Karachi: In Karachi, the capital of Sindh province of Pakistan, a Hindu temple about 150 years old was demolished, describing it as an old and dangerous structure. After the demolition of the temple, the people of the Hindu community living in the area are in a panic.
The Mari Mata Temple located in the Soldier Bazaar of Karachi was demolished late on Friday night with the help of bulldozers in the presence of a heavy police force. Ramnath Mishra Maharaj, caretaker of Hindu temples in the area, said, “They (authorities) demolished the temple late at night and we had no idea that this was going to happen.”
Mishra said that while the authorities kept the outer walls and main gate of the temple intact, they demolished the entire structure inside. He said that the temple was built about 150 years ago and it was noted that the treasure was buried in the courtyard of the temple. He said that the temple was built in an area of 400 to 500 square yards and for years efforts were being made to grab the land of the temple.
A police officer told this reason
A senior police officer from the local police station said that the temple was demolished as it was declared a dangerous structure by the authorities. He told that the Madrasi Hindu community of Karachi ran the temple and they agreed that the structure was very old and dangerous. The temple management, with a heavy heart, shifted the idols of the deities to a smaller room, the official said.
On the other hand, Ramesh, a local leader of the Hindu community, said that the temple management was under pressure to vacate the premises for some time, as the temple land was sold to a ‘developer’ on the basis of forged documents. He said that the ‘developer’ wants to build a commercial building on the temple land. The Hindu community has appealed to the Pakistan-Hindu Council, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, and the Inspector General of Sindh Police to take immediate cognizance of the matter.
Explain that Hindus are the largest minority community in Pakistan. There are many ancient Hindu temples in Karachi. Sindh province has the largest population of Hindus in Pakistan and shares culture, tradition, and language with Muslim residents.
