LAHORE, Dec 5 : Pakistan government on Thursday inaugurated a residential complex built for Hindu pilgrims and planted 6,000 plants of different species at the Katas Raj Temple complex in Punjab province.
According to the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), the 36-room residential building next to the Katas Raj Temples has been constructed at a cost of PKR 190 million.
The 900-year-old temple complex in the village of Katas, about 110 kilometres south of Islamabad, is located in the Potohar plateau region of the Punjab province.
Also known as Qila Katas, the temple complex comprises several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways. The temple complex surrounds a pond named Katas, which is regarded as sacred by Hindus.
“It has been ensured that Hindu pilgrims coming from all over the world, including India, can stay here with all the facilities,” Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain said at the inaugural ceremony.
“We invite the followers of Hindu religion living in Pakistan, India and around the world to visit the Katas Raj Temples and perform their rituals with complete religious freedom and facilities,” he said and added that the Katas Raj Temples are a great cultural heritage compound of different religions.
ETPB chief Dr Attaur Rehman said that there is a significant change in the historic Katas Raj Temples by the addition of 36 residential rooms and sub-modern facilities.
He said, in addition to the improved facilities, 6,000 plants of different species have been planted for the health of the temple’s environment. The conservation of the heritage structure has been ensured with modern infrastructure and environmental awareness, he added.
The ETPB has installed a 40 KW solar system and spacious parking facilities at the Katas Raj Temples for the Hindu pilgrims and tourists from Pakistan and around the world, he added.
President of the Pakistan Hindu Mandir Management Committee Krishan Sharma thanked the government for the construction and renovation of the Katas Raj Complex and said that Hindu religious places of worship in Pakistan are safe. (PTI)
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