Katas Raj Temple Complex. Ancient remains of Hindu temple complex.

I finally managed to visit the Katas Raj Temple complex on 18 August 2013. This involved a drive of 220 km via the Islamabad Motor Way exiting at Kalar Kahar. A drive of 25 km on the Kalar Kahar road passing settlements like Khairpur, Daler Pur (note the Hindu names) and Tatral to Choa Saidan Sah where the ancient temple complex is located.

Historical: These temples, some of them dated around 6th Century AD and some forts that were build more recently, around 900 years ago. The temples are built around a pond which is considered holy by Hindu and a dip in this pond is believed to cleanse their sins. The pond has under ground source of bubbling water and is said to be 50 feet deep. After the partition of Indai and Pakistan in 1947 the complex remained uncared for and today the entrances to the temples are locked and devoid of the holy idols. A local man told me that several weapons and other relics have been stored in the reception building in the complex but the building remained closed for public viewing.

Renovation of the site: Some efforts of protection and renovation is evident and it started after a visit by the then Indian Deputy PM, Mr. Lal Krishna Advani visited the temples. At the moment however, I was told that the staffs have now been removed and the work has slowed down. I appreciated that restorations and protections are in fact being carried out (although I thought the marble flooring as a little out of place and time). As a Hindu myself, the worst feeling for me is to see the temples empty of its idols, their soul. This state is not new as I have seen many remains of temples in various state of abandonment, deprived of its soul the idols. Even though Pakistan is a Muslim country and does have many majestic Masjids, the Hindu temples (and some Buddhist stupas) are also the ancient heritage of the country and should be preserved, not for religion or faith but at least for their historical value.

Ram Chandra Temple

Individual temples in the complex: Some main temples in the Katas Raj complex are the Hanuman mandir, Ram Chandra Mandir, Shiva Mandir. Important buildings in the site are the fort cum dweling of Hari Singh, a Sikh General of Ranjit Singh, a dwelling of Maharaja Sundar Nath and a 12 doored square building. Another important land mark is the remains of the stupa claimed to be erected by Emperor Ashoka. One can clearly see many small caves on the other side of the stream, across the road, in the face of the limestone ledges. Buddhist monks were said to be using these for their meditation and that a Buddhist centre of education was in this area in ancient times.

Shiva Temple

Hanuman Temple and Ram Chandra Temple

An idol bass relief on Ram Chandra Temple wall

Ram Chandra Temple: view from across pond

Saat Ghara or the Seven Temples: On the topmost platform are a set of small temples which are stated to be the remaining of the 7 temples build by Pandavas when they spent 4 years out of the 12 years of exile (banabas). Three such temples are now standing after renovation.

The pond where Yudhisthar saved his brothers: The local guide told me that the pond was famous from Mahabharata and was the same pond where the eldest Pandava, Uddhistir answered all the question of the Yakchhya and managed to revive his four brothers who fainted/died being unable to answer the Yakchhya's question before being allowed to drink water from the pond.

The Saat Ghara or Seven Temples

Another legend related it to the death of Sati Devi, Lord Mahadev's wife. When Sati Devi died Mahadev wept in sorrow for so long that his tears filled the pond.

Stupa of Ashoka (top) and leaf on temple wall stone (bottom)

Another interesting aspect of this complex and the area in itself are the limestone rocks that have embedded in them sea shells embedded in them as fossils and one could also see clear imprints of leaves in the building blocks of stone used in the construction of several temples and their adjacent walls.

I am very happy that during my final days in Pakistan I was able to visit this great area. Along with Harappa, Taxila and some other such heritages in Punjab Province this also gets recognised as a World Heritage site for which I heard Pakistan is thinking of applying for.

Employment opportunities from manufacturing biogas stoves in Pakistan

Most of the biogas household use the regular CNG stoves for cooking. CNG stoves are made to run on pure methane and under a fixed pressure. Biogas plants of the fixed dome model is not supplied under uniform pressure. Biogas on the other hand is only 50 to 60% methane as compared to 100% in CNG. This require the biogas stove to have different specification to be as efficient. In 2011 Pakistan Domestic Biogas Programme provided training on manufacturing of a biogas stove to four persons: two each from Faisalabad and Sargodha districts from the Province of Punjab. The objective of organising such training was twofold:

1.      Make available an appropriate biogas stove that are locally available for households who have installed biogas plants.

In the project area most biogas households install the natural gas stove that still works with biogas but not as efficiently as it should. This particular stove requires some adjustments before it can be properly used. The households are not aware of or often ignore making the required adjustments thereby forfeiting the efficient use of biogas.

