Hindu temple at Silakot open to darshan again !

குருக்ஷேத்ரத்தில் மஹா பாரத யுத்தம் துவங்குமுன் கௌரவர்கள் போர் படையை விஸ்தரிக்க எல்லா குயுக்திகளையும் கையாண்டனர்.  யுத்தம் நடக்க இருப்பதை அறிந்த சல்லியன், பெரும் அளவிலான துருப்புகளையும், போரில் வலிமைமிக்கவர்களான தனது மகன்களையும் அழைத்துக் கொண்டு பாண்டவர்களிடம் வந்து கொண்டிருந்தான். அவனது முகாம், ஒன்றரை யோஜனை அளவு கொண்ட பகுதியை நிரப்பியது.  பெரும் பராக்கிரமமும், வீரமும் கொண்ட ஓர் அக்ஷௌஹிணி படைக்கு சல்லியன்  தலைவனாக இருந்தான்.

சல்லியன் மத்திர நாட்டின் அரசன்.  மத்திர நாடு (Madra Kingdom) பரத கண்டத்தில் இருந்த பண்டைய பாரத நாடுகளில் ஒன்றாகும். மத்திர நாடு இந்தியாவின் மேற்கு பகுதியில் இருந்த நாடுகளில் ஒன்றாக மகாபாரத இதிகாசத்தில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதன் தலைநகரம் சகலா எனப்படும் தற்கால சியால்கோட் ஆகும்.  நகுலன் மற்றும் சகாதேவன் சல்லியன்  மருமக்கள்; சல்லியனது மாதுரி பாண்டுவின் மனைவி.  சல்லியன் வில்வித்தையிலும் போர்முறைகளிலும் தேர்ந்தவன். தேரோட்டத்தில் வல்லவன். 

Madra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala (modern Sialkot now in the Punjab province of Pakistan). The Kuru king Pāṇḍu’s  wife Mathuri  was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri.  The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, thus were the nephews of King Salliyan (Shalya) ~ however by quirk of circumstances, Salliya had to  support  Duryodhana.  King  Shalya was  a powerful Spear fighter and a formidable charioteer.  On the 16th and 17th days of Mahabaratha  war, Shalya served as Karna's charioteer – he heads the army too but is eventually killed by Dharmaputra. 

Sialkot in Punab province of Pakistan is its  13^th largest city and is reported to be an industrial town.   Along with the nearby cities of Gujranwala and Gujrat, Sialkot forms part of the so-called Golden Triangle of industrial cities with export-oriented economies.  After the puranic Mahabarath, Sialkot is believed to be site of ancient Sagala, a city razed by Alexander the Great in 326 BCE.  The city rose in prominence during the British era, and is now one of Pakistan's most important industrial centres. It is considered to be a wealthy place as compared to other cities of Pak.   Sialkot is also has the  Sialkot International Airport – Pakistan's first privately owned public airport.

The city that tens of thousands of residents was reportedly razed down by the invading Alexander.  Sialkot, along with Punjab as a whole, was captured by the British following their victory over the Sikhs at the Battle of Gujrat in February 1849. During the British era, an official known as The Resident who would in theory advise the Maharaja of Kashmir would reside in Sialkot during the wintertime. During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the two Bengal regiments based in Sialkot rebelled against the East India Company.

It is not history that interests us but the news that a 1,000-year-old Hindu temple in Pakistan Punjab's Sialkot city, which was sealed for the last 72 years, has been re-opened for people.Shawala Teja Singh Temple in Dhaarowal was built by Sardar Teja Singh and closed during partition. The Hindus of Sialkot stopped visiting the temple after a mob damaged it in 1992 while protesting the demolition of the Babri Masjid in India, SAMAA TV reported.The step was taken on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, said the report.

"We are thankful to the government for opening our temple," said a Hindu man while speaking to SAMAA TV. "We can come here whenever we want now."The temple, located in city’s congested Dhaarowal locality, is more than 1,000 years old, according to the book ‘History of Sialkot’ by the late Rashid Niaz.The temple is located on a dune along Allama Iqbal Road and one has to climb up staircases to reach the building.Last year, the tehsil municipal administration established a family park around the temple at the cost of Rs5 million, but it was reported that the temple was not well maintained and was becoming home to addicts.

A mob had damaged the temple, including the tombs, in 1992 while protesting the demolition of Babari Mosque in India.Local Hindu community worshipped and performed their religious rituals at historical ''Shawala Teja Singh temple'' here on Tuesday.The jubilant Hindus distributed sweets and greeted each other and thanked the government for re-opening the temple after 72-year closure.Local Hindu leaders -- Rattan Lal, Ramaish Kumar, Dr Munawar Chand, Amarnath Randhawa and Pandit Kashi Ram, after performing their religious rituals at the temple, hailed the Pakistan government''s decision.

Built by Sardar Teja Singh, Shawala Teja Singh temple is dedicated to Hindu deity Shiva, in Sialkot in Pakistan's Punjab province. Pilgrims climb a steep staircase to reach the temple, which according to ‘History of Sialkot’ is about 1,000 years old.  Pak Press report that the  re-opening of the Shawala Teja Singh temple is a major decision in favour of the Hindus, who form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan, with a majority of them settled in Sindh province.

For 72 years, Partition has given rise to continuing conflict between India and Pakistan which is now beginning to show signs of slowing down, a ‘hope’ that’s supported in the TOFWP report which states that 3,000 violations of the peace agreement occurred in 2017, it reduced to 1,000 while in 2018.  .. .. that sounds a beginning – though could still well be far far away from peace for minorities who have been harassed and subjected to all sorts of harsh treatments in Pakistan

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

1^st Aug 2019.

pictures of the temple from twitter