 1005, and followed it by the conquests of
Punjab region. The
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526). and later
Mughal Empire ruled the region. There were two places in Multan from that period of considerable antiquity.
Sun Mandir
The most important place of the Hindu period was the "
Sun Mandir". It was the most important place of worship throughout the
South Asia as referred to in many books. It was situated on old Fort near
Shah Rukn-e-Alam shrine. The ruins of Sun Mandir are located near the High Court of Multan.
Suraj Kund
Another place was "Suraj Kund" (the pool of sun). It is about five miles to the south of Multan on the
Bahawalpur Road. It was a pond 132 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep when full of water.
Sawn Mal the
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
Diwan surrounded it with an octagonal wall. It was a place of pilgrimage till 1947 and two fairs were held here annually. One on the 7th of the Vanishing moon of
Bhadon, and the other on the 7th of the rising moon of
Magh, the numbers having references to the seven hours of the Sun's Chariot, according to the Hindu belief of the seven
Rishies
''Rishi'' () is a term for an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mentions in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis" or ...
.
Prahladpuri Temple
The temple of
Narasimha built by
Prahlada
Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu mythology. He is known for his staunch devotion towards the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by slaying his wicked fa ...
, known as
Prahladpuri Temple.
Narsinghpuri Temple
The temple of Narsinghpuri dedicated to
Narasimha was originally inside the
Multan Fort. Later, due to restrictions of timings for going inside the main area of fort, a temple of same name was built in main Sabz Mandi (Market) area of town.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hindu temples in Multan
*
*Multan
Multan-related lists
Hindu, Multan
Temples in Multan
Multan