2.      Make available an opportunity for employment to enterprising individuals.

For individuals or small enterprises this skill will provide an opportunity to add to their product range an additional but profitable and marketable item. This will help them run their enterprise more profitably and also generate other spin off employment opportunities for example to those who cast the burners and to those who manufacture the stove body frame.

Adnan is a young man who participated in the training. He owns a small lathe workshop in Sargodha City in Punjab Province where he mainly carried out metal fabrication required for repairing various equipment. He directly employs two persons in his workshop. After the training he started manufacturing the biogas stove on top of his regular work. Gradually the stoves have started to get popular and are the main source of income for the workshop. Starting from selling one or two stoves a month  a year ago, he now regularly sells at least 12 in a week and the demand is increasing as orders are not only coming from his district but also from adjoining districts. Manufacturing biogas stoves has now become his main activity although he is also continuing his other works. He anticipates that as the households keep on realizing the benefit of using a biogas stove instead of the regular natural gas stoves, demand for his stove will still rise

He gets the burner cast elsewhere as per the required specification and carries out the finishing works in his workshop. He also orders the body of the stove made elsewhere according to required specifications. He assembles the burner at his workshop. In this manner he is helping to increase the spread of the employment opportunities linked to the stove manufacturing.

At present his main clients are the Biogas Construction Companies (BCC) who help sell the stoves to the households, making a small profit during this transaction. The main reasons the BCCs are promoting his stoves are not for the small profit that they make but for the associated benefits. They get fewer complaints about functioning of the biogas plants from households who have installed the biogas stoves which saves them from making repeated and expensive trips to their clients for helping out on repairs.

Adnan is now in a lookout for interested retailers in districts who can stock his stoves in bulk and from whom households or the BCCs may buy directly.

Adnan with his biogas stoves

Mehboob is one of the constructer of biogas installations in Sargodha district. He motivates households to buy the biogas stove. He has a special way of doing this. Even when a household says that they will use the regular CNG stove (already have one, is cheaper) he leaves a biogas stove and encourages them to try it out. He promises that he will take it back if they do not want it when he makes a follow up visit. Most of the times, once the household tries the biogas stove it is sold. He started promoting biogas stoves after encountering continued problem of foul smell in the kitchen of a household where he had installed a biogas plant. His many attempts to address this problem did not work until after 

he changed the stove into a biogas stove.

Mehboob

Nankana Sahib and Harrapa

1. Nankana Sahib: Nankana Sahib is the birthplace of Guru Nanak the founder of the Sikh faith. It is situated in the district of Nankana in Punjab province and is around 2 hours drive from Faisalabad. In the morning of 26th September I, Anjali and our driver Imran drove to Nankana Sahib. We arrived there around 12. As this place is sacred to the Sikhs world over and many of them visit here, the entry was only after our passports were scrutinised and recorded by the security. Sikhs are a minority in Pakistan and they do face various kinds of discriminations.The place is well kept and is constantly under improvements. After visiting here we left to Harappa via Sahiwal district. We stopped on our way at the bank of the Ravi River and had our lunch of fried fish and roti.

Rajesh and Imran

Tree on which Sardar Lachhman Singh was hanged by Hindu Mahant in 1921

The Sahib 

Fish kiosk

2. Harrapa: After a long drive of almost 2 hours we reached Harappa at 5 PM. Luckily the Museum was open till 5:30 and the excavations site was open for visitors till 7 PM. We first visited the Museum that show cased artefacts from excavation from this site as well as its sister site from Mohan Jo Daro from Sindh. Along with Mohan Jo Daro, Harrapa developed a civilisation that was socially complex and advanced around 4000 to 3000 BC. These are actually the cradle of world civilisation. At that time they were already using not only earthern (fired) pots and pans but also iron and brass utensils. They had toys, jewelery, weapons and tools. The made houses of fired bricks with well, washing platforms, drains and soak pits. We can see mounds upon mounds of ancient bricks, remains of broken pots lying around. Although WWF seems taking some efforts to conserve the local unique vegetation the site as whole seems to be mostly benignly neglected with the adjoining village of Harrapa (especially its ever expanding cemetary) is not only encroaching the ancient site but also the ancient bricks are being pilfered.

An interesting event here was when we went in, I went to the ticket counter and asked for 3 tickets. The guy asked me where was I from. I told him that I was from Faisalabad and then he gave me the 3 tickets for 10 Rs each. Exactly at this time Anjali had a fancy to speak to me, while they heard a strange language, they now noticed that the lady was not covering her hair/head and also had a "tika" on her forehead. This prompted them to follow me and ask me whether I was a foreigner. I said yes. I was then requested to pay the foreign price of 200 Rs per person, which I gracefully did!

