Shri Varun Dev Mandir

Shri Varun Dev Temple
ورن دیو مندر
Varun Dev Mandir visible in the top right corner
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
Country Pakistan Pakistan
State Sindh
Location Karachi
Culture
Sanctum Varuna
Architecture
Architecture Hindu temple
Number of temples 1
Number of monuments 1
Inscriptions 2
History
Governing body Pakistan Hindu Council
Website http://www.pakistanhinducouncil.org/

Shri Varun Dev Mandir (Urdu: ورن دیو مندر) is a Hindu temple located in Manora Island in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The temple is devoted to Varuna, the deity that represents water in Hinduism.[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[1] but it is widely believed that the current structure was renovated in around 1917–18.[3]

Inscription in devnagri script says,[4] Om, Varun Dev temple.

The inscription in Sindhi on front gate says,[4] dedication from sons in the sacred memory of Seth Harchand Mal Dayal Das of Bhriya. Bhriya is a town is a town in Naushahro Feroze District, Sindh, Pakistan

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. There has been efforts to protect and preserve the structure by the Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society (SEAS) under a US government-funded project. [5]

See also

References

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