The Shri Krishna mandir (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

: ), or the Krishna Temple, is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

located in

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

in the Punjab province of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. It is situated between the

Rawalpindi railway station Rawalpindi Railway Station (Urdu and ) is located in Saddar area of Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan. It is one of several major stops on the Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line. The nearest Saddar Metrobus Station, part of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Me ...

and Kabari Bazaar in

Saddar Saddar (), also known as Saddar Bazaar, is a neighbourhood in Karachi, Pakistan. The locality was developed as the primary commercial district during the period of British-era rule in Karachi. As a result, Saddar contains the large concentratio ...

. It was built during the late

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

on 1897. Currently, it is one of the two places of worship for the approximately 7,000 Hindus living in Rawalpindi and

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

, with the other handful of temples being non-functional. Hindu festivals like

Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...

and

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

are celebrated here. It covers an area of less than 4 marlas (around 101 m²). The courtyard of the double-storey building has a capacity to accommodate around 100 worshippers.

History

The Krishna temple was built during the

by brothers Kanji Mal and Ujagar Mal Ram Rachpal, two wealthy businessmen of Saddar, in 1897 as a place of worship for the Hindus living in the surrounding areas. From 1947 to 1948, it was closed to avoid religious violence that followed the partition. It was reopened in 1949 and was handed over to the local Hindu Punchayat for those Hindus who chose to remain in Pakistan and it became the main place of worship for Rawalpindi Hindus. In 1970, the temple was taken over by the

Evacuee Trust Property Board The Evacuee Trust Property Board, () a statutory board of the Government of Pakistan, is a key government department which administers evacuee properties, including educational, charitable or religious trusts left behind by Hindus and Sikhs who ...

, which leased the area surrounding it to local traders. The Hindu community has been protesting against this occupation of the temple land. The temple was frequented by diplomats living in Islamabad until the 1980s. Currently, it serves as the main temple for the estimated 50 Hindu families residing in the city, with two prayers held daily. It is also frequented by Hindus visiting from

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

Renovation

In 2018, the Punjab government released Rs. 20 million to renovate the temple. The renovation and restoration was completed in 2020.

References

{{Hindu temples in Pakistan Krishna temples Hindu temples in Punjab, Pakistan

History

Renovation

See also

References