Katasraj temple

Katas Raj Temples
A variety of architectural styles are present at the temple complex
Katas Raj Temples Location within Pakistan
Geography
Coordinates	32°43′26″N 72°57′7″E / 32.72389°N 72.95194°E / 32.72389; 72.95194Coordinates: 32°43′26″N 72°57′7″E / 32.72389°N 72.95194°E / 32.72389; 72.95194
Country	Pakistan
State	Punjab
District	Chakwal district
Location	Choa Saidanshah
Culture
Primary deity	Shiv

Katasraj Mandir (Punjabi, Urdu: کٹاس راج مندر‎) is a Hindu temple complex situated in Katas village near Choa Saidanshah in the Chakwal district of Punjab in Pakistan.

Dedicated to Shiva, the temple has, according to Hindu legend, existed since the days of Mahābhārata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile at the site and later Krishna himself laid the foundation of this temple and established his hand made Shivling in it.

The Pakistan Government is considering nominating the temple complex for World Heritage Site status. In 2007, it also proposed to restore the temple complex. In 2012, the temple pond is drying up due to heavy use of ground water for industrial purposes. In January 2017, Pakistani authorities began installation of shikharas on the temples.

Prehistoric tools and weapons such as axes and knives made of granite, and artifacts like terracotta bangles and pottery have been unearthed at the Katasraj site. The latter have been found to be similar to those excavated in Harappa, but have not been dated for want of expert opinion. The fascinating Salt Ranges have a vast archaeological treasure still hidden underground. The Salt Ranges have also been yielding prehistoric finds. While some local experts place the fossils discovered in the period between 6000 and 7000 BC, the fact remains that they have not yet been examined by trained palaeontologists of international standing. A large number of bones of the limbs and vertebrae of giant animals resembling the extinct mammoth and dinosaur have been found at some sites. “An entire range of low mountains in the area appears to be fossilized, revealing to the naked eye layer upon layer of a variety of plants and soils,” says one writer. The smaller temples, built in pairs around the larger central temple, were built around 900 years or so ago, although the earliest of them dates back to the latter half of the 6th century AD.