Lahore: A 1,200-year-old Hindu temple in Lahore has been formally opened to the public after it was reclaimed from a Christian family following a lengthy court battle, according to a federal body.
The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), the federal body overseeing minority worship places in Pakistan, last month reclaimed possession of the Valmiki Temple from a Christian family, which had grabbed the place of worship more than two decades ago. Besides the Krishna Temple, the Valmiki Temple is the only functional Hindu temple in Lahore.
The Christian family, which claims to have converted to Hinduism, had been facilitating only the Valmiki caste Hindus for worship at the temple for the last two decades. ETPB spokesperson Amir Hashmi said Valmiki Temple was formally inaugurated last week with over 100 Hindus, some Sikh, Christian and Muslim leaders gathered there to celebrate the occasion. “Valmiki Temple will be fully restored in accordance with a master plan in the coming days,” the spokesperson said.
The ETPB said the temple’s land was transferred to it in the revenue record, but the family 2010-2011, claiming to be the owner of the property, filed a case in a civil court. Besides going into litigation, the family also made the temple only for the Valmiki Hindus, it said. This left the ETPB with no option but to fight the case in court. Pakistan Hindu Mandir Management Committee (PHMMC) president Krishan Sharma said the ETPB’s move was a goodwill gesture and also a step towards mainstreaming the community and should be applauded, the Dawn newspaper reported. The Valmiki sect of Hindus are a poor segment of the society who have no say or access, Sharma explained, adding they had regained access to this temple now.
In 1992, in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition in India, an angry mob wielding weapons stormed into the Valmiki Temple. It smashed the idols of Krishna and Valmiki, broke utensils and crockery in the kitchen and seized the gold with which the statues were embellished.
