Katas Raj
Ketaksha’s past is a Paradise lost
Where Shiva met
His love at last…
by Nayyar Hashmey
A bouquet of colorful, divine celebrations is presented every year to Hindu gods in Pakistan’s valley of Adam and Eve. Located at a distance of 25 Km from Kalar Kahar is this serene and paradise-like abode of gods, where Maha Shivratri, the festival of Shiva is celebrated every year.
The festival falls on the 15th day of Phalgun (the day of Amavas) and is an event full of fervor and festivities. Pilgrims from all parts of India come over this place to pay homage to the Hindu god Shiva.
Besides sculptures unearthed by the Department of Archeology dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries, the Salt Range is dotted with divine structures, of which the most notable is the Katas Raj, located 25 kilometers from Chakwal.
The area is home to Hinduism’s holiest shrines in the subcontinent. It’s here that Shiva entered into a nuptial bond. The yatris celebrate the day by offering pooja, the ritual dances and sing bhajans, all a part of Maha Shiv’s wedding celebrations. This month WOP goes down the history lane to commemorate the wedding in this place of gods where Pandava brothers spent a part of their exile in Katas, some like Lord Shiva triumphed over the evil world of Dakhsha and left an eternal message to the world that truth and nothing but truth always prevails….Ram Nam Sat Hae....
---
---
School children in Pakistan generally know about the hilly Salt Range. They learn that its home to world’s oldest and largest rock salt mines. Every Sunday, groups of students visit the mines and gaze in wonder and awe at the fascinating spectacle of light filtering though the solid walls of salt, with the gentle sound of river Jhelum in the background. In contrast what they don’t know that the Salt Range which has recently come to the fore, is home also to the treasures of ancient culture and history. That it boasted to have many thousands of years BCE, the knowledge of science, arts, religion and philosophy which in its contemporary world no body could claim to have one.
The Salt Range is now at the centre of new discoveries in archeology and ancient architecture. Its importance spans thousands of years, judging from skeletal remains of prehistoric animal found in many of its out-of-the-way locations. Even though these archaeological remains have not yet been dated by experts, they probably go back to three or four millennia, and along with prehistoric bones discovered at Mehrgarh in Balochistan, can provide many missing links in the ancient history of the
Besides sculptures unearthed by the Department of Archeology dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries, the Salt Range is dotted with divine structures, of which the most notable is the Katas Raj, located 25 kilometers from Chakwal.
Katas is notable in many ways. Associated with the temple are many legends sacred to the Hindu faith. Some of them involve Shiv Devta himself. The site has always been a place of holy pilgrimage. Even nowadays, through an agreement between India and Pakistan, in early spring worshippers from India and from the interior of Sindh perform pilgrimage to the temple and bathe in the sacred pool around which Katas Raj is built.
While Katas has not received the publicity that it deserves, the two semi-ruined temples of the Hindshahi period (650-950 AD) have been frequently photographed by newspapers and history journals. The remains are beautifully carved and conform to the best in temple architecture.
