Karachi is the largest city, the main seaport and financial centre of Pakistan. Currently, the city has an estimated population of 21 million which was slightly under half a million, out of which 51 percent were Hindus and 42 percent were Muslims at the time of Partition of India. Now Hindus are about 1.45 percent (3,00,000) of city population, preserving 50 mandirs in different parts of the city which were once more than 450 in Karachi before the partition; as most of them have been illegally occupied or demolished.
Out of 50 available temples, only two are nationally famous and attract Hindus from all over Pakistan where others are community based temples. These two important mandirs are Swami Narain mandir opposite to KMC Building at M A Jinnah Road and Ratneshwar Mahadev mandir Clifton adjacent to Janagir Kothari Parade. These mandirs are the only places for Hindus of Karachi to celebrate the religious rituals like Diwali, Holi, Ram Navami, Janmastami, Dussehra and Hinglaj.
Ratneshwar Mahadev temple at Clifton was constructed more than 150 years ago in a cave of a hill near seaside of Clifton which is now locked with parks; not only car parking has occupied its land but also the proper way or passage to entrance was demolished in 2005. Earlier, there was sufficient car parking and proper way to mandir which we and our forefathers used. Every year a Grand Mela (Fair) of Lord Shiva is held for three days on eve of Maha Shiva Ratri which is well attended by 25,000 people every day for worship. On every Monday, 5000 people and about 1000 people come daily for worship and parsad (sacred food) which is offered free.
This mandir has been converted into an isolated place by changing car parking into a seasonal flower exhibition park by the City Government. With parking for more than a kilometre radius, attendance in mandir is going to be less every day; if we park vehicles on the road side, vehicles are lifted and heavy fines are imposed and in many case they are stolen. People come here for peace of mind temple but without sufficient parking space, we are not at peace any more.
In view of the above, we Hindus, the largest religious minority of Pakistan demand that car parking should be restored as a reserved community parking and the front should be declared as mandir property as a safeguard to religious properties as well as indigenous people’s rights in conformity with the UN charter and Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of Pakistan.
KALAVANTI RAJA MENGHWAR
Karachi