Excavated settlement

Anjali in front of one of the settlements

Walls of houses, drain, well and washing platform

Very old vegetation being conserved 

The travel back was tiring as the road was broken and we reached Faisalabad at 10:30, not a very safe time to travel through dark and desolate "dehati" roads.

Chiniot, a city at the bank of River Chenab.

On 3rd of October 2010, I and my wife Anjali went to Chiniot on a personal trip. Chiniot is a city and the HQ of the recently formed District of Chiniot in Central Punjab of Pakistan. The city is around 45 km NE of Faisalabad city. The city is renowned for its carved furnitures in Pakistan. Furnitures are sent to all parts of Pakistan and are also exported. Historically it is said that the river Chenab which flows down from the Kashmir area from India takes a strong bend here. Timber harvested upstream ended up here and this settlement became a bustling centre for timber trade. Along with it wood carving started to develop and during the Mughal period and later this craftsmanship flourished. It is being claimed that craftsmen from Chiniot were employed during the construction of the Taj Mahal, The Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.

With our driver Mumtaz, we visited four interesting locations in the city besides visiting rows upon rows of furniture and souvenir shops!

Fresco on the wall

The main praying hall

Anjali and the stone arches

1. The Badshahi Mosque: An example or show piece of the craftsmanship of Chiniot. A mosque constructed between 1655-1686 situated in the centre of the older part of the city. The colourful flowery designs and columns of red stone and arches are impressive.  The main gate was locked. Luckily with the effort of Mumtaz the person holding the key was located and the gate opened for us to enjoy exclusively. The upkeep was bad requiring immediate rennovation efforts. It was sad to observe posters being pasted right on top of beautiful frescos on the Mosque gate resulting in the peeling of the ancient paint.

Mother and son's graves

Frontal facade

The Jharokha window

Grandiose interior

Wood carved side entrance

Me and the Librarian

2. Umar Hayat Mahal: The second stop was the Umar Hayat or Gulzar Mahal a 6 storey splendid building completed in 1920. Sheikh Umar accumulated wealth while trading in Calcutta and spent about 300,000 Rs at that time to construct this house of his dreams. From outside the building looks dilapidated and appears as if it is abut to fall apart! Here too the gate was locked but we managed to call the person who was the caretaker who arrived after a five minute wait and gave us an exclusive tour! The building now houses a small collection of books and is called the Umar Hayat Library and the Librarian or the care taker is employed by the Government. The central portion of the building has been renovated and is marvellous to observe. The wood work, especially the doors and windows, the floral artwork and masonry is heavenly. The ceiling of each room has a different pattern of tiles. The topmost floor has been removed for safety. However, the story of Umar's family is tragic. Umar died after living in this building for 5 years. Soon after his young daughter died of  tuberculosis. The wife still hoping for a happy life decided to wed their son at 17. On the second day of marriage called "Walima" the son died due to asphyxiation when he went to get his warm bath. Soon after the mother also died. They are both buried in the building. Since then the building remains uninhabited and desperately awaiting care.

Darbar entrance

Women praying

Men praying

3.Darbar of Baba Ebu Ali Kalandar: We stumbled upon this Darbar while we were returning to the Chiniot city after having our lunch at the restaurant run by the Punjab Tourism Development Corporation located at the banks of the River Chenab near the bridge. This place was a combination of a mosque as well as the tomb of an ascetic Baba e bu Ali Kalandar who stayed in this location for 35 years before acquiring enlightenment. Present day devotees flock here for making wishes. It was remarkable to note that the trinkets being sold at the Darbars' yard were mostly similar to what we are used to in our temples such as bangles, necklaces, bracelets, chains and threads.

4. Sukh Sai Sish Mahal: In the interior of the city past some of the most dirty lanes filled with sloshy sewage and after stopping and asking for direction at many spots we finally reached our destination. I would have never expected to come across such a nice place at the midst of such filthy neighbourhood! This place is an assemblage of 3 main buildings - a tomb of Sukh Sai who was a renowned healer and now at present people from surrounding area, but specifically on 5 and 6 August flock here to make wishes which I was told are granted. The interior dome of the tomb and the outside ceilings are decorated with innumerable pieces of colourfull glass that glitters when the lights are turned on. The second building is the tomb of the wife of the Sukh Sai and their son. There were also graves on the outside edges all from the family. The third building was a minaret still under construction. While there, I met the youngest and surviving son of the Sukh Sai.

Tomb with beitiful glass work ceiling

Tomb of the Sai's wife

The Mahal complex

While the Islam religion is different in many respect with the Hindu religion, as far as I know of it, it is remarkable to observe the many similarities. We have Manakamana Mai, Pathibhara and many other temples where we make a bee line for making wishes. In Pakistan there are Darbars. A difference being we go to temples and here people go to tombs to make wishes.