The historic temple of Abbottabad is a picture of dilapidation

In Nawan Shahr, the ancient town of Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, the holy ancient temple complex of Hindus has become a picture of dilapidation.

Nawan Shahr Kasbah is a historical residential area of ​​Hazara which has been settled on the banks of the important trade route Silk Road for centuries.

Before the partition of the Indian subcontinent, Hindus and Muslims lived together in this town for centuries and the majority of Hindus were influential and wealthy.

Monuments of this great period of history are scattered in Navan city, which are waiting to be written by historians.

Entering from the old bazaar of Nawan Shahr, there is a temple complex covering a large area in the old neighborhood, only a part of which is intact now. While most of the buildings are collapsing due to the weather.

The 108 steps leading up to the main shrine in the temple complex have borne the burden of humanity for centuries.

According to Hindus, water has a sacred importance and even today, millions of Hindus take a dip in the rivers Ganga and Yamuna in the morning and then take part in the puja.

The deep impression of this culture is also reflected in Nawan Shah Mandir.

The buildings of the temple complex are situated on the right bank of the river which is now shrinking due to encroachment. The source of the river is the springs around the temple whose sweet and clear water still irrigates the Nawan city.

In the past, Hindu and Muslim ponds were separate. Apart from this, Muslim and Hindu women had separate bathing facilities. The ponds were built in a special style. Even today there are two ponds which have a unique sight with their historical beauty where young people and children are seen laughing and playing in the hot summer.

Shabnam Nawaz, a well-known legal scholar and researcher working on the historical heritage of Abbottabad, told Independent Urdu: ‘The Nawan Shahr Mandir complex is spread over a wide range of buildings. The main building of the temple i.e. the puja ghar is two storeyed, the first storey is constructed of beautifully carved stones while the second storey is constructed of the abundant deodar wood once found in the forests of Hazara.

This temple building is a testament to the era when the culture of religious tolerance was deeply rooted in the town and people respected each other without discrimination of caste and religion.

The young researcher Sarmad Faraz Abbasi explains that ‘in addition to the main building in this temple complex, there is also a Dharamshala for the pilgrims, which building is now used as a primary school. Although the temple building is dilapidated due to the passage of time and government indifference, the Dharamshala still exists in its original condition.

The temple also had adequate accommodation for the priests with separate living quarters who settled here after the Great Migration of Partition and many of the buildings are now used for the residential purposes of the Municipal Committee.

Shabnam Nawaz says that ‘the architectural style of the temple is Nagri and Kashmiri due to which Kashmir and Hazara regions have been connected in deep cultural and geographical relations in the past.’

According to Shabnam, only a few routes to Kashmir were open throughout the year, two of which are through Hazara Pakhli, Garhi Habibullah and Rawalpindi Kohala, which are located in the same region.

Research scholar and architect Saad Aurangzeb told Independent Urdu: ‘In the construction of this temple, special care was taken to make it look unique from other buildings. The Shikara of the temple is similar to the temples of Kashinath. Above the rectangular building is a high example of the best architecture of the beautiful Shikara builders.’

Vijay Sethi, who belongs to Hinduism, is currently a resident of Dera Dun, India. His parents were from Nawa city. Although they have never seen Nawa City themselves, they have such extensive knowledge about the ancient temples and palaces that it seems they have been wandering around here for years. He inherited this heritage from his father’s memory.

Vijay Sethi told Independent Urdu that his parents migrated from Nawan Shahr during the partition of India in 1947. He narrates from his father that in the year 1937, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru also came to Nawanshahr and visited the holy Hindu temple. While Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the main leader of India’s freedom movement and later the first president of India, was carried by his father on his shoulders and down the 108 steps of the temple to the springs.

Today, most of the buildings in the temple complex are falling into disrepair. While there are cracks in the walls of the main synagogue. There are writings on the walls. Its crumbling stones bear testimony to the fact that this holy temple, built centuries ago with hard work and dedication, is now falling into ruins due to lack of proper care and maintenance.

Sarmad Faraz Abbasi blames it on the lack of interest and indifference of the government and states that ‘Due to the negligence of the Department of Archeology, the land of the temple is being encroached upon while there are heaps of drugs and narcotic drugs in the temple premises. It has become a haven for drug users.

According to advocate Shabnam Nawaz, the Antiquities Act of the Department of Archeology says that ‘a building older than 100 years will be considered a historical heritage, the full responsibility of which will be the department’s maintenance. Pakistan is also a signatory to various international charters and World Heritage Conventions, so the preservation of this temple and its repair and restoration are among the primary responsibilities of the Department of Archaeology.

Locals say that by restoring and renovating these temple buildings, not only their historical status can be restored, but also religious tourism, which is not only an emerging tourism industry today, but also a positive asset for a country. It also brings out the impression. If the government takes steps to protect this historical heritage, the Hindu community will come here from other countries to see it, which will restore the atmosphere of brotherhood.

Otherwise, the only religious and cultural heritage of the centuries-old history of the Navan city can turn into ruins any time and become a story.