Shri Varun Dev Mandir

Shri Varun Dev Temple

Varun Dev Mandir visible in the top right corner
Shri Varun Dev Temple
Location within Sindh
Geography
Coordinates 24°51′36″N 67°0′36″E / 24.86000°N 67.01000°E / 24.86000; 67.01000Coordinates: 24°51′36″N 67°0′36″E / 24.86000°N 67.01000°E / 24.86000; 67.01000
Culture
Primary deity Varuna
Architecture
Architectural styles Hindu temple
Number of temples 1
Number of monuments 1
Inscriptions 2
History and governance
Governing body Pakistan Hindu Council
Website http://www.pakistanhinducouncil.org/

Shri Varun Dev Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Manora Island in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The temple is devoted to Varuna, the god of the oceans in Hindu mythology.[1]

Construction

According to a legend, it was around 16th century when a wealthy sailor by the name of Bhojomal Nancy Bhattia bought Manora Island from the Khan of Kalat, who owned most of the land along the coastline at that time and then his family commissioned a temple on the lay terrain.[2]

The exact year of the temple's construction or foundation is not known[3] but it is widely believed that the current structure was renovated in around 1917–18.[4]

Inscription in devnagri script says,[5] Om, Varun Dev temple.

The inscription in Sindhi on front gate says,[5] dedication from sons in the sacred memory of Seth Harchand Mal Dayal Das of Bhriya. Bhriya is a town in Khairpur in Sindh.

Current status

Currently, this temple belongs to the Pakistan Hindu Council. Evacuee Trust Property Board has done nothing to protect or preserve this ancient heritage.

Today, the temple is in a dilapidated state as humid winds are eating into the structure and the rich carvings on the walls of the temple are slowly eroding. At present, the building is not used for worship and the last ritual was held in the 1950s.[6]

See also

References

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