Ketaksha – The Katas Raj

Another ignored relic

I am proud to be a Pakistani as Pakistan is one of the richest countries in terms of heritage, nature and culture. Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, Lahore, Multan, Jhelum, Chakwal, Ali Pur, Shujaabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and many more cities and small towns are hub of heritage and culture but very much under projected. I wonder instead of the crimes and turmoil why our media cannot exhibit these soft sides of Pakistan.

Another wonder I am writing about is the Katas Raj temples, located in Punjab near Chooa Saidan Shah, in Chakwal District. The site originally housed the Satgraha, a cluster of seven ancient temples, along with a Buddhist stupa and the home of a warrior and havelis. However, only four of the seven temples, havelis and the warrior’s residence remain today. Some smaller temples were built around 900 years ago, whereas the earlier ones date back to the sixth century. Katas Raj thus has a collection of buildings and ruins that stretch in an unbroken line from the Buddhist era down to the British rule, thereby preserving at least 1,500 years of history in that particular space.

The site held a Buddhist stupa which towered 200ft in height with ten streams around it as described by Alexander Cunningham, the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, in 1872-73. This verified the account of the Chinese pilgrim Xuan Xang, who had visited this region during the 7th century and described the various Buddhist sites in the subcontinent.

According to Cunningham, the complex of seven temples at the highest point on the site is the most important part of the place and echoes the architectural style of the Kashmiri temples of the Karkota and Varma dynasties who ruled from 625-939CE. These temples have uniqueness such as dentiles, trefoil arches, fluted pillars and pointed roofs which are present in most of the temples that are found all along the Salt Range foothills but are in shambles. The main building material is soft sand stone which is plastered over.

It is said that the oldest book in Hinduism, Rig Veda, was written in Katas 300BC, though many Hindu scholars believe it was written sometime in the year 1300BC. The book contains a detailed account of Katas. Also it is said that Katas is located at 2,200ft above sea level. Katas also remained the capital of Hindu Sinha kingdom. During British rule before Pind Dadan Khan and Jhelum it was also the Headquarter of Jhelum Valley.

It is said that Albairuni also spent some time at Katas to learn Sanskrit in a University of Languages which then existed there. During his stay at Katas and Nandna Fort Albairuni wrote his famous “Kitabul-Hind” that depicts the religion, scientific knowledge and social customs of Hindus in the region at that time.

The temples at Katas are mostly constructed on square platforms. The elevation of the sub shrines seems to form a series of cornices with small rows of pillars, crowned by a ribbed dome. It is no doubt a mind blowing site once you step in there. This is a tourist spot but not very well maintained like many other monuments and proper tourist facilities are lacking.

The Ramachandra Mandir is situated near the Hari Singh Haveli and is closed from all sides except for one entrance. The Mandir has two jharokas (balconies) that have been severely damaged and I guess these should be taken up for conservation. The Hanuman Mandir, another marvel in the same complex, is a high rectangular enclosure. The temple’s ceiling is undecorated, and lime-plastered. The Shiva temple is also built on a square platform. The temples are closed for the public and unless you have terms with the local guides you cannot access the interior. In my opinion, this entire place should be opened for the public as well with much security and care. Some carvings of the Hindu deity are still seen on the walls whereas most of the idols have been shifted to India.

The Katas Raj temple complex is believed to date back to the Mahabharata era. Many legends are connected to the temples. It is said that the five Pandava brothers, heroes of the Sanskrit epic the Mahabharata, stayed there during their exile. The lake in the complex is said to be filled with Shiva’s tears and has magical powers. Another legend involves the death of Shiva’s wife Sati; the story says that when she died Shiva cried so much that his tears created two holy ponds — one at Pushkara in Ajmer(India) and the other at Ketaksha (Pakistan), which literally means “raining eyes” in Sanskrit. It is from this name that the word Katas is derived. That’s not the end to the versions, another says that the Shiva legend involves the death of Shiva’s horse Katas instead of that of Sati. Some old manuscripts also consider Katas as the birthplace of Rama, as well as that of Ayodhya, though this is controversial as Hindus never stated it as Rama’s birthplace.

This is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage sites in Pakistan and still in use today. If this place is used aesthetically by the archaeology and tourism department, it can prove to be a nice religious tourist spot. The economy can also benefit through this attempt and the same amount can be used in the conservation and restoration of the site, if the government wants. I think other than building roads and bridges, the government should also work on preserving these sites and promoting tourism. I hardly see anything related to tourism in the budget speech or the government’s strategies.