Hindu temples in Multan
Encyclopedia
There are several Hindu temples in Multan, a city in the Punjab
province of Pakistan
. The temples known as Mandirs exist because the population of Multan
followed Hinduism
, Buddhism
and tribal religions before the arrival of Islam
and the subsequent military conquests by Muhammad bin Qasim
and the Afghans. There were two places in Multan from that period of considerable antiquity.
as referred to in many books. It was situated on one of the old Fort. There is however no trace of it now.
Road. It was a pond 132 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep when full of water. Sawn Mal the Sikh
Diwan surrounded it with an octagonal wall. It was a place of pilgrimage till 1947 and two fairs were held here annually. One on the 7th of the Vanishing moon of Bhadon
, and the other on the 7th of the rising moon of Magh
, the numbers having references to the seven hours of the Sun's Chariot, according to the Hindu belief of the seven Rishies.
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
province of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The temples known as Mandirs exist because the population of Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
followed Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and tribal religions before the arrival of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and the subsequent military conquests by Muhammad bin Qasim
Muhammad bin Qasim
Muhammad bin Qasim Al-Thaqafi was a Umayyad general who, at the age of 17, began the conquest of the Sindh and Punjab regions along the Indus River for the Umayyad Caliphate. He was born in the city of Taif...
and the Afghans. There were two places in Multan from that period of considerable antiquity.
Sun Mandir
The most important place of the Hindu period was the "Sun Mandir". It was the most important place of worship throughout the South AsiaSouth Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
as referred to in many books. It was situated on one of the old Fort. There is however no trace of it now.
Suraj Kund
Another place was "Suraj Kund" (the pool of sun). It is about five miles to the South of Multan on the BahawalpurBahawalpur
Bahawalpur , located in the province of Punjab, is the twelfth largest city in Pakistan. The city was once the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The city was home to various Nawabs and counted as part of the Rajputana states...
Road. It was a pond 132 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep when full of water. Sawn Mal the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
Diwan surrounded it with an octagonal wall. It was a place of pilgrimage till 1947 and two fairs were held here annually. One on the 7th of the Vanishing moon of Bhadon
Bhadon
Bhadon is the sixth month of the Nanakshahi calendar. This month coincides with August and September in the Gregorian and Julian calendars and is 31 days long.-August:* August 16 - The start of the month...
, and the other on the 7th of the rising moon of Magh
Magh (Sikh calendar)
Magh is the eleventh month of the Nanakshahi calendar, which governs the activities within Sikhism. This month coincides with January and February in the Gregorian and Julian calendars and is 30 days long.-January:...
, the numbers having references to the seven hours of the Sun's Chariot, according to the Hindu belief of the seven Rishies.