You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
India-Pakistan
SC dismayed by absence of idols in Katas Raj temples
2017-12-14
[DAWN] The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday expressed dismay over the absence of idols in the Sri Ram and Hanuman temples in the Katas Raj temple complex in Chakwal, and sought an explanation from the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in this regard.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also ordered the closure of tubewells used by the Bestway Cement factory, which is believed to be one of the industrial units responsible for the drying up of the Katas Raj pond.

According to Hindu mythology, Katas Raj is the second-most sacred Hindu site and dates back to 600 AD. The temple complex is built around the pond, which finds it origin from Katak Shah, which is Sanskrit for ’raining eyes’. The pond is believed to have been formed from the tears of Shiva after the loss of his wife, Sati.

The SC bench is conducting a suo motu
...a legal term, from the Latin. Roughly translated it means I saw what you did, you bastard...
hearing based on media reports that the Katas Raj pond is drying out due to water consumption by nearby cement factories, which are sucking water through a number of drill bores that have reduced the subsoil water level and the use of subsoil water by domestic users.

The court was perturbed to learn that two adjacent temples within the premises of the Katas Raj, called Hanuman temple and Sri Ram Mandir, were without any idols, and Hindu pilgrims who visited the holy site had to bring their own idols to perform their rituals.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial was at a loss to understand why the authorities could not protect idols inside the temples.

Advocate Mohammad Ikram Chaudhry, who represents ETPB, assured the court that he would submit an updated report on Wednesday when the court will resume hearing the case.

The court was also unhappy with the state of affairs at the department, and regretted that it had become something to accommodate party loyalists instead of appointing professional individuals. The court was told that Asif Hashmi, the former chairman of the board who had allegedly indulged in the appropriation of funds, was still on the lam.

Posted by:Fred

#1  the Katas Raj pond is drying out due to water consumption

and Global Warming.
Posted by: Skidmark   2017-12-14 20:50  

00:00