Mari Mata Hindu Temple in Soldier Bazaar Demolished in Pakistan
A Hindu temple, believed to be built nearly 150 years ago, has been demolished after being declared an old and dangerous structure in Karachi, the provincial capital of Pakistan’s Sindh province, leaving the Hindu community in shock.
According to residents of the area, the operation took place while the area was without electricity late on Friday night, July 14, 2023. That’s when the diggers and a bulldozer arrived to do their work. While leaving the outer walls and the temple’s main gate intact, they demolished the entire inside structure.
“It is a very old mandir,” Shri Ram Nath Mishra Mahraj of another very old temple nearby, the Shri Punch Mukhi Hanuman Mandir, informed Dawn news.
“It is said to have been built over 150 years ago. We have also heard of stories about old treasures buried in its courtyard,” he said, adding that it covered about 400 to 500 square yards and there had been talk of the land grabbers having their eye on it for some time now.
“The mandir was under the management of the Madrasi Hindu community of Karachi and since it was being said that it was a very old and dangerous structure that might topple any day, the mandir management after much pressure reluctantly but temporarily moved most of their deities to a small room near the storm water drain until they could carry out some renovation work there,” he said.
“But last night the Mari Mata Mandir was just flattened,” he added.
A Hindu community leader of the area, Ramesh, said the temple management was under pressure to vacate the premises for some time now as the land had been sold to a developer on forged documents who wanted to build a commercial building on the plot.
A senior police official of the local police station said that the temple was demolished as it had been declared a dangerous structure by authorities.
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/world/nearly-150-year-old-hindu-temple-demolished-in-pakistan-1237545.html
