Katas Raj Temples
The Shri Katas Raj Temples (Punjabi, Urdu: شری کٹاس راج مندر) (Sanskrit: कटासराज), also known as Qila Katas (قلعہ کٹاس), is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways. The temple complex surrounds a pond named Katas which is regarded as sacred by Hindus. The complex is located in the Potohar Plateau region of Pakistan's Punjab province. The temples are located in municipal committee Choa Saidanshah, and are near the M2 Motorway.
| Katas Raj Temples | |
|---|---|
کٹاس راج مندر कटासराज | |
The temples surround a pond regarded as sacred by Hindus | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Chakwal district |
| Deity | Shiva |
| Location | |
| Location | Choa Saidanshah |
| State | Punjab |
| Country | Pakistan |
Shown within Punjab, Pakistan Katas Raj Temples (Pakistan) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 32°43′26.4″N 72°57′05.9″E |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 7th century CE onwards |
| Temple(s) | 12 (7 original) |
The temples' pond is said in the Puranas to have been created from the teardrops of Shiva, after he wandered the Earth inconsolable after the death of his wife Sati. The pond occupies an area of two kanals and 15 marlas, with a maximum depth of 20 feet.
Serial Kanpur Se Katas Tak was also shot here starring Saba Qamar in 2010 aired on Indus Vision. The temples play a role in the Hindu epic poem, the Mahābhārata, where the temples are traditionally believed to have been the site where the Pandava brothers spent a significant portion of their exile. It is also traditionally believed by Hindus to be the site where the brothers engaged in a riddle contest with the Yakshas, as described in the Yaksha Prashna. Another tradition states that the Hindu deity Krishna laid the foundation of the temple, and established a hand-made shivling in it.
The temples were visited by India's former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani in 2005. In 2006, the Pakistani government began restoration works at the temples, with further improvements announced in 2017.